Few events do justice to a venue as awe-inspiring as the Pyramids of Giza. Yet, two historic wonders were met when Mustafa Erdogan and his dance group Fire of Anatolia had the 3,000-year old story of “Troy regaled at the foot of the Egyptian monuments.
“More important than Madison Square Garden or Chicago Theater, director Erdogan called the setting in Cairo “the most important part of the world for him. The Fire of Anatolia is the holder of two Guinness Records, among them the fastest dance performance for 241 steps per minute, and another for hosting the largest audience comprising of 400,000 people in Eregli, in Turkey’s Black Sea region. Erdogan conducted folk dance studies at Bilkent University where the idea of his first group Sultans of Dreams was born in 1999. The troupe, consisting of 90 dancers, grew to 120 members and was renamed Fire of Anatolia. The main concept behind the project was to present Anatolian dances, mixed with modern dance and ballet. Echoing Erdogan s thoughts on the venue, choreographer Emre Çelik told Daily News Egypt, “It’s magical, mythological, fantastic. The same could be said for the onstage adaptation of the Homeric tale. “Troy, said the director, originated in Anatolia, the region that is now largely comprised of modern-day Turkey. Homer himself was an Anatolian poet. Based on Homer’s “Iliad, the story of “Troy recounts the tragedy that befalls the land as it enters into battle despite the warnings of the seer, Cassandra. Hector, prince of Troy, defends his brother Paris, who has brought home the beautiful Helen, and death and destruction in their tail. The screen where the script is projected was largely invisible except to LE 300-seaters, making it difficult to follow the story. But the visual delights – when we got used to the light stands going across our view – were sufficient to hold audience’s interest. Ninety dancers in multi-colored regalia produced alternating moods of war and festivity in a mix of ballet, folk and modern dance traditions. An army of varied plumage is gathered from the different parts of Anatolia to defend Troy against the advances of the Aegean army. The unmoving Sphinx overhead set off the dancers leaping and swiveling with energy as they proudly marched to war. The women warriors with sturdy thighs also carried the same warlike enthusiasm. On the other hand, in color and festivity, dancers undulated their bodies, demonstrating their mastery of belly-dancing. “In general, it was very difficult to produce this scale of a show, said the director, “because it’s a historical story with lots of characters. The swords, Çelik told Daily News Egypt, are real. Producing the war using authentic swords, metal, and accessories was among the most challenging parts, said Erdogan. Two-and-a-half thousand kilograms worth of material comprising the set, costumes, and accessories was brought to Cairo, after being shipped to Alexandria. It will take the same route back to Turkey, said Çelik. Light was craftily used to silhouette moments against the background, or to heighten the ambience – especially in the eerie moments of Cassandra’s foretelling, and the zar-like funeral procession given to Hector. The Trojan horse revealed at the end of the stage crowned the production, as the audience wondered where the wily Greeks were hidden in the eight-meter structure. The story ended on a note of Anatolian victory, as Paris avenged Hector’s death by slaying Achilles. Anatolia, or “the land where the sun rises, is also the place where stories began, and from where the stories will be told, over and over again. “We are repossessing one of the most important mythological stories of the world, said Erdogan. “It’s a classical story. “We always listen to the story which was interpreted by the West. Now we say, “This story actually belongs to the Anatolian people. So it is our time to talk, and with our language, we are interpreting Troy again. “Troy will continue at the Sound & Light venue at the Pyramids until April 16. Ticket prices are LE 200, 250, 300 and 400. Ticketing office: 2739 0114. For more information on “Troy visit http://www.troiadance.com/. For more information on the dance group visit http://www.fireofanatolia.com/.
