Sema Yildiz
Sema Yildiz is a Turkish Belly dancer, Romani dancer, Dance teacher and actress. [1], who is known as the first dancer to perform in the Topkapı palace.[2][3][4]
| Sema Yildiz | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Sema Yıldız |
| Born | Istanbul, Turkiye |
| 💼 Occupation |
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| 📆 Years active | 1966-present |
She has been referred to as "One of Turkey's senior oriental dancers".[5][4][1]
Early life
Born in Istanbul to a farmer and the only girl of five children, she grew up in the Sulukule neighborhood (Karagümrük).[1] an area known as the world's oldest Romani settlement.[6] Her father was a migrant to Turkey from the Balkans.[3][4]
Early Career: 1966-1979
In 1967 she entered a dance competition (yarışma), known as "Queen of the Dance" at Caddebostan Casino, placing third. At this competition, Sema met a manager: Mr Engin Arınmış, would help develop her career and open doors to fame.[4] In 1968, Sema danced for classical Turkish singer Zeki Müren at the Bebek Maksim[4]. From 1973, Sema performed at musical halls and dinner clubs around Istanbul for two decades. These included Karevanserai, Bebek Maksim, Gar Music Hall, Galata Kullesi (Galata Tower), Moda Deniz Club, Maksim in Taksim square and Parisienne.[1] In 1973, The American dancer and teacher Magana Baptiste brought her students to Istanbul on a multi-country dance tour. After watching Sema perform live in Istanbul, Magana requested that she and her students do a class, and Sema obliged. The experience was Sema's first teaching opportunity.[4] [3]
In 1976, she embarked on a 4-month working tour of Beirut, Amman, Syria and Iran. As part of this tour, Sema performed in Khormashah, Iran alongside Belly dancers Nadia Gamal and Jamileh.[6][1] She moved to Belgium in 1979, where her agent had sent her at the time, and lived there until 1988, touring Europe and visiting a total of 14 countries to perform.[1] One city she performed in was London, where she danced at the Gallipoli Club and met American singer and actress Eartha Kitt. [4]
Middle Career: 1980-2009
Sema retired from performing in 1993, to focus her time on teaching, mentoring and being an agent for new dancers.[3][4][7] In 2005, sema was featured in a Japanese television documentary titled "Queens of Dance", filmed at the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, alongside dancers Princess Banu and Birgul Berai.[8] She collaborated with BaBa Zula in 2006, performing at venues around Istanbul together. THat same year was the first time Sema visited Japan, a dance tour, giving workshops and performances. She was the first Turkish style Belly dancer to visit the country and promote Turkish Oryantal and Romani Dance there. [1] She was interviewed by NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation)on several occasions in a documentary about Belly dance, Sulukule and Istanbul also.
In 2007, she continued her collaboration with BabaZula and went on tour with them. This included performing at Babylon in Istanbul, at the 52nd International Art Exhibition biennale in Venice, Italy, at the Vooriut Arts Centre Concert in Ghent, Belgium and in Bremen, Germany. Together, BabaZula and Sema also featured on Turkish television. (Turkmax TV).[9] In 2009, Sema appeared in a documentary about Turkish Oryantal and cooking with Japanese pop star Takako Uehara.[3] [10] She also featured in the Documentary film "The Magical Call of Oryantal" (2007), directed by Umut Egitimci.
Later Career: 2010 onward
In 2010, she was invited to attended the International Belly dance Conference in Canada, to give workshops and perform. She worked alongside choreographers and dance teachers Khairiyya Mazin, Mahmoud Reda, Hadia, Jillina Carlano, Yasmina Ramzy and others.[3] The following year, Sema's portrait was taken by photographer Ahmet Sel, and was featured at his “Oriental Illusions” photographic exhibition at Pi Artworks in Istanbul. [11] In 2012, the Brazilian series “Mundo em Movimento" (World in Movement) interviewed Sema in the episode "Dances of Turkey". She was interviewed about her dance life and Belly Dance, and also did a performance.[12]
In 2012, Sema travelled to the US as guest teacher to give workshops and perform at the 'Bad Boys of Belly dance' festival in Las Vegas, and also became the artistic co-organiser of Turkey's largest Oriental Dance festival: Tarazade, held in Istanbul. She held that position for two years until 2013. Turkish Director Cemalettin Irken invited Sema to perform in a short cultural documentary film made by TRT Belgesel (the national public documentary broadcaster of Turkey). The film was titled "Bir Nergis, Bir Leblebi, Bir Ayvalık" (A Daffodil, A chickpea, One Ayvalik) and released in October 2017.[13] Sema also appeared on on a Romanian Television the following year, on the talk show “Teo Show”, doing a performance and interview and surprising the hosts by her age.[14]
Dance Philosophy
"All my life I have devoted my heart and soul to dance, to learning to dance and teaching dance. Dance is the great love of my life, I live and feed on it. No matter how tired I am, when I go on stage I forget everything, it's like entering a trance state. Dance for me is something like a prayer and music is my doctor. I feel like a plane tree and my students are my branches".[15]
Partial filmography
- 1970 Müthiş Türk, Dance role. Directed by Nuri Ergün.
