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The Directorate General of the State Opera and Ballet, which aims to promote opera and ballet throughout the country, carries on its activities in its headquarters in Ankara and through directorates in İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin and Antalya, the last one having been opened in 1999. |
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Moreover, efforts to catch up with the universal dimension of the performing arts in all aspects are accelerated through new formations such as the Modern Dance Ensemble, set up as a part of the State Opera and Ballet and now celebrating its 12th year. The opera and ballet institutions also run child choirs and ballets to promote this form of art. |
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The Fourth International Ballet Festival, organized by the Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet, was held on August 11-31, 2006, in the historical Bodrum Castle. |
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| The Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival, the most important organization by the Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet in regard to arts, has been hosting lots of foreign groups as an international festival since 1988. The festival, viewed by nearly 80,000 people every year, was held on June 10-22, 2006 for the 13th time. |
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Theater |
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“Meddahlık”, or the art of mimicry, which developed as a result of the fusion of the tradition of narrating, which existed among the Turks since Central Asian times, and the Islamic culture, matured into its final form in the 16th century. The Ortaoyunu, which has quite a resemblance to the Renaissance era Italian Folk Theater, namely the “Commedia Dell’arte”, and which is the most developed genre of traditional Turkish theater, was formed by merging domestic theatrical elements such as the Karagöz, Muppet and Meddah. It experienced its golden age by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The Ortaoyunu actually competed quite a long time with Westernstyle Theater that became familiar during the westernization movement in the Tanzimat period that started in 1839. |
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With the Tanzimat (Administrative Reforms) period, written texts started to be used in the theater and Turkish authors started writing plays in addition to translating and adapting the works of foreign playwrights. During this period, Şinasi’s one act comedy “Şair Evlenmesi” (Poet’s Marriage) marked a turning point in Turkish theater. Theaters were built in many districts of İstanbul as well as in the Çırağan, Yıldız and Dolmabahçe palaces and in cities such as İzmir, Bursa, Adana and Ankara. Private theatrical companies were also founded. |
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A scene from the play “Yaşamak mı yoksa ölmek mi” (To live or to die?) |
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