PARIS - Fire of Anatolia, a Turkish dance group, performed a show in French capital of Paris on Friday to extend support for Aegean province of Izmir`s candidacy to host EXPO 2015.
The dance group took stage in the congress & exhibition hall in Paris only two week before the Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) choose the venue of the fair.
Consisting of 140 members, BIE will make its decision on March 31st, 2008. Izmir is competing with Italy`s Milan to host EXPO 2015, which is cited as the third largest event in the world in terms of economic and cultural impact, after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. EXPO 2015 is the next scheduled World`s Fair after EXPO 2012.
Last week, Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say gave a concert to BIE members in Paris again to support Izmir`s candidacy.
In case Izmir hosts EXPO in 2015, it may draw more than 50 million tourists.
-FIRE OF ANATOLIA-
Including a synthesis of hundreds of folk dance figures and music from different regions, The Fire of Anatolia is a unique project that gets its source from Anatolia`s ancient mythological and cultural history. Produced by Mustafa Erdogan, the general art director of the project, the group would like to introduce the world the fire that arises from the ancient mosaic of love, culture, history and peace of Anatolia.
The Fire of Anatolia which is now known as one of the best dance groups of the world has come closer to its dream.
Just four years ago, Mustafa Erdogan took the first steps of making this dream real and started the project which was then known as Sultans of The Dance.
Now with 120 dancers, The Fire of Anatolia will be performing all over the world in 2004. The Fire of Anatolia started its world tour in 2002 and since then from Germany to Belgium, the Netherlands to Switzerland, Israel to China, Romania to Qatar, Bulgaria to Jordan, Siberia to Azerbaijan and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Japan has met audiences of many different countries. The Fire of Anatolia which brings the rich culture of Anatolia and the magic of dance on to the scene in a magnificent style, became the first dance group that performed in The Building of China Parliament, the first show that was performed in Bodrum Antique Theatre after 2300 years.
The group was nominated to the Guinness Records Book with these achievements.
(BRC)