Istanbul National Ballet
   
2011 FAIT ACCOMPLI
2008 REQUIEM
2008 I DREAMED A DREAM, FINALE
2007 RETIRED FROM THE COMPANY
2006 EAST SIDE STORY - HOLLYWOOD
2006 EAST SIDE STORY - DVD PRESENTATION
2007-02 EAST SIDE STORY - ISTANBUL
1996 3 COLOURS, 3 DANCES
1995 RAVEL (OVER AGAIN)
1993 RAVEL
1991 THE MEDYUM, MODERN OPERA
1989 A SOLDIER'S TALE, MODERN OPERA
1986 REQUIEM
1985-86 DISPATCHED TO LONDON
ON STATE BALLET SCHOLARSHIP
1984 HOFFMANN'S TALES, OPERA
1984 MIRROR
1983 ATTILA, OPERA
1982 REQUIEM
1981 BALANCE AND VARIATIONS
1980 VARIATIONS
East Side Story - Hollywood
 
 
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
ADAPTATION - DIRECTOR - CHOREOGRAPHER : AYSUN ASLAN
SETTING : HAYATI ATA / ROB HOWETH
PRODUCTION : UNICVISIONS, LESLIE BATES – ACLAN BUYUKTURKOGLU
LA TIMES
CLASS CONFLICTS — THIS TIME IN A TURKISH GHETTO IF JEROME ROBBINS AND LEONARD BERNSTEIN HAD FOLLOWED THEIR ORIGINAL PLANS FOR A BROADWAY MUSICAL ABOUT CLASS CONFLICTS ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK, ITS TITLE WOULD HAVE BEEN "EAST SIDE STORY." A FULL-EVENING DANCE DRAMA BY CHOREOGRAPHER AYSUN ASLAN AND COMPOSER FAHIR ATAKOGLU. THAT THE ISTANBUL NATIONAL BALLET OFFERED TWO PERFORMANCES AT THE JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATRE.

THE TWO-ACT WORK FOCUSED ON A FAMILY LIVING IN A CRIME-RIDDEN ISTANBUL GHETTO AND, AS SUCH, REPRESENTED AN EXTRAORDINARY PROJECT FOR A MAJOR STATE-SUPPORTED CULTURAL INSTITUTION. THE COMPANY EVOLVED FROM A DANCE ACADEMY FOUNDED BY NINETTE DE VALOIS, AND, LIKE THE ROYAL, IT DANCES A WIDE RANGE OF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PIECES. BUT IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE THE ROYAL — OR THE PARIS OPERA BALLET OR THE KIROV BALLET OR AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE — DEPICTING THE LOWER DEPTHS OF ITS HOME CITY'S SLUMS AS THE TURKS DARED TO DO.

THE MOVEMENT VOCABULARY ALSO INCORPORATED GYPSY FOLKLORE, GYMNASTIC MODERNISM, POP DANCING — EVEN A BELLY DANCE SHOWPIECE. AND, AGAIN, FEW DANCE ENSEMBLES ANYWHERE COULD DELIVER SO MANY IDIOMS WITH SUCH AUTHORITY AS THE 40 TURKS AND 20 LOCALLY RECRUITED AMERICANS PERFORMING IN THE PRODUCTION.

THE FUSION OF TALENT AND PASSION THAT THEIR COMPANY OFFERED AT ITS BEST FRIDAY SEEMED JUST AS PRECIOUS AS THOSE HUGE UNCUT EMERALDS IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE

LA TIMES BY CHRISTINE COTTER

TURKISH MELODRAMA SIBEL SUREL IS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION IN “EAST SIDE STORY”, WHICH INCORPORATED BALLET AS WELL AS GYPSY FOLKLORE, GYMNASTIC MODERNISM AND POP DANCING.
LA WEEKLY
ISTANBUL NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET: EAST SIDE STORY THE ONLY CITY IN THE WORLD TO STRADDLE TWO CONTINENTS, ISTANBUL HAS BEEN A BRIDGE AS WELL AS A BATTLEFIELD BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA FOR CENTURIES. THAT HISTORICAL DUALITY UNDERLIES THIS CONTEMPORARY ROMEO AND JULIET STORY SET IN 1970S ISTANBUL.
LA.COM
EAST SIDE STORY THE US PREMIERE OF THE ISTANBUL NATIONAL BALLET'S PRODUCTION OF "EAST SIDE STORY" BRINGS THE STREETS OF ISTANBUL TO THE STAGE, AS 63 DANCERS, 42 FROM TURKEY AND 21 LOCALS, TELL A STORY OF LIFE, LOVE AND -- MURDER. THIS SPECTACULAR PRODUCTION SET IN THE MULTI-CULTURAL CHOLERA DISTRICT IS THE US PREMIERE AND WILL PLAY ONLY TWO NIGHTS! ABOUT: THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE "EAST SIDE STORY" IS PART OF THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE 2006 SEASON, A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTS SERIES PRODUCED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION IN COOPERATION WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY BASED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
USA TURKISH TIMES
THE ISTANBUL OPERA AND BALLET WILL PERFORM “AÐIR ROMAN” IN HOLLYWOOD -- CONSIDERED TO BE THE AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY'S CAPITAL. CHOREOGRAPHED AND DIRECTED BY AYSUN ASLAN, THE OPERA WILL BE STAGED AT LOS ANGELES' FORD AMPHITHEATRE AUG. 24-25 UNDER THE NAME OF “EAST SIDE STORY,” IN COOPERATION WITH THE TURKISH CULTURE AND TOURISM MINISTRY AND HOLLYWOOD-BASED TURKISH FILM COMPANY UNICVISIONS. THE PIECE, WILL BE PERFORMED ABROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT FEATURES THE STORY OF A FAMILY FOCUSING ON FAMILY MEMBER RELATIONS, LOVE AND INTRIGUE AS WELL AS TRAGIC-COMIC CONFLICTS AND INTERACTIONS WITHIN A FAMILY LIVING IN 1970S ISTANBUL.
HOLLYWOOD
ISTANBUL OPERA AND BALLET IN HOLLYWOOD THE EXOTIC ISTANBUL NATIONAL BALLET MAKES UNITED STATES DEBUT UNDER THE STARS AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD. RELIVE THE PASSION AND AGONY OF THE CHOLERA DISTRICT OF ISTANBUL, A PLACE WHERE THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BROUGHT TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER EUROPE AND ASIA, AND LEFT THEM TO TRY TO SURVIVE AS ONE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING TO BIND THEM BUT THEIR HUMANITY. THE ONLY CITY IN THE WORLD TO SIT ON TWO CONTINENTS, WILL BE RECREATED AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE IN A PRESENTATION OF THE DANCE-THEATRE PRODUCTION OF “EAST SIDE STORY,” ADAPTED, CHOREOGRAPHED AND DIRECTED BY AYSUN ASLAN AND PERFORMED BY THE ISTANBUL NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET.
HÜRRIYET INTERNET
METIN KAÇAN'S NOVEL, ‘AÐIR ROMAN', FIRST MADE INTO A FILM, THEN INTO A MUSICAL PLAY, WILL BE PERFORMED FOR AMERICAN AUDIENCES WITH THE NAME, ‘EAST SIDE STORY', IN RESEMBLANCE TO THE FAMOUS ‘WEST SIDE STORY'.

