Dilek Üstünalan is a dancer, researcher, sociologist, non-formal education facilitator, thai massage therapist and organizer based in İstanbul. She has been teaching contact improvisation in different cities of Turkey (İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara, Eskişehir, Hatay…) since 2017. She takes part in the organization and facilitation of CI workshops, camps, jams and labs. She is part of the organizing team of the annual Fall in CI - International Contact Improvisation Gathering, in Turkey.

She had the chance to study with many precious instructors and share the dance with many dancers from different parts of the world by participating in international dance festivals/ gatherings/ research such as ImPulsTanz, Contact Festival Freiburg, CECITE, Sensing In, CIRP.

She is interested in practicing movement research in diverse areas, and exploring the potential of arts and movement for creating ways of living together and embracing differences.

Significant teachers

Defne Erdur, Nita Little, Keith Hennessy, Eszter Gál, Benoit Lachambre, Ray Chung, Andrew Harwood, Ulli Wittemann, Ann Cooper Albright, Maria Francesca Scaroni, Iwona Olszowska, Chris Aiken, Laura Doehler, Jurij Konjar, Anya Cloud, Sabine Parzer, Simonetta Alessandri, Matthieu Gaudeau, Kira Kirsch, Frey Faust, Barış Mıhçı, Antoine Ragot, Laura Aris, Bruno Caverna