This residency program is rooted in the study of Turkish folk dance choreographer Selim Sırrı Tarcan, a pioneer of intercultural exchange between East and West in the first half of the 20th century.

Tarcan, a movement coach and politician who represented Turkey at the Olympics, demonstrated a traditional Turkish folk dance form called “Zeybek” at a networking event in Paris, impressing attendees. However, when asked to perform this dance again, he could not repeat it the same way because it was not standardized like its “Western” counterparts. That sparked a significant difference between the improvisational nature of folk dance in Turkey versus Western codified dance forms. The former was improvised in the framework of the specific rhythms and movement patterns, while the latter was codified but open to choreographic innovation. Afterwards, Tarcan invented a new tradition, a couple dance based on Zeybek male solo dancing.

Triggered by this tension between the tradition and its revival, Cihan Çöl aims to confront Western dance traditions with Turkish folk dance, particularly the Zeybek tradition.

In collaboration with one of the largest conservatories of Türkiye, three residency weeks will be organized in October and November 2024, where students from the folk dance department and contemporary dancers will meet and share practices, culminating in a public performance that blends traditional forms with contemporary choreographic strategies.