Izmir Turizm Folklore Youth Club has been established in 1969 as the first folkdance association in Izmir. Izmir Turizm had been a good sample for several folkdance associations developed in Izmir either with its qualified founders and lecturers. Izmir Turizm Folklore Youth Club has won the “Golden Necklace” award in 1972 in Dijon Collier d'or–France and brought the first Worldwide Championship to Turkey.

All the activities carried out by Izmir Turizm Folklore Youth Club are totally amateurish. Members of the youth club had several research studies in the field and revealed several folk dances from its origin to the public. So, several folkdances, especially from Aegean region of Turkey, have been found and applied to the scene performances in either folkdance competitions or special shows.

Izmir Turizm Folklore Youth Club has a wide repertoire of folkdances from each region of the country such as; Aegean Folkdances from Sandikli-Dinar, Acipayam, Bergama, Tavsanli-Kütahya, Bursa-Keles villages; Mediterrenean Region Folkdances from Anamur village;South_Eastern Region Folkdances from Kilis-Gaziantep, Bingöl villages; Eastern Region Folkdances from Kars village; Black Sea Region Folkdances from Artvin, Akçaabat-Trabzon villages and finally North-Western Region Folkdances from Edirne village.

NATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1.        Izmir Atatürk Festival

2.        Several Festivals in small villages of Izmir, Aydin, Denizli, Mugla

3.        Folk Music Activities

4.        Traditional “Wedding Ceremony” Performances

5.        Other traditional performances such as “Dis Bugdayi Töreni”, “Efe Töreni Gecesi” and “Üzerlik”

6.        Several liberty day festivities of several villages

7.        TV Programs for Turkish Radio Television (TRT) (Barana, Dimidan, Eyvan, Dolu Dolu Anadolu)

8.        Folklore Days I and II (Panel and costume presentations)

9.        National and International Folkdance Competition Organizations

10.    Folkdance Competitions of Ministry of Culture and Tourism

11.    Theater Activities

12.    “Buram Buram Izmir” Program on TRT in Ankara

13.    International Folkdance Festival organizations in collaboration with Municipality of Balcova, 2002, 2003, 2004

14.    9^th Cumalıkızık-Bursa Ahududu Festival, June 2006

15.    Çandarlı Kaleiçi Festival, July 2006

16.   1^st Yıldırım-Bursa International Folk Dance Festival, August 2006

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1970 France

1971 Strasburg-Dijon

1972 Dijon – “Golden Necklace” award (World Champion)

1973 Honor Participant in Dijon by the special invitation from France

1974 Germany Winter Festival

1974 Briceberc Festival

1976 France, Matha Festival

1977 Italy, Sicilia Festival

1977 France, Rodez Festival

1979 Poland, Katowice Festival

1979 Hong Kong (cooperation with Istanbul Rumeli Association)

1980 Yugoslavia, Slovanski Brod Festival

1981-1982 Spain, Palma, Soliyer, Mallorka Festivals

1982 Germany, for a special performance

1983 Mallorka

1985 Jordan

1986 Corsica

1986 Jordan

1987 Qatar

1989 Germany

1996 Italy, Sannio Mondial Festival

1998 Israel

2004 France

2005 Spain

     WEB PAGE: http://www.folklor.kulubu.com

     CONTACT: iztfd@hotmail.com   ore   folklorefestival@gmail.com