Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Seda Aybay came to the U.S. unable to speak English. Now, however, Aybay’s English is near perfect and she has carved out an incredible career for herself including the founding of Kybele Dance Theater in Los Angeles in 2003. Her award winning work is unique and rich with physicality, gestures and abstract meanings. One must pay close attention during her work as it is ever-moving – even during moments of stillness. In the past, I have not enjoyed Aybay’s need to keep the dancers busy at all times, but her two latest works seen at Stomping Ground L.A. on April 4-5, 2025, proved that she has discovered that, when utilized correctly, the quiet moments can become some of the most poignant.
Kybele Dance Theater – “Kar Taneleri” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Screenshot courtesy of KDT.
Performed to music from Donato Wharton’s album “Trabanten”, Aybay has explored the process of rejuvenation in her work titled Kar Taneleri (snowflakes). Dressed in all white, performers Nico Albuja, Seda Aybay, Simon Lathrop, Karlo Eduardo Ramirez, and Ariel Scott each have their own individual movement phrases as they “descend” from upstage to downstage, like snowflakes falling quietly from above.
Kybele Dance Theater – “Kar Taneleri” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Photo courtesy of KDT.
Once they have settled, the amazing Ariel Scott instigates a series of solos, duets and trios as these abstract entities adjust to their new surroundings and join forces. Scott’s solo sets the tone for those who follow. She is an intense but quiet performer who fills the stage with her presence, and her control is formidable. As she begins the duet with tall and handsome dancer and actor Simon Lathrop, Scott shares her abilities with him without losing her identity. It is an attraction of opposites. There is a beautifully crafted and wonderfully performed men’s trio that is actually three closely related but different solos performed in tight proximity. This enables the audience to see all three men as separate but unified. Aybay’s strongly performed solo comes across as both lonely and, aided by Wharton’s music, somewhat haunting. She’s a lone soul amongst a field of others unlike herself.
Kybele Dance Theater – “Kar Taneleri” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Screenshot by Courtesy of KDT.
Maya Gonzalez’s lighting presents us with a series of cold winter days before the sun comes out, the snow melts and the moisture evaporates into the sky. Aybay captures nature’s precipitation process in this abstract way while relating it to all humanity.
The second piece, with the working title Ilk (first), brought a similar theme of renewal but told through a totally different lens and movement style . Here five creatures from different worlds find themselves on an uninhabited planet and must acclimate themselves to this alien environment and to each other.
Kybele Dance Theater – “Ilk” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Screenshot courtesy of KDT.
The movement in Kar Taneleri was lyrical and filled with swirling actions, whereas Ilk was angular, distorted and intertwining. The individuals were hesitant to meet and interact. Their gestures were creature-like and the makings on their skin reptilian. Some of them even crawled into the space or slithered across the floor before standing erect. Same and opposite sex duets resembled mating dances but without a definite outcome. Aybay left it to our own imaginations to complete such details. The unification of these beings culminated in an exciting unison movement section that assured us that everyone was ok.
Kybele Dance Theater – “Ilk” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Screenshot courtesy of KDT.
The performers in Ilk were Nico Albuja, Seda Aybay, Simon Lathrop, Karlo Eduardo Ramirez, and Ariel Scott. The music was Dictaphone “M.=Addiction,” and the elegant Lighting/Sound was by Maya Gonzalez. The costumes for both works were designed by Seda Aybay.
Kybele Dance Theater is composed of extremely talented dance artists and it has been exciting to see this company mature and grow artistically. I look forward to seeing more of them.
For more information on Kybele Dance Theater, please visit their website.
To learn more about Stomping Ground L.A., please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Kybele Dance Theater – “Ilk” choreographed by Seda Aybay – Screenshot courtesy of KDT.
