Born in Ankara, İpek Yavuzer completed her middle and high school education at one of Ankara’s most prestigious schools, Gazi Anatolian High School. After studying in Denmark for a year through the AFS student exchange program, she returned to Ankara and completed her undergraduate degree in City and Regional Planning at METU (Middle East Technical University). Combining her athletic career with her academic journey, she graduated with high honors from the METU Master’s Program in Geodesy and Geographic Information Technologies and later completed her PhD in the same department, earning the title of “doctor.”

Our instructor first encountered dance at the age of 9 at the Sihirli Papuçlar ballet school, where she took classical ballet training for many years. She later discovered dance sport, then known as “partnered dances,” at the Middle East Technical University’s Partnered Dance Society. She became the Turkish Latin Dance Champion in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, and in 2012, she became the Turkish Professional Latin Dance Champion. After countless international achievements, she concluded her competitive career.

During the early years when dance sport was just beginning in Turkey, even before a national dance federation existed, İpek Yavuzer, with her vision and foresight, established Turkey’s first children’s infrastructure for dance. A few years later, a historic moment occurred for Turkey when her athletes, Taha Batu Coşar and İren Türkkan, represented Turkey in the finals of the World Championship among 62 countries. Successes continued to follow.

Taha Batu Coşar and Ece Uzunalioğlu placed 3rd at the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival, and three years later, Taha Batu Coşar and Oleksandra Shanko earned the titles of World 4th and European 4th, bringing historic pride to our country. After these outstanding international achievements, İpek Yavuzer was appointed National Team Coach for the Turkish Dance Sports Federation, a title she still holds today. The athletes she has trained not only brought great international success to Turkey but also achieved worldwide recognition, responding to demands from other countries. In 2020, Yiğit Bayraktar, who was trained at Stardance, became the German champion and in 2023, he won the title of “10-Dance World Champion.”

The brand “StarDance by İpek Yavuzer,” founded by İpek Yavuzer in 2017, is the dance sport club that has produced the most national team athletes in Turkey. With the establishment of this brand, Stardance moved to its 1,250 m² location in Çayyolu Mesa Plaza AVM and expanded to include hip-hop, ballet, and gymnastics in addition to dance sport.

In 2021, she added to her international achievements by becoming an International Dance Federation Judge and began judging in international competitions.

In 2023, İpek Yavuzer also entered the film industry, working with Beşiktaş Culture Center’s “Güldür Güldür” children’s team to create a dance-themed children’s movie. The dance choreography for the film “Haydi Tut Elimi” was done by İpek Yavuzer. The lead role was played by Kerem Çömez, while supporting roles by Ada Demirer and Gündüz Yalçıner were cast through Stardance Cast. In 2024, another Beşiktaş Culture Center production, featuring eight dancers provided by Stardance Cast for the dance scenes, will be released as a surprise.

İpek Yavuzer describes her dance journey in her own words: “Until I was 9, I had a very shy and introverted childhood. In elementary school, because I couldn’t communicate with my peers, I would cling to my teacher’s skirt and wait by the teachers’ lounge during every recess. My family noticed my interest in dance in the 3rd grade, and they enrolled me in the private ballet school, Kırmızı Papuçlar, in Ankara. This was a turning point in my life. My teacher, Dünya Egemen, recognized my talent, and when I realized I had a unique ability compared to my peers, my confidence returned, and I transformed into a completely different child. From being a girl who didn’t even participate in the graduation ceremony, I became someone who represented the school in poetry competitions, played lead roles in folk dance teams, and became a social, confident individual. Because of this, I don’t see myself simply as a dance instructor in my professional life. Knowing how much an instructor can change a child’s life, my goal is not only to teach dance but also to help children develop discipline, self-confidence, analytical thinking skills, leadership qualities, and the ability to pursue tasks consistently while raising individuals who are sensitive to society, their teammates, nature, and animals, and who stand out in the community. In my club, there are dozens of athletes who started at 9 years old and have now completed 22 years. Some still keep dance in their lives through refereeing or teaching, some have made it their profession, and some, even if they don’t continue themselves, ensure that their children keep dancing. At Stardance, we are not just a simple dance club; we provide children with a culture, education, and lifestyle in the environment we create at our school.”