ARTIST INFORMATION

Collage Mission & History

The internationally acclaimed Collage is one of Boston's advocates for multicultural collective expression. Exemplifying their mission to promote harmony between people from different cultural and social backgrounds, Ahmet Lüleci integrates Eastern European traditional performance with modern Western techniques.

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 recent works, Balkan Blues, Passing, Duality, Identity, Anatolia and Rituals continues this choreographic direction. When he moved to Boston in the late 1980s, Ahmet founded 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.