WHILE THE AMERICAN, ‘WEST SIDE STORY' IS ABOUT THE LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN MEMBERS OF TWO OPPOSING GANGS, AND TAKES PLACE IN THE OUTER FRINGES OF NEW YORK, ‘AÐIR ROMAN', OR ‘EAST SIDE STORY', TAKES PLACE ON CHOLERA STREET IN KASIMPAÞA, DOWNTOWN ISTANBUL, AND PORTRAYS THE LOVE AND FIGHTING BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO WALK ALONG THE THIN LINE OF LIFE AND DEATH. CHOLERA STREET REFLECTS THE COLOURFUL COSMOPOLITAN LANDSCAPE OF ISTANBUL, WITH MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, JEWS, GYPSIES, URBANITES AND VILLAGERS, MOSQUES AND CHURCHES ALL LIVING TOGETHER. BUT NOT WITHOUT THEIR CONFLICTS…
DANZAHOY LA
ISTANBUL NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET REALIZA SU DEBUT EN ESTADOS UNIDOS CON LA PRODUCCIÓN DE DANZA TEATRO “EAST SIDE STORY”. EL ISTANBUL NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET REALIZA SU DEBUT EN ESTADOS UNIDOS CON ESTA PRODUCCIÓN DE DANZA TEATRO DE AYSUN ASLAN QUE REVIVE LA PASIÓN Y AGONÍA DEL DISTRITO DE CHOLERA EN ESTAMBUL, UN LUGAR AL QUE EL IMPERIO OTOMANO TRAJO GENTE PROCEDENTE DE TODA EUROPA Y ASIA, Y LOS DEJÓ PARA QUE INTENTARAN SOBREVIVIR COMO UN ÚNICO PUEBLO.
EXPERIENCE LA
EAST SIDE STORY, DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY AYSUN ASLAN, IS LIKE NOTHING YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE. THE ETHNIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF ISTANBUL IN THE SIXTIES, THE JOYS AND TRAGEDIES OF LIFE IN ANY METROPOLIS, THE STRUGGLES OF YOUNG AND OLD, MEN AND WOMEN, RICH AND POOR -- BROUGHT TO LIFE IN A DANCE THEATRE PRESENTATION BY THE ISTANBUL NATIONAL BALLET TO THE MUSIC OF FAHIR ATAKOGLU FROM THE NOVEL BY METIN KACAN. GANGS AND FAMILIES, BELLY DANCERS AND GO-GO DANCERS, WIVES AND LOVERS MAKE UP THE CHARACTERS OF THE STREETS OF EAST SIDE STORY'S CHOLERA DISCTRICT.
LIVELY ARTS – DANCE
THE EXOTIC STREETS OF ISTANBUL WILL COME ALIVE AT THE FORD AMPITHEATRE IN A PERFORMANCE CALLED EAST SIDE STORY. PRESENTED BY THE ISTANBUL NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET COMPANY (IN ITS FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE USA), EAST SIDE STORY IS ADAPTED, CHOREOGRAPHED AND DIRECTED BY AYSUN ASLAN. THIS TIMELESS TRAGICOMEDY SET IN THE 1970S USES COSTUME, COLOR AND MOVEMENT TO SHOW LOVE AND HATE, POVERTY AND WEALTH, AND MOST OF ALL WHAT IT TAKES TO STAY AFLOAT IN A MULTI-ETHNIC, URBAN ENVIRONMENT. HELPING TO BRING THE ISTANBUL STREETS TO LIFE IS THE MUSIC OF WASHINGTON DC RESIDENT, FAHIR ATATOGLU. THE TURKISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE & TOURISM AND UNICVISIONS, HAVE TEAMED UP TO INVITE FORTY OF THE ORIGINAL TURKISH CAST TO MAKE THE TRIP TO LOS ANGELES. THEY WILL BE SUPPORTED BY TWENTY LOCAL DANCERS AND ACTORS.