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Baykal Doğan
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Baykal started with folkloristic dances in İstanbul at the age of seven. His first dance steps were related to the Black Sea. Music was the next step. Ever since, dance and music made him who he is today. At secondary school, he continued dance and music activities, which resulted in ending up at the İstanbul Dance Academy. Here, music also formed an important part of his education.
After graduating, Baykal had the opportunity to join Internationaal Danstheater in the Netherlands. After ten years as professional dancer, he discovered his passion with regard to teaching dancers, and more specifically, amateur dancers. During the years he taught dances to non-professionals and he learned that getting people to dance could be experienced as more joyful for these dancers rather than watching a professional performance.
Baykal's courses include nearly all Turkish regions. His favorites being Thrace, Black Sea, and Caucasus.
In classes or workshops, several rhythms and dance passes are being dealt with. Depending on the group, dance styles can differ from Asian dances to Middle Eastern dances, from Caucasus styles to Balkan rhythms, or to traditional Anatolian styles. His percussion background offers him the possibility to accompany his dancers in class with matching 'local' instruments.
He offers a wide range of percussion instrument lessons to musicians. Besides being able to teach nearly all Anatolian and western percussion instruments on a basic, but also high advanced level, he also is able to combine Anatolian and western instruments with Latin American/flamenco percussion instruments.
Baykal has taught in the United States at the 2017 Boston FAC Pinewoods Festival.
Dances Baykal has taught include Alissa Tsekva, Avary Tanets, Bahar, Cigos, Čoček, Davluri, Dimme, Harmandalı, Kalamatianos Propondis, Karabakh, Gayda, Gevaş, Govend, Kabadayı, Kasap, Kavrak Eleno, Kentbari, Khorumi, Mtiuluri, Sallama, Siksara Horon, Shoror, Sleperuj, Süloman Aga, Teke, and Terkishe.