Ballerina. She was born in 1943 in
Edirne. Meriç Sümen (Kanan) started to work at Ankara State Opera and Ballet as
an artist after having finished the Ballet Department of Ankara State
Conservatory (1961). During her education she went to London Royal School
(1960). In 1965 she played a role in “Giselle”
in Sophia State Ballet as a guest ballerina. In 1972, 1979 and 1982 she played the
role of “Giselle” in Moscow Bolshoi
Ballet and became the first foreign “prima ballerina” to play the leading role
in the history of Bolshoi Ballet. In addition, she performed in Leningrad,
Kiev, Minsk, Riga and Odessa as the guest ballerina. Afterwards, she got on the
stage in countries such as Poland, Japan, Denmark and England.
Sümen gave ballet lectures for a month
in Copenhagen Ballet in 1973. In 1976, she performed in the Premiere of 1st
World Ballet Competition in Tokyo as a “Honor Guest”. She represented Turkey
two times in international ballet competitions (1980 and 1981) as a member of
the jury. Between the years 1976 and 1986 she served in General Directorate of
Ankara State Opera and Ballet and between the years 1986 and 1989 and also 2000
and 2002 she served in the Directorate of Istanbul State Opera and Ballet as a
dancer, Chief Choreographer and Ballet Art Director. Aside from Ankara and
Istanbul State Opera and Ballets, she performed in England, Germany, Denmark,
Italy, Russia, US, Holland, Poland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Japan, Egypt,
Pakistan, Tunis, Algeria and Cyprus as a guest dancer.
In 1983-84 she went to Moscow and
finished the Teaching Department of Bolshoi Dance Academy and received a
diploma of “Ballet Teacher”. Between the years 1989 and 1992 she lectured at
Mimar Sinan University Istanbul State Conservatory. Sümen served as a jury
member in Moscow Ballet Competitions (in 1981 and 1985), in Varna International
Ballet Competitions, which have been organized since 1980, and Osaka/Tokyo
World Ballet competitions in 1984, 1987, 1991 and 1995. In June 1998, she gave
classical ballet lectures as a Guest Lecturer at Texas-Ballet Theater in
Dallas.
Sümen, who is the first and only
person to ever receive the title of the State Artist of the Turkish Republic in
the ballet branch, was appointed as the Director and Art Director of Istanbul
State Opera and Ballet in June 2005 while she had been serving as the Chief
Dancer and Répétiteur in Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. On July 5th,
2005, she was appointed as the General Director of Ankara State Opera and
Ballet. Sümen, who is married and has a child, retired at the age of 62.
During her carrier in ballet Meriç Sümen has
performed as the prima ballerina in many plays such as Kuğu Gölü, Giselle, Fındıkkıran, Uyuyan Güzel, Romeo ve Jülyet, Don
Kişot, Şımarık Kız, Judith, Ferhat ile Şirin, Bahçesaray Çeşmesi, Şehrazat, Le
Sylphide, Çeşmebaşı, Pagodalar Prensi, Güzel ve Canavar, Üç Kızkardeş, Orpheus,
Kanlı Düğün, Pas De Quatre, Pembe Kadın,
Sümen received the first prizes and
honor awards many times in national and international areas. In 1972, she was
selected as the “Artist of the Year” by Turkish Women’s Association. In 1973,
in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark and in 1975 in Warsaw she won the
“Best Dancer” awards in international competitions. In 1981 she received the
title of T.R. State Artist. In February 1998, because of the 50th
Anniversary of Foundation of Turkish Ballet and because of her contributions to
the ballet as a dancer and instructor she received two “Special Awards” from
Opera and Ballet Employees Foundation (TOBAV).
There is a book called Dansa Aşık Bir Kuğu (2010), which is
about the prima ballerina Meriç Sümen, who is the first and only state artist
in ballet branch of art in Turkey.
