In Conversation with: Ceyda Tanc
Following our collaboration on the custom denim costumes for their show Ayna, we sat down with Ceyda to discuss how choreography, energy and experimentation shape fresh perspectives in contemporary dance.
What does getting dressed mean to you?
Getting dressed for me is all about comfort. I sometimes wish I cared a bit more about what I wear, but with movement being such a big part of my work and daily life.. comfort comes first. My go to is a pair of adidas originals tracksuit bottoms with an oversized hoody! I feel very lucky that that’s my work uniform.
Community is a really big part of your company, what makes this so important to you?
My work is hugely inspired by traditional Turkish folk dance and folk culture which is all based around community. If you look back at the history of folk dance, it was never created for performances on a stage, with an audience. It was danced at celebrations such as weddings, religious holidays and street parties. Folk dance feels so joyous and all about bringing communities together, regardless of age, gender and background. I feel like we’ve lost that sense of community spirit somehow, and the dance world can be quite a competitive and isolating place. When founding my company this is something that was really important to me and I wanted to not only celebrate community and find the joy in dance, but also show that you can just dance for the sake of dancing. Not everything has to have a deep meaning or narrative and we can just celebrate and champion the joy of movement.
Who or what is your biggest inspiration when starting a new piece?
For me, inspiration can come from anywhere.. fashion, art, film, music. I often find inspiration for a new work when I’m least expecting it, and then it starts spiralling from there. During a creation process it can become all consuming, but in the best way possible, and I start to see inspiration in everything. From the way people dance in a nightclub, to the formations of people moving on mass on tv and in film, movement is all around us and there’s no escaping it.
How does fashion — or what you wear — influence the way you choreograph?
What I wear can really influence the way I choreograph. Like with most things, if you aren’t feeling comfortable in your outfit, you can’t produce your best work. There’s nothing worse than trying to dance in something that’s just not working for you.. hence why dancers regularly outfit repeat and hold on to the same pair of joggers for years until they’re literally falling apart!
Early on in my career I started an ‘all black’ uniform rule for the dancers in rehearsals. Some people think that makes me a control freak, but I find it so much easier to choreograph if the dancers are unified in what they are wearing and visually it allows me to see the formations and shapes of the movement more clearly. Every so often we have a non uniform day and the dancers like to really push the boat out.. one dancer turned up in a diamanté fishnet body stocking last time..!
What similarities do you see between your approach to choreography and DALA’s approach to design? What led you to initiate our collaboration?
I feel like there are lots of similarities between my approach to choreography and DALA’s approach to design. Firstly the cross cultural collaboration, with DALA working across the UK and Paraguay, and my company working between the UK and Türkiye. My work is all about reimagining traditional dance forms in a contemporary context and DALA has the same approach with their denim, combining vintage washes with contemporary design. We also align in terms of inclusivity, I feel that DALA truly is for everybody, and I aim for my work to be the same. Accessibility is so important for the work I make and I always aim to ensure that anyone and everyone can enjoy the work, not just those with prior dance knowledge. Nothing is more rewarding that an audience member who has no experience of contemporary dance, coming to a performance and feeling moved by the work.
Can clothing change the energy or confidence of a dancer on stage?
Absolutely! I know my dancers so well now, that I can tell from a first costume fitting if they don’t feel comfortable in something. It’s so important that they feel themselves in a costume in order to give their best performance on stage. As well as that, they need to be able to have a full range of movement to be able to execute the choreography fully.
For audiences costume plays a huge part in the performances too. The way in which the fabric moves with the dancers, the shape, fit and details can really change the energy of a work and the choreography. Audience members are often really curious about the decisions made when collaborating with a designer and how the designs came about so it’s regularly a point of discussion after a show.
Did you have a key moment or highlight in your career that made you think, yes this is what I want to be doing?
A career highlight for me has to be our cross cultural collaboration project, Baci. We received funding from the British council to take my company of contemporary trained dancers to Türkiye to collaborate on a large scale project with traditional Turkish folk dancers. The result was a dance work with a total of 67 dancers and working on that scale was just incredible. The project was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done but equally the most rewarding. The days were long, we were all exhausted, but coming together to perform the piece made it truly worth it! Also to have the support and recognition from an international organisation like the British Council was amazing and something I’ll never take for granted.
When you're not working, what is your favourite way to relax?
My favourite way to relax is spending time with family. For me you just can’t beat a Sunday roast, glass of red, and a film on the sofa with my 4 year old daughter and husband.
Tell us about your favourite pair of jeans!
My current go to has to be my DALA Lido jeans. I’m obsessed with them and they literally go with everything! I’ve worn them dressed up on nights out, but also whilst touring, or even on the school run. They are SO comfortable and wearable!
Finally, please can you add a couple tracks to our playlist…
There’s just too many!
Douha (Mali Mali) - Disclosure
Hamba Wena - Deep London
Loco Nino - Zed Bias, Afriquoi
Jungle - Siren & Sear
Rumble - Toddla T remix
Cmon - Fred Again, Brian ENO
And an old classic which I’ll never tire of..
Murder She Wrote - Chaka Demus & Pliers
All photos by @ambertanc
