The North Carolina International Festival:
A Tour of the World Without the Jet Lag and the Travel Expenses

by Burcu BOZKURT
Broughton High School Sophomore in Raleigh, North Carolina

(RALEIGH, NC)-The annual International Festival of North Carolina was held on November 4th through the 6th at the North Carolina State Fair Grounds, with a clear aim to increase the cultural awareness of fellow people scattered all across the state. Booths from a variety of countries all over the globe provided unique activities to share with the community that would boost their understanding of the respective countries. An arena itself was dedicated to ongoing dance performances and gave the crowd a chance to see and actually experience the history and culture of these nations. And don't even get me started on the food.

Since the event proved to be such a success, I'd like to take you back and share with you my personal account of the festival. The unique costumes of the dancers and the distinctive languages that are exchanged clearly draw attention to the strong diversity within this space. This is the special characteristic that makes the yearly International Festival the rich, cultural experience that it is. It is an opportunity to represent your country, and the culture that you grew up in as a child. One can clearly see the excitement on the smiles of the dancers and the volunteers. Their long hours of hard labor backed up with strong dedication will finally pay off. At least that’s what I felt when I stepped up on the stage along with the rest of the prestigious Blue Star Dance Troupe, a Turkish folklore dance group formed and lead by Zeki Maviyildiz, presenting a number of traditional dances to modern choreographies, keeping and sharing the spirit of dance.

Our group is composed of eleven dancers, and everyone comes from different backgrounds, which only increases our understanding and respect for one another. I am proud to say we are very much like a family. All dancers would have to agree with me when I say that performance times are critical; for it is then that all of the strong relationships that have developed over time are put to the test. The feeling of accomplishment and of a job well done seems to disappear pretty quickly and is replaced by an overall sense of panic that is driven only by the mere existence of adrenaline. 

Prior to performing, our dressing room is filled with chaos as dancers rush about to make last-minute adjustments and finalize their costumes. Another part of the room is mere pandemonium in itself as another dance group tries to pick out their costumes from a mountain-like heap on a nearby table. And here I am, frantically searching for two rubber bands to prevent my oversized pants from causing me a drastic fall in the middle of the stage. In a rush, one dear person manages to find two deflated balloons to wrap around both of my ankles.

Our adult folklore group is going to perform five dances, starting with Zeybek, and followed by Ashuk Mashuk, Halay, Karadeniz and Kafkas. I'll dance in the last three performances, and it's not long before it is finally my turn and our group lines up on the foot of the stairs leading to the stage.

The whole group waits for Zeki's traditional 'hop' to tell us to start, and we ascend the stairs with a slight tinge of anticipation. In between each dance, we have about half a minute in which the speaker introduces the next dance to change out of our costumes. Luckily, I won't have to change my costume until the last performance.

Halay and Karadeniz end with an enthusiastic response from the audience; however, with no time to absorb the applause, I jump off the stage stripping off my headgear and belt.

Sprinting toward the table with my next costume lying on it, my mom and other fellow dancers run to help me get ready. As I am dressing, my necklace breaks in half (I bet because of the stress), and everyone attacks it with a pin. The music starts, and I am jumping on the balls of my feet, blood rushing to my face, for I know I am late. They tell me to go, and I run as fast as my feet can take me to the stairs, where I almost trip and fall. However, I manage to get on the stage in time, and the dance is beautifully carried out. Finally, the whole group gets on stage for a final bow, knowing we have left a mark of Turkish culture on our viewer's minds that will not leave them for a long time.

As a volunteer and participant in the International Festival for more than four years, I am proud to say that I have found it a different breath-taking experience every year. I have met new people and seen great things, and it thrills me to know that the Turkish people of this age are trying hard to make their mark in history and aspiring to reach new extents to represent Turkey in incredible ways.  As Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, once stated, 'Peace in the Home, Peace in the World.'

Special Thanks to: Emin Pamucak

November 14, 2005, North Carolina