- 1976 Kime Niyet Kime Kismet, Small acting role. Directed by Tamer Oguz.
- 2005 Queens of Oriental, Documentary as herself (Japan).
- 2007 The Magical Call of Oryantal. Directed by Umut Egitimci.
- 2012 Mundo em Movimento - Dances of Turkey episode (Brazilian Documentary series), as herself.
- 2017 Bir Nergis, Bir Leblebi, Bir Ayvalık" (One Daffodil, One chickpea, One Ayvalik). Directed by Cemalettin Irken.
Legacy
Sema is well known for her finger cymbal playing,[16] and is known as a dynamic dancer with strong hip movements and powerful floor work.[4] Sema is also known for her expertise in Romani dance.[1]She has been described as being compelling every time she dances.[3]
Sema was the first Turkish Dancer to be invited to teach in Egypt by Belly Dance choreographer and teacher Raqia Hassan in 2001, teaching and performing at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival three times. Apart from Egypt, she was also the first Turkish teacher in Japan and has taught extensively there, teaching many students on various trips to Japan,[17] as well as many Japanese students visiting her in Istanbul. [18]
In 2021, Sema was featured in a book: the 9th edition of “Danza Oriental de Egipto” (Oriental Dance of Egypt), by Giselle Rodriguez. Sema featured as one of the Turkish style dancers.[19] Sema still actively teachers and travels to give workshops, and is involved in efforts to help Sulukule Roma who have been displaced when the government decided to gentrify the area; which threatened their way of life.[3][1]
Her legacy is seen in her many students around the world. As part of teaching them, Sema has given many of her students Turkish names.[1] In Turkey Sema has been the teacher, mentor and trainer to well known dancers Asena and Didem Kinali.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Potuoglu-Cook, O (2008-05-15). Night Shifts: Moral, Economic, and Cultural Politics of Turkish Belly Dance Across the Fins-de-Siècle (PhD thesis). Northwestern University.
- ↑ Ulker, Adem (2010-06-28). "TURİSTLERE ORYANTAL DERSİ". Yeni Asir. Marmaris.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Kelly, Brigid (2010-06-10). "Sema Yildiz A Star of Turkish Dance". Gilded Serpent. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Cernik, E (1998). "Sema Yildiz Istanbul's "Dancing Star"". The Best of Habibi. 17 ( 2): . Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ↑ "Μία από τις αρχαιότερες χορεύτριες οριεντάλ της Τουρκίας, η Sema Yıldız, στην Ελλάδα". Inewsgr. 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
One of Turkey's senior oriental dancers, Sema Yıldız
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Bellydancing sema yildiz bellydance classes turkey istanbul bodrum class bell dance belly dancing".
- ↑ "1988 Istanbul les Parisiennes Show (Oriental SEMA YILDIZ)". YouTube.
- ↑ ÇALIŞKAN, Mehmet (2004-08-01). "Japonlar oryantalin belgeselini çekti" [The Japanese shot a documentary about the oriental.]. Sabah Newspaper (in Turkish). Istanbul. Retrieved 2024-01-10.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Sema Yildiz". YouTube.
- ↑ "Berry Dance". YouTube.
- ↑ https://ahmetsel.com/portfolio-item/oriental-illusions/
- ↑ Lobo, Paula(host) (6 June 2012). "Dances of Turkey". Mundo em Movimento. Season 1. Episode 1. TV Globo.
- ↑ Irken, Cemalettin (director) (Oct 24, 2017). Bir Nergis, Bir Leblebi, Bir Ayvalık [One Daffodil, One chickpea, One Ayvalik] (Documentary). Ayvalik Turkiye: TRT Belgesel.
- ↑ "Gazi Demirel impreuna cu regina dansului oriental Sema Yildiz la Teo Show Kanal D". YouTube.
- ↑ "H ιστορία του αγοροκόριτσου που έγινε βασίλισσα του οριεντάλ" [The story of the tomboy who because the queen of Oriental]. The TOC (in Ελληνικά). Greece. 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
- ↑ Leyl, L (2022-06-15). "Why are finger cymbals more common in classic-era Turkish dance and not Egyptian?". Fanoos. USA: Fanoos. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ↑ "Interview Sema Yildiz & Special performance of BabaZula with Nourah". YouTube.
- ↑ "Legendary Turkish Belly Dancer SEMA YILDIZ on Japanese Television Show". YouTube.
- ↑ "9 editada". 2021-01-26.
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