About Özlem

Life opens up new visions and at the same time brings new difficulties with each and every day passing by. Sweet or bitter, amongst what life brought Özlem, dance is one of the dearest. It is alike literature, she affirms - it includes history, philosophy, politics, deep and moving feelings, and intricate observations. It adds passion and sweat and rigour and gaiety to that and there what comes into being is a phenomenon unique to human beings: language...but this, language of the body.

Özlem was born and brought up in Turkey. Her passion for dance and oriental dance does not emerge from any specific point in her life. She has always loved to dance. Having lived in several different regions in Turkey has had an impact on her dance life. She is originally from the small district of Bozdoğan of the Aegean town Aydın. Zeybek dance essential to this region is her first passion which she defines as "blood stirring" despite its slow music and heavy movements. (Note that Turkish Zeybek is quite different from Greek Zeybekiko in style and in national and cultural significance) After spending her childhood in Bozdoğan, she moved to Bilecik where Ottoman Empire was once established. Özlem is very fond of history, and she had not realised the priviledge of having lived in that region until the time she was living abroad. However, it was not the dreams of the harem but the traditional Turkish Romany style dance that planted the love of belly dance in her heart, while she was living in Tekirdağ, a lovely Thracian town, famous for its Romany dance and Karşılama.

She learnt dancing the way it is danced traditionally. From folk dance spoon-playing to zills (finger cymbals), a process sometimes spontaneous sometimes planned, producing the vocabulary of this langauge by adding suitable technique to the moves she once learnt fundamentally from her cheerful aunts. Belly dance gained a much deeper meaning for her during her stay in Sweden to where she moved for her love. It started to represent a peaceful realm to avoid the troubles of an "immigrant life" in Sweden. A realm she travels to when dancing, governed in hormony by creativity, discipline and freedom together. After Stockholm, Özlem lived in Paris and Athens and she now resides in Istanbul, immersing her soul in sweet sensation of belly dancing.

Drop by if you are in her vicinity!

Turkey's number one oriental belly dancer and master teacher, Sema Yıldız, means very much for her, both as a teacher and as a friend/ an older sister. Özlem explored the other styles of belly dance es well. She attended event and activities to get to know more about Egyptian and Lebanese styles.

Özlem studied American Culture and Literature at Istanbul University. Before completing the 4 year programme, she started studying English Linguistics at Stockholm University. She learned fluent Swedish and at the same time took courses of Swedish Literature, Greek and Social Studies as a hobby. Currently she continues her studies at distance at Turkish and Turkic Languages Department of Uppsala University. She is teaching Turkish and writing essays in her spare time from dancing.

Amongst her hobbies are yoga, photography, painting and computers.