Turkish and Armenian dancers to take stage in Istanbul tonight

Turkish and Armenian dancers will take to the stage tonight in Istanbul together to present performances combining Turkish and Armenian traditions. In a show called "Istanbulluys" (Istanbul-light), 90 dancers from Turkey's well-known dance theater Shaman and the Armenian group Maral (gazelle) will present Turkish and Armenian poetry togethe with magic rhythms of dance and colorful costumes. Shaman Artistic Director Murat Uygun told reporters the groups don't want to underline their identities. "Two groups of friends will take the stage together," he said. "Their songs, actions and figures are so similar that one can't tell of the love for humanity in the poetry of Armenian Sayat Nova and Turkish Yunus Emre with a different language. That's why we try to do something beyond identities." Maral Artistic Director Garbis Capkan agreed with Uygun, saying: "Rumi says, 'Come, come, whoever you are.' Beyond this, all words are meaningless."