*2nd Generation dance. A dance that developed and was disseminated in a non-traditional way. 2G dances are specific – have a fixed format designed to correspond with the arrangement of a particular recording., whereas 1G dances are generic – have a shorter sequence that works with live music – where many different songs are played and arrangements vary according to the tastes of musicians and dancers. For more on the differences between 1st & 2nd G dances click here.
Gün ola – the Song
MANY Turkish songs start with the words Gün ola. Gün translates as “day”. “Gün ola” translates into something for which there seems to be no simple English equivalent. “Good day”, “a day comes”, “day by day”, “another day”, etc.
Gün Ola Devran Döne
The first Gün Ola known to folk dancers had the full title “Gün Ola Devran Döne” and was written and recorded by an early Anatolian psychedelic/folk-rock star, Fikret Kızılok in 1971. Lyrics are available here.
Gün Ola Harman Ola
Ahmet Luleci made another arrangement of Turkish folk dance steps to another Gün ola, Gün Ola Harman Ola; a song most associated with the godfather of Anatolian Rock, Erkin Koray. I have not been able to determine if Gün Ola Harman Ola was composed by someone or if it is a traditional song. Lyrics available here.
Gün ola – the Dance
Upon Googling “Gün ola, turkish dance”, I could find no examples, video, print, or otherwise of a dance called Gün ola, except examples from the recreational folk dance world (shown below). Although the choreographies by Bora Özkök (who learned it from the University of Istanbul dancers) and Ahmet Luleci may contain ‘authentic’ Turkish moves, I find no evidence of Turks doing these moves in these sequences to this music.
Bora Özkök’s Gün ola (Devran Döne)
Dance notation found here: Bora Özkök learned it from the University of Istanbul dancers. Taught at Stockton, 1979.
Ahmet Luleci’s choreography for Gün ola (Harman Ola)
Dance notes found here. Introduced 2013?
Folkdance Footnotes 