In the study, shamanic ceremonies are discussed in the context of Performance Theory. The "performances" presented by shamans in ceremonies are interpreted in light of the ideas of artists and researchers on this subject. First, what the Performance Theory is and what innovations and perspectives it brings to folklore studies are explained, and in the following section, brief historical information about the development of Performance Theory is tried to be given. Another subject that is tried to be pointed out is; for many researchers, shamanism is a technique for experiencing ecstatic phenomena, and the shaman is the performer and artist of this technique. There is no doubt the shaman is also a healer. In the main section, shaman performances, which were called the first Turkish poets by Köprülü, tried to be evaluated through examples. In doing so, its similarities with today's minstrel tradition were also underlined. Afterwards, the performance function of shaman costumes is emphasized, and examples of shaman costumes are given. Finally, there is a comparison of shaman performances with today's modern theater or acting performances. As can be seen here, shamanic ceremonies are highly aesthetic and artistic "performances".

Keywords
Shaman, art, performance, theatre, ceremony