©PEGGY KAPLAN

AYDIN TEKER

Graduated from Ankara State Conservatory in 1973 and joined Ankara State Opera and Ballet as a dancer. In 1976 she got a scholarship and first went to London and then to the USA. She received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 1982 she came back to Turkey and started working as a modern dance Instructor and choreographer at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory.

In 1993 Teker won the Fulbright Research Fellowship went back to New York for a year. While exploring the latest developments in somatic theories she also continued working on her choreographic work. After returning back to Turkey she continued teaching MSGSU Modern Dance Department. She gave great importance to the knowledge of anatomy in all her works. With special permission from universities she participated in Anatomy Lessons at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine Summer School to examine the level of anatomy knowledge a dance student needs. Her anatomy-based classical technique lessons, which she transformed into a laboratory environment, played an important role in students’ gaining the ability to perceive and analyze their own development in multidimensional ways.

1n 2015 after teaching for 33 years, Aydın Teker retired from her position as the head of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Contemporary Dance Department and Performing Arts Department.

She has been choreographing since 1980 and her creative process changes every ten years, turning into a new era.

In the 1980s her goal was introducing modern dance to classical ballet students at the Istanbul State Conservatory and producing appropriate repertoire pieces for them.

In the 1990’s she discovered the power of the space and became a site­-specific choreographer. It was a  revolutionary period for her. The starting point of her dance and inspiration came from space. As a result much deeper new relationships emerged between the body and the space which has led to the arise of works such as “SIKI-Ş (TIR) ​​MAK” and “Dance Exhibition”.

In the 2000’s Teker returned back to stage but main future of her work was to be process oriented rather than result oriented.  In ten years, she produced only three pieces. “Density” received a special award at the 22. Zurich Theaterspektakel “aKabi” and “harS” have been acclaimed in many renowned festivals.

In the 2010s, unexpectedly theatrical elements, more precisely human relations and interactions, have been included in her creation process. “Three Phases”. was a meeting of her experiences that she had accumulated over the years. It was about the use of objects and space together, to establish a different relationship with the audience. The other interactive piece “Hallo!” has performed in Berlin within the frame of Tanz Im August 2018 and in Milan Festival of Silence May 2019.

2019 wrinkles on her skin started to attract her attention. She had a photo exhibition covering the wrinkles of her body “Ka(bul)len-me, a video installation “TransForm” and a live performance “Marble” within the scope of Artnivo, Artweeks.

2019 she also participated as the Executive Guest Artist in the Nevşehir Ortahisar workshop, which was held within the scope of Circle Guest Artist Program where “ Dust in the air” was created.

2020 she created live performance “Dibine” and video work “Sürgün” at K2 Contemporary Art Center Urla Nefes Area within the scope of the closing event of K2 Circle Guest Artist Program.

2022  live performances and video works “ Frame I_II_III” premiered in ‘In Search of Lost Time’ Exhibition  Küçük Han Ayvalık.