Sinibaldo De Rosa (University of Exeter/School of Music at Cardiff University)

Movement and Adaptation of the Alevi Semah in Turkey and Western Europe

As part of urbanization, migration, folklorization and heretigization processes, over the last decades the rich musical and choreographic traditions of the Alevis became a source of inspiration for several performing arts works. For instance, the Alevi semah-s, which are frequently considered to be at the nutshell of Alevi aesthetics and symbolism, have been adapted and re-invented beyond their primary ayin-i cem ritual context. Sinibaldo de Rosa’s PhD research explores these adaptive processes of the semah-s on novel artistic and transnational stages. Grounding the perspective in performance, anthropology and dance theories, as well as employing movement analysis tools (such as the Kinetography Laban), over the last years Sinibaldo de RosaI conducted ethnographic fieldwork in such artistic contexts, both in Turkey as well as abroad. Reflecting on the themes of embodiment, interactivity, participation and presentation in Alevism, he wish in this way to shed light on historical changes in the transmission of semah kinetic contents and the participation into semah events.