Engin Murat Reis
Born in Trabzon, Turkey in 1976. He is the founder, dance teacher, and performer of Anatolian Waves Dance Ensemble. Folk dance has always been a part of Engin Murat’s life since his childhood. He has been involved in numerous performances throughout United States since 2003. In 2008, he founded Anatolian Waves Dance Ensemble to promote the rich folk dance culture of Turkey. Engin Murat holds a PhD degree in Civil Engineering, NC State University, and currently works in an engineering consulting company in Raleigh, NC.
Arkin Aydin
Born in Tunceli in 1969 and grew-up in Ankara, Turkey. He came to US in 1995 for his MS degree in EEE. He works for a telecom company as a Product Architect/Systems Engineer. He is married and is the father of 2 little girls. He has joined the dancing group in late 2008.
Feyza Guvenc
She joined Anatolian Waves in 2010.
Merivan Tunc Reis
Born in Tunceli, in 1979, and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. After living in London, England for a year, Merivan came to U.S. in 2004. She has been dancing and performing traditional Turkish Folk dances in various folk dance groups since 2004. She is a mother and currently a student at Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh.
Asya Heval Reis
Asya Heval is the youngest member of the ensemble. She loves dressing up and dancing. She never misses the practices and performances.
Former Performers
Bahar Ozgenc
Bahar
was born and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. She graduated from Haydarpasa High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Sakarya University.
Bahar came to United States in 2002 and lived in Fairfax/Virginia, Richmond/Virginia, and Miami/Florida. Currently, she lives in Raleigh/North Carolina. She started her graduate study in Engineering Administration at Virginia Tech University and continues at University of North Carolina. She has been working as a HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and plumbing engineer since 2003. She got married in 2006.
Bahar is an active member of ATA-NC and has been dancing with Anatolian Waves since 2008.
Banu Binbasaran Tuysuzoglu
Banu loves dancing! Although dancing was her childhood dream, life repressed by grown-ups’ plans has brought her to UNC-Chapel Hill as a desperate graduate student. (Unfortunately) she is not a professional dancer; however, she likes dreaming (and pretending) as if she is a professional dancer. She has been dancing and performing traditional Turkish folk dance with Anatolian Waves since 2008… and enjoys practicing new dances a lot!
Cagla Ozturk
She joined Anatolian Waves in 2010
Derya Cubukcu
She was born in Trabzon, and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. She joined Anatolian Waves in 2009. She is currently a student at Wake Tech.
Ilker Akyil
Ilker was born in Afyon, Turkey. He moved to United States in 1999. He holds MS in Organic Chemistry, MCSE & A+ Certificates. He works as a Systems Administrator now. He is also owner of zeyker.net. He likes music and dance. He joined to Anatolian Waves in 2009. He is married to Zeynep and father of Eran and Talia.
Mehmet Kaya
Mehmet is an alumnus of Boğaziçi University, where he was a member of Boğaziçi University Players. He received his doctoral degree from Rutgers University. He acted in all Theatre Boğaziçi productions including Shakespeare's The Tempest, which received Avni Dilligil Special Award in 1997. In 2003, he wrote a theater play named “Dream’in New York” which was performed in New York off-Broadway theaters and several festivals; he acted in it as well. He also performed as a flamenco dancer in Istanbul after taking classes from Carlos Robles, Janset Bilgin and Manuel Reina. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in biomedical engineering at UNC, Chapel Hill; however, acting and dancing has always been a part of his life and his passion.
Mesut Baran
Born in Erzincan in 1955, and grew up in Ankara, Turkey. He came to U.S. in 1982 to do his Ph.D. He started folk dancing in the states and has been dancing with various folk dance groups since 1987. His is a professor at NC State University, Raleigh.
Perver Baran
Perver enjoys dancing. She has been dancing since her childhood. Well… at least in spirit. She has been a member of Anatolian Waves since its beginning. Perver was born in Struga, Macedonia and moved to Istanbul, Turkey for graduate studies. She holds undergraduate degree in architecture and PhD in urban planning. Before moving to U. S. she was a faculty member at Istanbul Technical University. Currently, she is a research associate professor at NC State University, Raleigh.
Umut Tuysuzoglu
Umut is a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. He likes playing with numbers and symbols. He likes dancing, as well. He has been dancing and performing Turkish traditional folk dance with Anatolian Waves since 2008.
Zeynep Akyil
Zeynep was born in Ercis, Van Turkey. Her father was working as a teacher in Ercis when she was born. After a year they moved to her father’s home town, and she grew up in Luleburgaz, Kirklareli.
She attended to the Istanbul Technical University and got her BS degree in Mathematical Engineering. Worked as a programmer almost five years in Turkey and then moved to United States. She worked as a programmer for three more years in a private company's New York and Miami offices. She moved Raleigh, NC and she has been working as a Technology Support Analyst in North Carolina State University since May, 2006. She is a mother of two kids Eran & Talia.