The Role of Traditional Dances in the Creation of the Bosniak Ethnic Identity in Istanbul

This paper focuses on the current presentational dance practices of Bosniaks in Istanbul. In May 2022, field research was carried out in two Bosniak associations in Türkiye’s metropolis of Istanbul with the aim of determining the dance and music repertoire practiced by the members of these associations. The research collects basic information about the aforementioned community in relation to the interpretations of the (re)creation of the Bosniak ethnic identity in Türkiye. In a broader sense, this process should be understood in light of the complex historical, sociocultural, and sociopolitical relations between the country regions of Türkiye and the Balkans. This paper presents basic information and theoretical interpretations about the Bosniak associations’ presentational dance repertoire in Istanbul.