Mehmet Sander - The Outwords Archive

A portrait of Mehmet as a baby, lying in a red crib next to a dotted rattle. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet as a baby, drinking from a water fountain. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet doing a backbend as a child, 1971. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A family portrait of Sezgin Sander (Mehmet’s mother) and Mehmet Sander. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet (age 3), holding flowers with many trees and plants in the background. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet performing at the Planet Club, 1987. He’s wearing leather and has his arms stretched over his head. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet (age 15) wearing his David Bowie t-shirt and sunglasses in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet (age 19) in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

An London Regional Transport Authority identification card portrait of Mehmet (age 19), London, England, 1986. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet (age 19) posing in front of the Tate Modern in London, England, 1986. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet (age 20), smoking a cigarette in Long Beach, CA. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander smiling with Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy at a bar. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his goth friends, posing for a portrait before making their way to Bat Cave Club in London, England, 1986. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A promotional portrait of Mehmet for his band Salamander. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet posing with his beloved late dog Rasputin, Los Angeles, CA. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of the event program for the Los Angeles Shanti Foundation’s fundraiser at the Scottish Rite Theater, Los Angeles, CA, March 15, 1994. The benefit featured performances from the Mehmet Sander Dance Company and Bette Midler, and went on to raise $280,000 in support of folks living with HIV/AIDS. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander and three “beloved daredevil dancers” in the early years of the Mehmet Sander Dance Company. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet wearing a shirt that reads, “Queer with AIDS”. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander dancing with İpek Esen in a gym, 1985. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Seven performers rip through brown paper and thrash around while Mehmet speaks in front of them with his arms spread. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and other participants hold their sticks while the instructor demonstrates stick-fighting techniques, Munich, Germany. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet (at center) posing while other participants stick-fight as part of the Gay Youth Militia. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and Diane Shigekawa, a Mehmet Sander Dance Company member, posing at their rehearsals in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with a band-aid on his forehead after receiving five stitches post his solo performance in Germany. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

