Aspendos Theater

The Fire of Anatolia continues to burn brightly! The fundamental concept of the Fire of Anatolia is the meeting of civilizations. It is a dance portrait aimed at bringing together Eastern and Western cultures, conveying messages of universal peace. By synthesizing folk dances with ballet, modern dance, and other dance disciplines, it presents a modern show and a cultural feast to the world. Drawing its source from the thousands of years of mythological and cultural history of Anatolia, the Fire of Anatolia is a unique project that encompasses 3000 folk dance figures and folk music compiled from nearly every region. The project, created by Mustafa Erdoğan, aims to introduce the fire of Anatolia’s thousands of years old cultural and historical mosaic, blended with peace, to the entire world. In 1999, Mustafa Erdoğan took the first step to realize a dream that dated back many years, initiating the intensive work of the project, formerly known as Sultans of the Dance. Advertisements for dancers were published in newspapers, resulting in the selection of 90 young individuals from 750 candidates, and an arduous training period of one and a half years began. Training sessions lasted 8 hours a day, sometimes extending to 16 hours. Costumes and music were all ready. Aesthetic exercise, dietitian, and massage experts were part of the process. Stretching and yoga were practiced. The training focused on folk dance steps, ballet, and modern dance. Dancers received theoretical lessons on the notation of Anatolian rhythms. On May 3, 2001, the show, initially planned to be staged for 3-4 performances and then abroad, had its Turkish schedule extended due to tickets selling out months in advance. In 2002, the Fire of Anatolia began its world tour, being performed in 109 countries (with multiple visits to many countries) in over 8500 shows, watched by over 50 million art lovers.