| Biography: | Ahmet Turan Demirbağ (born January 22, 1957) is a Turkish dance master, choreographer and percussionist. He finished Ortaköy Education Institute in 1978 and Eskişehir Anadolu University Social Sciences Teaching Department in 2000. He started learning dancing in his family and in high school afterwards. He started his dancing career in societies such as Bakırköy Anatolian Tourism Society,Folklore Promotion and Education Society, Zeytinburnu Public Education Center both as a dancer and dance teacher. He took different roles such as performer, instructor, choreographer, general art director and musician in these societies and, with this occasion, traveled to the US, Canada, Japan, Spain, Poland, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Kuwait, Egypt, Dubai and the UAE to participate in concerts and events. Dance groups he taught won notable prizes in national and international competitions. He participated in many competitions both national and international as a juryman. He then appeared on a dancing competition live TV show called Altın Adımlar (Golden Steps) on TRT1 both as a production advisor and one of the judges on TV. He gave countless masterclasses and workshops all around the world starting from ’81. In 1984, he was invited to het Internationaal Danstheater (Netherlands) as a choreographer by Ferdinand Van Alterna, founder and general art director of the society. He kept this position from 1984 until 2011 under the supervision of Van Altena and Maurits Van Geel (Van Altena’s successor as director) and helped make choreographies for over 20 different programs some of which are Sezionen, Mare Nostrum, Karagöz In Nederland, Reizigers, The Ziel Van De Zwarte Zee, Alexander De Grote. Some other foreign dance ensembles he worked with as a choreographer are Sanlima (Belgium, 2018), Paloina (Netherlands, 1986) and Fire Flowers (Hungary, 2003). He also worked as general art director in “Buluşma” (the Gathering), a EU project that aimed to help Turkish integration in Europe. Taught in professional Turkish dance ensembles and societies such as Anadolu Ateşi - Fire of Anatolia, Shaman Dance Theater and Turkish Folklore Institution. Worked as a board member in Turkish Folk Dances Federation where he created and taught Coach and Judge Training Program. Participated in many symposiums and workshops some of which are “Entertainment In Folk Culture” (Motif, 2009), “Problems Encountered In Folk Dances Education” (ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory Turkish Folk Dances Department), “Bursa 2018”, “Balıkesir 2017”. Photos he took for his documentations were showcased and made cover of many issues of folklore magazines. He’s been teaching as an artist lecturer in Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory Turkish Folk Dances Department, the first ever in the domain to be formed in the country, since its foundation in 1985. He also worked as head of department and vice president of the department between different periods. To this date, he’s still a board member Motif Foundation and Motif Folk Sciences Awards Committee. He’s also one of the founding members of Dancing on the Bosphorus society, an ensemble that’s dedicated to do field research on dance and cultural trips each year in a different place (this year it’s going to take place in Eastern Black Sea region in Turkey between July 14-22). Lastly, he’s got two sons, Arda and Arman Kaya. |