Colors of Turkic world shown through music and dance
İZMİR
The İzmir State Ensemble of Turkish World Dance and Music showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world by performing its music and dances.
Established in 2008 under the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the ensemble preserves and brings to life the authentic melodies and dances of the Turkic world.
The ensemble’s repertoire includes music and dances from countries such as Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as well as regions inhabited by Turkic peoples, including Tatarstan, Kirkuk, Crimea, Gagauzia, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Yakutia.
With a 25-member orchestra, the ensemble enriches its performances with both traditional Turkic instruments like the dutar, balaban, dombra, kopuz, shaman drum and shan kopuz, as well as classical Anatolian instruments, presenting authentic melodies to its audience.
The dancers, dressed in traditional Turkic costumes representing the cultural identity of each region, offer a visual feast to the viewers. These costumes, reflecting the traditional textures and colors of various Turkic geographies, further enhance the impact of the dances.
The ensemble’s art director, Şavk Eryürek, stated that the group was established to showcase the music and dances of Turkic countries and regions both domestically and internationally.
Eryürek stated that they curate authentic works collected from a wide geography and arrange them for their orchestra, explaining, “For us, it is crucial that the works remain traditional and authentic. This is our primary criterion when selecting pieces. We arrange and perform these traditional works using both Turkic instruments and Anatolian traditional instruments within our expansive orchestra.”
Expressing great happiness in contributing to the promotion of Turkish world culture, Eryürek emphasized that he could not think of a stronger tool than art to introduce this cultural richness to the world.
Eryürek noted their intention to bring themes from Anatolian soil to the Turkic world and global stages through significant projects, adding, “Introducing these works in regions such as Europe, America and Australia is highly valuable for demonstrating the richness of Turkic culture.”
Highlighting the lack of a written Turkic world repertoire in Türkiye, Eryürek said:
“Our biggest challenge is the absence of an archive of written repertoire belonging to the Turkic world in Türkiye. We transcribe the pieces we select by listening to them from source individuals, then adapt and present them to our audience with new arrangements. In essence, we aim to leave the archive of this repertoire we prepare as a legacy for future generations and young people.”
The ensemble’s repertoire includes performances such as the “Kırk Cigit” war dance from Kyrgyzstan’s Kurmanbek Epic, a shaman drum performance accompanying the Tuva folk melody “Enesayım,” the sword-and-shield dance of Ruşen Ali and Bolu Bey from the Köroğlu Epic, and the Azerbaijani folk dance “Reksi Ağ Çiçek.”