The Mehmet Sander Dance Company performing at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)’s Schoenberg Hall in Los Angeles, CA. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet performing at the Institute for Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, England. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet leaping forward during his performance in Merce Cunningham’s “Changing Steps”. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A signed portrait of Mehmet upside down mid-performance. It’s signed, “Ah se’je sevgilale Mehmet…”, January 26, 2010. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Two performers from the Mehmet Sander Dance Company support a stick while another performer holds and balances themself across it in the air. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet in a handstand. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet performing at the Highways Performance Space and Gallery, Santa Monica, CA. He balances his body weight on his hands. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet balancing on his head for his feature in Vanity Fair. The article was titled, “Thrown a Sander”. Reviewer: Jan Breslauer. Photo Credit: Eika Aoshima. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet leaning forward with his arms balanced behind his back. Photo Credit: Sevil Sert. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet performing. He lies on the floor with his legs pointed upwards. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet performing. He lunges forward while balancing his body weight on his hands. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander and other performers from the Mehmet Sander Dance Company performing as part of the Dance History Project of Southern California. Photo Credit: Jan Deen. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander and other performers from the Mehmet Sander Dance Company taking their bow after their sold out performance at the Istanbul Music Festival in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and other participants stick-fighting in Munich, Germany. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Dancers practicing in a circle at a Mehmet Sander Dance Company performance rehearsal, 2011. Photo Credit: Bobby Whittaker. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet (at center) instructing his dancers during a Mehmet Sander Dance Company performance rehearsal, 2011. Dancers are lined up on both sides of the room. Photo Credit: Bobby Whittaker. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Dancers line up facing each other during a Mehmet Sander Dance Company performance rehearsal, 2011. Photo Credit: Bobby Whittaker. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Dancers lying in a circle with their arms outstretched during a Mehmet Sander Dance Company performance rehearsal, 2011. Photo Credit: Bobby Whittaker. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and Gerald Arpino, Joffrey Ballet’s late artistic director. Mehmet shares, “Joffrey Ballet commissioned and performed my work “Inner Space” at the Kennedy Center and other prestigious venues.” Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet wearing a black shirt that reads, “Gay”, at Istanbul Pride, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his partner Sepe Vaisanen hugging when they first met at the Institute for Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, England, October 2015. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his partner Sepe Vaisanen hugging in front of the David Bowie mural in Brixton, South London. Multiple bouquets of flowers, candles, photos, and notes are laid on the ground around the mural or taped to it. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his partner Sepe Vaisanen in beautiful Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his dear assistant Kaan Karaca lecturing on Mehmet’s work and the concept of “action architecture” at the Vault 34 movie theater, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet chatting with choreographer Tuğçe Tuna about his life and professional work as part of the Contemporary Dance Talks series at Bomontiada in Istanbul, Turkey. A paused video with Mehmet’s portrait is in the background. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and choreographer Tuğçe Tuna posing after their conversation about Mehmet’s life and professional work as part of the Contemporary Dance Talks series at Bomontiada in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and videographer Mark Steward posing together during their video collaboration. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet and his “indestructible” team of United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) and mental health workers performing his world premiere work “EMERGENCY” at the Front Room, Croydon, United Kingdom, 2018. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander and other awardees posing with their awards from the Mayor of Sariyer in Istanbul, Turkey. Mehmet received a lifetime achievement award for dance. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet posing with his students from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s Contemporary Dance department in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet Sander, his partner Sepe Vaisanen, and Marc Almond. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with Dead or Alive's keyboard player Jey Jon Al. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with his “dear friend” Penny Arcade, “Andy Warhol superstar.” Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet posing with Erasure singer Andy Bell and his friend Lana Pillay. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with his “dear father” Ergin Sander. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with his “beautiful mother” Sezgin Sander. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet with his “beautiful mother” Sezgin Sander and his partner Sepe Vaisanen. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet sitting on the stairs in his beautiful house in Istanbul, Turkey. The framed poster beside him reads, “Holland Dance Festival, the Hague, 14-24 Oktober, 1993.” Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet standing in front of his home in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet holding up a stained notebook featuring his notation system, which he developed “to be able to write down and notate” his choreography. He shares, “Here is the notation of one of my works titled “Obtuse Space.”” Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Mehmet’s “beautiful mother” Sezgin Sander at his event at the Tate Modern in London, England. The blue “Events” wall behind her reads, “Talks and Lectures: Mehmet Sander in Conversation with Dominic Johnson, Saturday, 20 September 18:30-20:00, Starr Auditorium”. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in a newspaper article titled, “Alışıldık algıları kırmanın peşinde”. Reviewer: Zumail Aytolun. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A portrait of Mehmet performing featured in an “About the Artists” page. The review quotes are from High Performance, the Anchorage Daily News, the Herald, the Los Angeles Times, Press Telegram, and Scotland on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in Time Out. The article is titled, “Yerçekimsiz Dans: AMERİKALILAR MEMHET SANDER’İ YAKINDAN TANIYOR, ŞİMDİ SIRA BİZDE”. Reviewer: Elvan Özkaya. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in a newspaper article titled “Uçan Türk: Mehmet Sander muhteşem danslarıyla izleyicileri büyülüyor.” Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A flier featuring three performers for the Mehmet Sander Dance Company performance at Manns Performans Tiyatro Sannes, January 19, 2010. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A flier highlighting Mehmet Sander, Nasser Martin-Gosset, and Jennifer Lacey as a “triple billing” for the SOMMERSZENE 94 Festival in Salzburg, Austria. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A flier for the Mehmet Sander Dancer Company. It features a performer with their feet tied by rope, balancing themself in the air. The review quotes are from Drama-Logue, the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union, and FM 89.9/KCRW. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

