Press - Reviews & Quotes

"Plunging squats, deeply arching backs and lush turns…"

By Claudia La Rocco, New York Times, May 8, 2006

"Seda Aybay went her own way, focusing her artful quartet "Veda" on partnering: As each couple danced, you seemed to be watching a summary of a complex relationship swiftly, lightly impressed upon your consciousness."

By Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times

"Seda Aybay's "ADAK" emphasized the manipulation of red scarves by members of the Kybele Dance Theater, and her sophisticated sense of movement counterpoint sustained interest in her formal patterning "

By Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times , March 20, 2007

"Great leaps forward: Kybele Dance Theater participates in the Spectrum show."

By Ann Haskins, LA Weekly

"Just think . . . who is one of your greatest heroes of all time, if not your number one choice: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk! You might ask, “How can someone portray Ataturk with dance?” Well, all I can say is that I have now watched the rehearsals as well as a sneak preview at the 29 Ekim Balosu of Kybele Dance Theatre’s production of “Nar” several times, and every time I am thrilled to tears at the exhilarating performance. Starting with the Ottoman’s and the perversion of the Empire into a darkly religious autocracy, Choreographer/Dancer Seda Aybay brilliantly shows how Ataturk brought the Turkish Republic into the 20th Century and gave the people of that time back their individuality and freedom. Himself an avid patron of the arts, I can only imagine how honored he would be by such a portrayal of his life."

By Leslie Bates Buyukturkoglu, TurkLA, March 28, 2007

"A standout in a trio of works, Seda Aybay first appeared on pointe in Megan Hornaday's new work, "Red Line." Lithe, daring and a delight to watch, Aybay, abetted by Rachel Bowman and Sven Toorvald — all dancing in a neo-Romantic mode — struggled for identity and control against the backdrop of a John Corigliano violin score, with a ticking metronome adding to the piece's suggestion of fleeting time and innocence lost.

In "Istanbul Hatiralair" and "$irket," both from this year, Aybay displayed choreographic flair and a cutting-edge sensibility. Her company, Kybele Dance Theater, shifted fluidly from faux Indian moves in the former, a meditation on the dancer's life in Turkey, to controlled pandemonium in the latter, a postmodern take on office wonks. In addition to Aybay, Norman Follosco, when not doing one-armed handstands, juiced up the workplace with dizzying spins, and the other five cast members also dealt with crisis management through gambits with chairs, mock typing and wet-noodle collapsing."

By Victoria Looseleaf, Los Angeles Times, May 22, 2007

$irket, by Seda Aybay, with busy office workers and frenetic movement was funny, insightful and one of the evening’s most entertaining pieces. It allowed the movement skills of dancers to redefine work and relationships, something dance can do as well as any art form.

By Don Hart, The Beverly Hills Outlook