|
 Tayyar Akdeniz was
born in 1955 in the province of Kars, Turkey. His Family relocated to the
capital, Ankara, when Tayyar was 2 years old. Turkish folk dancing is not
something he merely studied and pursued over the years, it is something
he has lived his whole life. Not only did his mother encourage his learning
dance and rhythm from the time he was a toddler, but he was continually
exposed to traditional Turkish Folk Dance at family and cultural gatherings
while growing up. During Elementary School he participated in his school's
dance performances and celebrations. When he was in High School he joined
the folk dance competitions. From 1975-1983 he was involved as a dancer,
musician, instructor and choreographer in various folkloric associations
in Turkey. He performed and traveled around the world with the Turkish State
Folk Dance Ensemble and other distinguished dance companies from Turkey.
|
| |
| During these years he studied with some of Turkey's best known choreographers
and performed with many of Turkey's most renowned musicians and singers.
He is proficient in several folk instruments, including the davul (bass
drum), baglama and a Turkish folk flute. After several years of teaching
folk dance at the university level Tayyar moved from Ankara to New York
in 1989. Since then he has worked tirelessly to keep a sense of Turkish
culture alive for Turkish-American citizens, particularly children. This
has been accomplished through his work at various Turkish schools and cultural
organizations. He has taught folk dancing at the Ataturk School and Anadolu
School. He has organized and directed various folkloric activities sponsored
by the Turkish American Youth Association. Tayyar's files are teaming with
certificates, awards, invitations and letters of thanks from various organizations
and Turkish heads of state who have been more that impressed with his work
in both Turkey and the United States. |
| |
 Since he founded
the Turkish Fine Arts Ensemble in 1994, Tayyar and the Ensemble have been
in great demand as instructors and performers all over the United States.
For the last five years Tayyar himself has been a featured teacher/performer
at Mendecino, California Middle Eastern Dance Camp, a major annual event
which draws ethnic dance artists from all over the United States. His love
of dance is evident in the sheer joy that he projects from the stage. His
productions are of the highest caliber seen anywhere in ethnic dance and
are virtually flawless. Indeed, New York and the rest of the United States
have been enriched by the energy of Tayyar's
|
|
|
| * All dances are performed and taught by Tayyar Akdeniz:
tayyarfolkdancer@yahoo.com * |
