TDA is open to anyone who has an interest in folk dancing or in playing a traditional instrument. We welcome people from all backgrounds to give them a taste of Turkish culture. Bridging two continents, Europe and Asia, Turkey has been the home to civilizations with settled villages and city life for nine thousand years. It s rich cultural heritage is dramatized by folk dancing. Folk dances have different characteristics based on region and location and are generally engaged in during weddings, gatherings, festivals, when sending sons off to military service, and during religious and national holidays.
Dances demonstrate the different social roles of men and women.
Some of the dances are reenactments of daily activities, while others tell stories. Halay comes from the word Alay which means many people . This folk dance is performed to a large extent in the East, South-East, and Central Anatolia and it is one of the most striking dances. In Halay, men and women dance together, forming a line, semi-circle, or circle and holding each other's hands, shoulders, or little fingers. This dance reflects the happiness of a couple who is getting married.