Traditional Greek dances

In ancient Greece, dance held a prominent place and enjoyed great respect, since as they believed that the stars and planets in the sky were performing some kind of cosmic dance.

 Dance together with music and poetry were caracterirtics of someone being cultirated and educated. Dance was a gift from the spiritual immortal Gods to humans and a means of communicating with the Invisible, connecting their rituals and mysteries with it.

Dance was commonly used as a form of education in Ancient Greece. The eminent Greek philosophers strongly reinforced this art as being a perfect integration of body and the soul.

Traditional dances in modern Greece are very diverse. Each area or village in Greece has its own type dance, which vary from region to region and even from village to village.

Traditional Greek dances, because of their variety are divided into several categories.
Depending on their topic they are divided into: Religious War Romantic Depending on the position of the dancers they are divided into: Round Facing they dance being opposite each other

Depending on the gender they are divided into: Male Female Mixed Depending on geographiy they are divided into: National Local

In Modern contemporary dance we can recognize rhythms and music styles that were used in ancient Greece. It is known that the dances of the mainland have a subnet style and are often called leventiki(meaning regal or upstanding)in contrast to those of the Greek islands which are livelier and more lyrical. The national dances are Kalamatianos and Tsamikos

KALAMATIANOS

Tsamikos is a traditional Greek dance As a heroic dance it was initially danced by men , but later women participated and was danced in a circle. Tsamikos a celebration dance after each battle and victory.

TSAMIKOS

Local dances are divided in terms of geography into Continental, Thracian, Island, Cretans, Macedonian, and others. Each one is danced differently, has its own music and its name has some significance.

Zonaradikos is a traditional dance from Thrace.It is danced by men and women in a circle.The type of dance is widely-spread across Thrace.Its name derives from the fact that the dancers hold onto each other by their belts (zonari means belt).Men lead and women follow.

ZONARADIKOS

 Ikariotikos comes from the island Ikaria and is danced throughout the Aegean islands. It is danced by men and women who hold onto each other by the shoulders. In the first part of the dancers walk, while in the second part-when the rhythm becomes livelier we have quick steps and the whole body is in motion.

IKARIOTIKOS

Serra is one of the most representative dances of Pontus, which is the region of present day Turkey on the eastern Black Sea into Russia; an area inhabited by Greeks from ancient times till 1924. Its music and dance is easily recognised by its nervous energy, the use of knee bends and unusual shoulder tremors, unique to Pontus.

PONTIAKOS

Syrtaki is the most popular Greek dance but its not an authentic traditional one.

SIRTAKI