COLLAGE
DANCE ENSEMBLE:
Collage grew out of Ahmet Luleci's goal of making folk dance and music more accessible and interesting to a general audience. The company presents a range of pieces, from traditional choreographies to more modern interpretations that remain true to the spirit of the dance. Using music that makes people want to jump out of their seats and join the dance, the company showcases the beauty, energy and passion of these neglected dance forms as well as the cultural heritage they represent.
Ahmet made important progress in this goal with Eastern Tides, a piece created for the most recent Boston Moves event, commissioned by Dance Umbrella. His most recent work, Balkan Blues, which was commissioned by CrashArts as part of Dance Straight Up!, continues this choreographic direction.
When he moved to Boston in the late 1980s, Ahmet founded a local Turkish traditional dance group called Kemence. As the company became more experienced and more professional, he brought in non-turkish material and ultimately changed the name to Collage Dance Ensemble. Today Collage features 20 + dancers, performing in the US, Canada and Turkey.
Awards and Grants
Choreography award, Dance Renewal Project 2004
Choreography award, Crash Arts', Dance Straight up 2003
5th place in the Golden Karagoz Dance Competition, Bursa, Turkey 2003
Choreography award, Dance Umbrella, Boston Moves 2001
Event of the Year Award, Boston University, Boston, MA 1998
Event of the Year Award, Boston University, Boston, MA 1997