Zypern

HAS-DER   Kibris


Halk Sanatlari Dernegi, was found in 1997. It is the first Turkish Cypriot Folklore Association.

The association has been continuously active from the day it was established. Among many activities of the association are: field research in the countrym research and re-arrangement of folk music, folk songs and folk dances; folk theatre and folklore exhibitions. Symposiums, seminars and conferences about folklore are often held and the association publishes a periodical called Halk-Bilimi (Folklore). HAS-DER also has folk dancing groups.

Our folk dances are basically compiled, through our researches, from individual, authentic steps. These dances enjoy a general acceptance and are used by many other folk dancing groups and schools in North Cyprus. Some of these dances are Karsilamas, Syrto, Zeybek and the Butcher’s Dances.

Has-Der is the first Turkish Cypriot group to create folk dances after in-depth research of authentic, original sources. It is trying to develop an understanding for modern styling in folk dancing in conjunction with authentic forms. Has-Der’s researchers are already knowledgeable in the art of dance when they go out to do research at authentic sources and over 100 visits in the field has enabled them to utilise the old styles and methods to instruct the present generation. As a result of this immense research work Has-Der has managed to collect the first and only Turkish-Cypriot folklore archives.

Has-Der’s folk music department has also research authentic music at source and then created modern scores from these. The first chamber orchestra formed by Has-Der aroused great interest with its work which introdued Polyphonic Music within the T.Cypriot community.

The first folklore exhibition in N.Cyprus was also arranged by Has-Der, after 2 years of intensive work. This exhibition was repeated in all towns of N.Cyprus and was visited by more than 10000 (ten thousand) local and foreign people.

In the field of theatre Has-Der has staged plays which were enriched by traditional folklore patterns and for the first time in our country, folkdances were presented to the audience together with theatrical elements.

Halk Bilimi (Folklore), published by Has-Der is the first and only Turkish Cypriot folklore periodical. It is published 4 times a year (once in every three months) and includes topics of Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot and general folklore.

There is an annual folklore symposium, organised by Has-Der every year. So far, more than 50 researchers and folklore specialists have had the opportunity to publicise their work through these meetings. The papers sumitted to the first four of these Symposiums have been collected in a book, which was published in cooperation with the T.Cypriot ministry of Tourism and Culture. Has-Der has also converted and old church building, known as the church of St. Lukas, which has been deserted since 1958, into the association’s headquarers after restoration of the building through the aid of the same ministry.

Children group: In our children parcticing groups we altogether have about 130 children. Some of these children practice authentic style and some practice stylised/modern dances, while some other practices music / chorus only. This group has always been the main supply of adult dancers. We are proud to say that children who has grown up from this group is now dancing in the adults group and some of them are taking part in the executive committee of our association.

The stylised group consisting of 12 girls only with the ability od performing 3, 5 and 12 minutes non-stop. And the authentic group able to perform programmes of 5, 12 and 25 minutes of dances or a programme of 35 minutes enriched by folklore sketces.
The adults group is able to perform programmes upto 90 minutes.