A TURKISH CYPRIOT dancer has impressed Londoners once again with his hit show Aşk, (Turkish for ‘love’) after it performed for one night only on Saturday 3rd October at the Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham, North London.
The dance show by Özgen which is touring internationally, saw 300 people take their seats to watch the sell-out performance. Among the guests was the Mayor of Haringey- Councillor Sheila Peacock, TRNC Consul General Ülkü Alemdar, and Ansell Chezan, director of UKA Dance (the UK’s dance exam body). Some members of the audience had even travelled from Europe and Asia to see the show.
After the show, Özgen said: “I’m keen for Turkish music and dance to be enjoyed by wider audiences, so it’s wonderful to see the growing international interest in Aşk. Of course it’s a universal theme, so everyone can relate to our two stories. Yet the fact so many dancers and audiences from non-Turkish backgrounds are keen to experience this through our [Turkish] cultural traditions is truly magical.”
A total of 42 cast members took to the stage, in stunning costumes to perform dances from Turkish Oriental to Romani and Sufi music. After its world premiere in London last year, the show went on to tour Australia and this year Özgen will take the dance performances in theatre to Scotland and Japan.
Ozgen is an internationally acclaimed master Turkish dancer, teacher, choreographer and director. Specialising in Turkish Folk, Oriental and Romany (Gypsy) dance, he has performed in Turkey’s major dance productions such as Night of the Sultans (Turkey’s Riverdance). He is now based in London where he travels the world giving dance workshops and shares his expertise.
A little bit about the show
Produced by award-winning Dunya Bellydance, Aşk centres around two different tales about love. The first is set in a bustling Romani neighbourhood: a colourfully-dressed cast burst into action with group dances, followed by playful solos, including a Russian Gypsy dance by Saeeda. Two of the Roma men (Özgen and Vivian Gayle), consumed by jealousy and dark passion, start to fight over a woman (Rosy Summerbell), who taunts both admirers by flirting with them. Their modern ballet dance-off encompassed an exciting mix of Turkish Oriental, Folk, Romany, and urban dance styles.