
WHO IS HANDE KAYACIK?
Wedding Dance & First Dance Instructor
Since 2006, I have been working to develop wedding dance in our country and make it an indispensable part of weddings. Since then, I have accompanied over 3,000 couples on their first dance; for over 20 years, I have been working face-to-face with couples in Istanbul and online with couples in different parts of the world.
I was born in Istanbul in 1980.
After graduating from Istanbul Technical University with a degree in Environmental Engineering, I made a crazy decision to pursue my hobby of dance instead of an engineering career.
After receiving training both in Turkey and abroad, I continued my professional career in dance. After representing Turkey twice as a national athlete in the European and World Championships, I ended my athletic career and began my career as an instructor.
IT ALL STARTED AT A WEDDING IN 2006...
As you know, partner dance culture in our country was not as widespread as it is today.At a relative's wedding I attended in 2006, when I saw the bride and groom standing on the dance floor like "rabbits in headlights", waiting for the dance music to end as soon as possible, I said to myself: "I need to get involved in this."I said.
That day, I made a decision that would shape the next 20 years of my life.
Since that day, I have been working to help couples preparing for engagement and marriage to realize their dream first dance.
FROM DANCE ATHLETE TO WEDDING DANCE EXPERT
For me, dance has never been just about learning a few steps.
The training I received during my time as a dance athlete, my competition experiences, and my years of work with different instructors form the basis of the system I use today when working with couples.
After completing my athletic career, I began to transfer this experience to teaching. Over time, I focused particularly on wedding dances and first dances. Because here, it's not just about the dance itself; it's also about understanding the couple's excitement, the wedding venue, the dress, the music, the time constraints, and most importantly, how two people move together.
OVER 3,000 COUPLES, MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
To date, I have choreographed the first dances of over 3,000 couples. Some have no prior dance experience, while others love to dance. Some want an elegant and romantic dance, while others envision a more energetic choreography.
My job isn't to teach everyone the same choreography. It's about finding the right dance for the couple.
Taking into account the music, dance levels, wedding venue, wedding dress, and how the couple moves together, the goal is to create a first dance where the couple feels comfortable, natural, and confident on their wedding day. Because, in my opinion, a beautiful first dance isn't about performing the most difficult moves; it's about the couple truly dancing without just appearing to dance.
And throughout my more than 20 years of experience, I have always aimed for the same thing:
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More natural.
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More elegant.
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More comfortable.
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More beautiful.
In short, I'm constantly pushing myself to do a little better with each pair. The result speaks for itself. 🙂
MY DANCE TRAINING
Throughout my professional journey in dance sports, I have received training from various instructors in Türkiye and abroad; I have specialized in Latin American dances and sport ballroom dancing.
1998–2002 | ITU Maçkadance Club
Social Latin Dances and International Latin Dances
Cha Cha, Rumba, Salsa, Mambo, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble
2002–2005 | Ministry of National Education Suna Ballet Dance School – İsmet Müftüoğlu
International Latin Dances
Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble
2002 | Ministry of Sports Gymnastics and Dance Federation
Latin American Dance Instructor Training Seminar
Latin American Dance Instructor Certification
2004 | Ayşe Sun
Classical Ballet Training
2004–2005 | Ömer İnanç
Ballet, fitness and stretching training
2005–2006 | Yıldız Technical University Dance Club – İsmet Müftüoğlu
Dance training and ballroom dancing activities.
I also attended Dance Sport Refereeing Seminars held in Ankara and Bodrum in 2005.

The Foundation of My Dance Training
Over the years, my training has brought together diverse disciplines such as classical ballet, social Latin dances, sport ballroom dancing, conditioning, and stretching. This multifaceted educational and athletic background forms the foundation of the approach I use today when working with couples, focusing on natural movement, correct technique, body awareness, and couple harmony.
DANCE ATHLETE AND COMPETITION CAREER
Following my dance training, I began actively competing in sport ballroom dancing. I participated in many national competitions in Türkiye in various categories and achieved top rankings.
2006 – Dance Sport Federation Cup
🥈 2nd place – Istanbul
2005 – Turkish Dance Sports Championship
🥈 2nd place – Bodrum
2004 – Turkish Dance Sports Championship
🏆 C Class 1st place – Bodrum
6th place – Bodrum
2004 – Dance Sport Federation Cup
🏆 C Class 1st place
2003 – National and International Dance Championship
🏆 Latin American Dances D Class 1st Place
2003 – Latin American Dances Zigana Cup
🥈 2nd place in D Class
2003 – 1st ITU Rectorate Dance Sports Championship
🏆 Latin American Dances D Class 1st Place
🥉 3rd place in Standard Ballroom Dances D Class
2003 – 1st Bilkent Spring Cup Dance Sports Championship
🏆 Latin American Dances D Class 1st Place
🥈 Standard Ballroom Dancing D Class 2nd Place
2003 – Dance Sport 2nd Federation Cup
🏆 Latin American Dances D Class 1st Place
🥉 3rd place in Standard Ballroom Dances D Class

As a national athlete, I represented Türkiye.
Following my international competition experience, I represented Türkiye as a national athlete at the European and World Championships.
The technical knowledge, discipline, and stage experience I gained during my competition years formed the foundation of my subsequent coaching career.
WEDDING DANCE AND HANDE KAYACIK IN THE PRESS
As the concept of wedding dances developed in Türkiye, I had the opportunity to appear on various television programs, in newspapers and magazines during this process.
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2008 — Show TV Main News; KanalTürk, "Colorful Television" program
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2009 — Star Main News
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2011 — Sky Türk TV, "3K" program (May 21)
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2012 — Main News Program; TV8, "There's a Celebration at Number 8"; TV8, "Ebruli"; This Night with Saba Tümer; Good Life with Dilara Koçak; Life Active (February 17)
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2013–2016 — Martha Stewart Weddings
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2014 — Posta Newspaper (April 18); Hello Magazine (April 22)
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2015 — Hürriyet Kelebek (June 19); InStyle Magazine
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2016 — Milliyet Sunday (March 13)
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2017 — Habertürk (June)
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2018 — "What the Day Brought" TV Program
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2020 — CNN Turk (May 17)

























