RE-EXPERIENCING THE ZEYBEK DANCE THROUGH THE BODY: AN EXAMINATION OF THE CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS OF THE PERFORMANCE KÖK

Abstract

This study examines the choreographic production process of the performance KÖK. The performance was shaped through the relationship established between Zeybek dance and movement research and improvisation based approaches in contemporary dance.

The article explores the choreographic creation process of the performance, movement explorations, improvisational practices, and the resulting dramaturgical structure through the framework of embodied memory and sensory experience. Within this context, childhood memories, family relationships, soil, nature, sounds, objects, and embodied experiences associated with Zeybek dance became fundamental components of the choreographic inquiry.

The findings indicate that knowledge related to Zeybek dance is not limited to figures and movement patterns, but continues to exist through embodied memory, sensory experiences, and ways of moving. The images, sensory associations, and performative elements that emerged throughout the research process shaped not only the dramaturgical structure of the performance but also the direction of the movement explorations.

This suggests that movement research can gradually evolve into a broader field of choreographic inquiry.

In conclusion, the KÖK performance demonstrates that movement research methods in contemporary dance can offer a productive framework for deepening engagement with Zeybek dance while fostering original modes of expression rooted in the dancer’s own experiences.