Anthropia Greek Dances Ensemble
Antropia Yunan Dansları Topluluğu
Ανθρωπιά Ομάδα Ελληνικών Χορών
Istanbul - Turkey

Emergence

Anthropia is a Greek Dances Ensemble which was founded in Turkey in 2007 by none-Greek members. By choosing such a name for our ensemble, we wanted to put forward an outcry about the “humaneness” that we keep losing day by day; we also wanted to imply that we shall take a stand against this flow. Based in Istanbul-Turkey, with no Greek originated members, Anthropia emerged from an environment that has been involved in Greek dance and culture for many years with a deepening interest and engagement. Each having another full time job, the members of the ensemble devote most of their remaining time to focusing on Greek dances.

Training and Repertoire

Technical dance training is provided by Cemal Atila who is also the founder of the ensemble. On the other hand, Greek trainers being invited from time to time, are also contributing to the ensemble in terms of developing an authentic dance attitude and enriching the dance repertoire. Anthropia is currently performing 30 different Greek dances across all regions of Greece with different rhythmic and figure structures. Moreover, Turkey originated dances that are well known in Greece such as Pontian dances, Chassapikos and Zeibekiko are also a part of our repertoire.

Anthropia sticks to the genuine and authentic forms of the dances in its choreographies while adopting new approaches that have become common in Greece in recent years in terms of costumes and staging. Apart from dances, Anthropia uses documentary cinevisions in its shows to reflect different epochs of recent Greek history; Nazi Invasion, Militia Resistance, Civil War, Military Coup of Colonels and the Polytechnic Uprising; all these tragic events and epochs that have left significant traces in minds of Greek people are expressed with impressive visuals and a lyrical narrative.

Dance Mission

Anthropia strives to show Turkish people a real portrait of Greek dances. Knowledge -or actually ignorance!- of Turkish people on Greek dances has been caught up in the triangle of syrtaki-tavern-plate breaking for years. With Anthropia’s shows, this false image is starting to collapse and we are hopeful that in a near future it will be widely understood by Turkish people that, all those spoiled terms like “greek tavern”, “syrtaki show”, so common in Turkey, are pretty far from representing the real dance culture of Greek people. Because with Anthropia’s work, Turkish viewers are meeting with the splendid dances of Peloponnesus, with brave dances of Crete and with cheerful dances of Dodekanisia. Tsamikos, Pendozalis and Ikariotiko... Perhaps Turkish viewers are hearing these names for the very first time in their lives; and from the first impressions we get from our shows, we understand that all these dances representing real Greek dance culture, will certainly be highly appreciated by Turkish people.

Social and Cultural Mission

Anthropia works and dances for a better relationship between peoples of Turkey and Greece. It is not a secret that there has been a painful relationship between the two people. Nowadays the two societies rediscover each other. What we need is some courageous steps towards a common future. Anthropia is one of such steps. Anthropia’s main mission is to help Turkish people to understand Greek people. This is not an easy task at all. With other words, Anthropia is not only dancing, but also struggling against the prejudices and fabrications implanted in minds of people for many years. It is obvious that for a real understanding, we have to be courageous and tolerant enough to be able to face the past. On the other hand, Anthropia is determined to be away from the official ideologies of the two states. Because those official ideologies of Turkish and Greek states have brought nothing other than tears and destruction. Whether in Turkey or in Greece, Anthropia’s place is next to the people. Anthropia combines values of democracy, freedom and justice with the art of dance. Antropia works and dances for a better Turkey, a better Greece and in general a better world…