Another flier featuring Mehmet Sander for the SOMMERSZENE 94 Festival in Salzburg, Austria. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A flier for the Mehmet Sander Dance Company’s performance at the Historic Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A Mehmet Sander Dance Company flier for a performance at Highways Performance Space and Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. It features a performer with their feet tied by rope, balancing themself in the air. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A Mehmet Sander Dance Company flier for a performance at Highways Performance Space and Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. It reads, “Highways Presents Sander Dancer Co., February 13-16, 1992”. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander and performers from the Mehmet Sander Dance Company’s feature in the Advocate, June 14, 1994. The article is titled, “Kamikaze Choreographer”, and the caption on these two photographs reads, “The Sultan of Long Beach: Mehmet Sander and company (above) and solo (right).” Reviewer: Charles Isherwood. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in the Advocate, pg. 76, June 14, 1994. The dance article is titled, “Kamikaze Choreographer” and captioned, “HIV-positive queer dancer Mehmet Sander leaps from Istanbul to America with grace and power”. Reviewer: Charles Isherwood. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in Vanity Fair, May 1994. The article is titled “Thrown a Sander”. Reviewer: Jan Breslauer. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1997. The article is titled, “If It Bruises, It’s Working”, and captioned, “Mehmet Sander – whose works are generated from a collision and the forces of nature – likes being called a ‘kamikaze choreographer’, but denies all the ‘prince of pain’ stuff.” Reviewer: Jennifer Fisher. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of Mehmet Sander’s feature in KÜLTÜR, September 18, 2014. The article is titled, “Dans müzikten arınırska”. Reviewer: Hande Eagle. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander.

A scan of the Mehmet Sander Dance Company’s feature on the Calendar cover of the Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1994. The title reads, “Dance Chaos” and is captioned, “A new helter-skelter world of dance has emerged in L.A. Is it because of the strange and fearful days we are living? Or is it a millennium thing?” Reviewer: Alex Segal. Photo Credit: Axel Koester. Photo courtesy of Mehmet Sander

Mehmet Sander was born in Mettman, Germany on January 20, 1967. His family moved to Istanbul when he was 11 months old. Mehmet was surrounded by the arts in his family growing up — his mother was a radical painter, his father was a poet, and his uncle was a film and theater actor. Mehmet’s parents regularly took him to see film screenings and live dance shows, which cemented his lifelong love for art.

At 15, Mehmet met a 33-year-old openly gay sailor, and they became pen pals; three years later he went to his first gay bar, Tequila in Taksim Square. In 1985, Mehmet saw the work of choreographer Merce Cunningham, inspiring him to seriously pursue dance and choreography. He auditioned for choreographer Geyvan Mcmillen’s contemporary dance company and became the principal dancer within a year. Under Geyvan’s advice, Mehmet auditioned and got into the prestigious London Contemporary Dance School, where he spent two summers training. In London, Mehmet got to explore the goth subculture. He rocked black eyeliner charcoal makeup, a second hand tuxedo jacket and bow tie, a tight black skirt, pirate boots up to the knee, and signature fake jewel dangling earrings.

In 1987, Mehmet decided to further study the Cunningham technique in California State University, Long Beach. As he moved to the U.S., he came out to his family as gay. After some initial challenging conversations, they are loving to this day. In Long Beach, Mehmet tested positive for HIV at age 21. He refused to see HIV as a death sentence; he proactively sought counseling and medical advice at Long Beach’s LGBT center. Mehmet became active in the Long Beach neighborhood watch and patrols to make sure people got home safe at night, and organized protests for ACT UP.

Alongside his political activism, Mehmet excelled in dance — the CSU Long Beach dance department chose his work to represent the school at the American College Dance Festival. Consequently, he got to train for a summer at Harvard’s dance school in 1990 on a full ride scholarship. That same year, he started his own dance company, where he recruited classmates and outside dancers. Their company’s first performance, “Actual Life,” went up in September 1990, where they explored the theme “silence equals death” as a send off for ACT UP. After three years of sold out shows in Long Beach, his company was featured in the Los Angeles Times and Vanity Fair.

Mehmet also started a dance company for queer youth in Long Beach in 1995, in response to the high suicide rates among queer youth. He opened up his studio in the afternoons to queer teens, where he provided intense physical training as well as reading assignments, showing them queer culture and history to empower them in their queer identities. He led the teens to perform a dance piece telling the utopian story of a queer sovereign nation and donated the proceeds to support unhoused queer people.

Mehmet moved back to Istanbul in 2006. Now, he spends his time participating in Istanbul pride events, creating pieces in collaboration with other artists, and spending time with his partner, Sepe. He remains passionate about AIDS activism, animal rights, and Roxy Music.

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