World’s third place in ‘ballet’

Yağız Avcıoğlu (20), a student at Department of Business Administration, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), made a remarkable impact at the World Championship organized by the International Dance Organization (IDO) in Poland, winning three medals in the “ballet” category. Avcıoğlu earned two third-place medals as a solo performer and one as part of a group, adding another achievement to his already impressive career. Thanks to his outstanding dance performance, Avcıoğlu also qualified for an art scholarship at IUE. He said, “I have been dancing since I was 5 years old. Last year, I placed third in the world championship held in Belgium. This year, I repeated that success and extended my streak of medals. My goal is to become world champion; it didn’t happen this year, but there are many opportunities ahead. I believe I’ll achieve this dream one day.”

Yağız Avcıoğlu, a freasman at IUE Department of Business Administration, competed in the IDO World Modern Dance, Jazz, and Ballet Championship in the “open” category with his own choreography in classical ballet. Participating in the competition as part of a group as well, Avcıoğlu impressed the jury with his performance and earned a spot among the best. Stating that he would continue his work without interruption,  Avcıoğlu from  Izmir aims to win the Turkish championship in June. Having won approximately 30 medals in national and international events in modern dance, jazz, and salsa, Avcıoğlu emphasized that planned and disciplined work makes success easier to achieve.

“MY CHILDHOOD PASSION”

Avcıoğlu, who practices for an average of two hours daily, said, “Dance has been my passion since childhood. When I was 5, my family enrolled me in a dance club. I started my career with international salsa. Because I love dance so much, it was easy for me to improve myself. Dance allows me to relax my soul; I maintain my energy and motivation through it. Being disciplined and organized helps me balance dance with other social activities and studying. I make sure to practice every day because even a week without practice negatively affects the body. To stay fit and in form, I maintain my routine and practice regularly.”

“I WAS CONFIDENT”

Stating that he perfromed well in Poland, Avcıoğlu said, “I was actually expecting second place, but third place is still a significant achievement. At last year’s championship in Belgium, I was very nervous. This year, I was more relaxed and confident. I performed a solo routine of about two minutes, but those two minutes required months of preparation and choreography. All that effort culminates in just two minutes, and there’s absolutely no room for error. Coming through such a challenging process with a medal and earning third place in the world makes me incredibly happy. Returning to my university with a medal is a wonderful feeling.”