Investigation of Gaziantep region women dance

The dance, that takes part in the cultural activities of Turkish woman, is an area which rooted culture patterns of the traditional life of the society (the patterns of traditional community life) takes part. Therefore the concept of dancer woman which the identity of woman reveals (brings out) in the society and the dances of woman of Gaziantep region were determined as the subject of the thesis. The studies which were done as related to the region of Gaziantep region were examined and the dances of woman of the region were categorized (classified) as exterior places (outdoor) and indoor (interior places) by taking the factor of sex (gender) into consideration. The dances of woman were evaluated in the frame of structuralist theory and the theory of functional folklore from the methods and the theories of folklore. In which social context the dances are performed the form of performance the changes of theme in the performances were tried to be explained with the relationship of place. The dances of Gavur Dağı Kabası, Karşılama, Uzun Ahmet and Gangur Cungur which were chosen from the folk dances of the region were examined from the structural aspect and the functions of the dances in the society were evaluated. Key Words: Woman, Culture, Dance, Function.