Flamenko

Istanbul now has a Fiesta Flamenca every wednesday night!!!Turkey's Flamenco dance culture which has been spreading ever-fast in last a few years, now gains a regular activity in the form of a weekly Fiesta Flamenca (Flamenco Dance Night). Lacking a suitable dance atmosphere to practice what they are able to do, the students of Flamenco had to confine themselves only with technical dance classes. As a result, the Flamenco culture of Turkey assumed a rather educational aspect, an aspect that further abstracted Flamenco from its very roots. Unhappy with such an evolution, we a handful of Flamenco students and instructors have recently started a Fiesta Flamenca in order to surpass the above mentioned obstacles. We gather every wednesday evenning in Sempatik Raks - Kaliteras, a dance school with a dance cafe upstairs based in Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey. Flamenco students and instructors from various dance schools meet, dance, discuss and exchange views. It is not a non-profit gathering, but our immediate aim is not commercial either. The main objective is to create a stable and sustainable Flamenco dance atmosphere for the Flamenco community of Istanbul. Being the first and only regular one in Istanbul, the fiestas are open to everybody somehow related (or want to be related) to Flamenco. No entrance fees are charged; people just pay for their drinks which are at reasonable prices. We plan to enrich these Fiestas in the future with live performances, concerts, seminars, movie shows and so on. We are against a popular and consumptive Flamenco culture. Another concern is to keep away from the existing "dance night" culture, which is so commercial and competitive. We have a concern to protect our newly flourishing Flamenco culture from such terrible fate. In fact we seem to be already successful at that. Many different students and instructors come together in our Fiestas, all very respectful and receptive towards each other. We would like to see all international Flamenco lovers among us, who pass by Istanbul. We are also open to any sort of ideas, suggestions and contributions. Saludos de Estambul...Fiesta Flamenca Istanbul Every Wednesday 19.00pm - 01.00am Contact Details: Sempatik Raks - Kaliteras Atif Yilmaz Caddesi (Eski Aga Camii Sokak) No: 16 Kat: 5 Tel: 0212 – 244 85 63 Mail: [email protected]