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Turkish Dance

Turkish Dance

What are the types of the Turkish Dances?

1) Religious Turkish Dances

Sema Dance
“Sema heals the lovers. Because there is a dream to meet God in the sky. It is a journey to beloved. ”
It mostly developed in islamic monasteries and remained in a completely religious atmosphere.
Sema Dance is known as the world's most mystical dance created and developed with the inspiration of Mevlana (1207-1273). Also, Sems-i Tabrizi taught Sema Dance to Mevlana. In fact, it is the chanting ritual of Mevlevi dervishes when looked deeper. Accompanied by ney-like instruments, they can be summarized as a ritual by opening their arms to each other, turning their right palms to the sky, turning their left palms to the earth, take from God and distributing them to the people. The music is an instrument that helps meditation. There are aspects that are visible and invisible. Before it, Mesnevi is read, then prayer and dhikr are performed.
It can not end with explaining all the stages and meanings of Sema because it’s perceived as a touristic show from time to time, is a ritual that has been living for centuries. And only whirling dervishes know it.

Why turn?
Because the main condition for existence is to turn. It represents a round trip. Electrons spin around the nucleus at speeds ranging from 1000 to 100,000 km. Electrons, whose masses do not differ from each other, have different energy levels and rotate in 7 different orbits. This fast and endless spin of the electron is the essence of everything that exists. Everything in the universe survives with this turn. Stars, planets, blood in the body, life on the earth, everything turns in harmony.

Clothes And Their Meanings

Tennure (white clothing) symbolizes purity and the shroud of the naf. The coin, as the dervish crown (the long honey-colour felt they put on their heads) symbolizes the tombstone and monotheism of the nafs, and the black cardigan symbolizes the nafs and graves.
Ears are closed with coins to not hear this world, and it symbolizes the journey to God alone.
Red coat is considered to be the degree of Mevlana. Represents Prophet Semsi and human-being.
Those who are new to Mevlevi sit on black coat. Because black contains every color.
As the dervish learns and travels, white coat is entitled to sit.
It is the right of the sheikhs and caliphs to wrap the turban. Their color changes according to the lineage they come from.

Why are the whirling dervishes not dizzy?
Whirling dervishes turn their heads 20-25 degrees to the left, just like the 23 degree angle of the world. This slope neutralizes the effects on the inner ear and does not turn dizzy. At the same time, they fix their gaze on one point, the thumb of the left hand. They are not concerned with what is around, they see everywhere misty.


Sema ritual consists of 4 parts. These symbolize the 4 stages that the passenger will undergo.
1) People realizing their own adoration
2) Fascination with the greatness of God
3) Admiration turns into love
4) The purpose of creation is to turn into adoration. (The greatest order known as adoration)

2) Classical Turkish Dances

It is mostly developed in cities and is played with the atmosphere of classical Turkish music. They are national dances that have been developed mostly in Anatolia and have preserved their features until today.


Parts of Folk Dances According to Their Specific Features
After briefly determining the conditions of emergence of folk dances and their place in today's society, we can talk about the parts of these dances according to their rich cultural elements, presentations, regions, and certain common characteristics. Regional distribution can be considered as a way of clustering folk dances.



Turkish Folk Dance
Turkish folk dances; It is one of the important components of Turkish folklore. It is a science that examines local games and local dances and costumes played in villages and towns.
Local people form the basis of Turkish folklore. Therefore, folklore is used to mean local people dances. But this is a false definition. Folklore means folklore. It is a term that covers all folk culture (food, legend, folk song, dance, etc.). Folk dances are a section that covers only local dances and clothing. Turkish folk dances are one of the most remarkable folkloric phenomena in the world in terms of variety and scope. So far, the compilations of Turkish folk dances are still unfinished. With the sense of brotherhood, melody, rhythm and movement structure that it contains in folk dances, it is an important factor in the physical and mental development of the individual. The advantage of the person cohesion of playing together, move, share, and self-expression that teaches folk dances based on these features, the activities to be implemented individual development of people in Turkey are contributing to the well provided, as well as social development.


Zeybek
This famous game of Western Anatolia has an imposing, magnificent, manly and rowdy character. It can be considered showing rather than dancing, serious expressions of posture and face are very important. It has two methods called heavy and medium, it is played heavily. However, there are zeybek airs that are played very fast, especially in Karsiyaka. In these, the movement of the legs gets a speed that cannot be followed by the eyes, body turns, sudden postures are at a dizzying speed. It is seen that foot hits are important.

Halay
This is a kind of heavy dance of Sivas and Erzurum region, it is played by a group holding hands. By holding a handkerchief in his hand, the top player manages the others.

Horon
Composed in the Eastern Black Sea Region, it is very poor as a melody, but played live as a rhythm. Foot strikes, knee breaking and arms to the air are important.


Ciftetelli
Classical Turkish dance is a very common type spread among the middle class people of the city. With a stringy and wind instrument reed, it is a heavy and very agile game atmosphere in places, mostly women play.