Dance Company’s Homage To Historic Site

KIZLAR on tour 

The Brighton-based company appear at Lazonby Village Hall outside Penrith on Friday 13 March and Gilsland Village Hall Brampton on Saturday 14 March. 

As part of a residency the group visited nearby Vindolanda Fort and Museum in Northumberland with photographer Kit Haigh – and the images are stunning. 

At the site the group visited the Temple of Jupiter Dolichenus – a deity originating from Doliche (Dülük in modern-day Turkey).

KIZLAR is presented as part of the Rural Touring Dance Initiative with Highlights North. 

Amanda Drago, from Green Croft Arts is promoting the Ceyda Tanc performance at Gilsland on 14 March. 

She said: “As a village hall promoter, I’m passionate about bringing work to the region that resonates with both place and people. Ceyda Tanc Dance’s residency, and their exploration of Vindolanda and the Turkish temple, created a beautiful connection between Hadrian’s Wall and the company’s Turkish-British heritage. I’m delighted they’re returning with KIZLAR as part of the Highlights Rural Touring programme.”

Ceyda Tanc Dance at Vindolanda photo by Kit Haigh

Ceyda Tanc Dance at Vindolanda-photo by Kit Haigh

Community curtain raiser responds to KIZLAR

KIZLAR (meaning girls in Turkish) is a celebration of what it means to be female. Combining Turkish folk dance with stunning athletic movement, this captivating show presents different images of femininity, from the tender to the powerful.

At the performance at Gilsland Village Hall, there will be a curtain-raiser before the show – Tracing Backtalk is created by Mezze, a multi-generational group of women from across the local community. 

Responding to the themes of KIZLAR, the piece explores how women’s voices echo through time — how they are held, resisted, and re-spoken in the body.

Zoë Leigh Gadd from Dance Ahead CIC said: “Opportunities like this matter deeply in rural communities. Through the Rural Touring Dance Initiative, this isn’t just about watching a professional company — it’s about entering into dialogue with it; it tells participants that their voices belong in the same conversation. 

“What’s been extraordinary is watching our group cross ages and contexts, stand side by side in the same movement language. Strength looks different at every age — and this project honours that. When women join forces in the studio, something powerful happens. 

“This curtain raiser is about solidarity, listening, and claiming space — not in opposition, but in connection.”