TRADITION AND CULTURE
Folk Dances
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Traditional dance and folk singing are one of the most important and most vivid elements of our popular culture, which show more than anything else the peculiarity and genius of a people.
Greek dances have their roots in antiquity.
In Minoan Crete, the young men and women danced for the coming of spring, in Classical Greece the veil-covered Virgins danced at Karyes in honor of Artemis and at Panathenaea in honor of Athena.
The ancient Greeks believed that the dance was created by the gods themselves, which is why it was associated with every religious event.
Greeks in antiquity learned dance from an early age, as part of their education or military training and education. No other people placed such a high value on dancing. The muse Terpsichore was for them the patroness of dance.
For the Greeks, national dances have a special meaning. These dances were not designed by experts, but were created by the soul of the people. They were created by people without education who, as a unique way of expressing their feelings, danced and sang.
Joy, sorrow, pain, despair, hope, found an outlet in the leaping or slow steps of the dance.
During the Turkish occupation, dance and song were a powerful weapon in strengthening the National consciousness and resistance. With their hands clasped, it was as if they were giving each other courage.
The pressure of the dance was loud and angry. It was as if they were stepping on tyranny. At that time, new types of dances were born that describe heroic achievements, great moments of Greece, as well as difficult daily experiences of the people of that time.
Traditional dance is one of the most vibrant and dynamic elements of Greek culture and is one of the institutions that has largely preserved the collective identity of the Greek people throughout history.
The variety of traditional Greek dances, combined with the picturesque local costumes, the music, the special traditional musical instruments, is a dynamic element of Greek culture, keeping alive the flame of the rich Greek tradition.
Greek dances today are an integral part of Greek society as they are performed at numerous social events (weddings, festivals), their learning is included in official school education, while numerous associations throughout Greece, in cities and villages, are systematically involved in the learning, presentation and general promotion of traditional dances.
Greek traditional dances are divided according to their region of origin into two main groups: the mainland dances and the island dances.
The name of each dance is derived:
a) by the name of the region where the dance is performed
b) from the words of the song accompanying the dance
c) from the placement of the dancers
d) by the grip of the hands
e) from some objects used (e.g. a handkerchief).
Another important distinction between the dances is that they are divided into jump and slide dances. The former contain bounces and "jolts", while the latter are mainly characterized by a calm twitching movement on the ground. Of course, this distinction is conventional and not the only one. Even the same dance can vary from region to region or even from dancer to dancer, taking on its own particular color.
In general, however, the morphology of the terrain of each place seems to play an essential role in shaping the style of the dances danced in that place. Thus the island dances are more jumpy, with more complex foot movements and bring to mind the sea waves of the Aegean Sea.
On the contrary, the mountain people dance more heavily, more intensely, with a stubbornness -one could say- that comes straight out of the hardness of the battle with the adversities of mountain life.
The most common shape of Greek dances is the circular, the «face to face» and the straight line.
The most popular traditional Greek dances according their place of origin
Epirus
Epirus is a large historical and geographical region of Western Greece and one of the most popular places where traditional music, dances and singing are produced.
Sirtos at 3
Epirus
More dances coming soon...