Greek dance

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The dance of the Greeks has its origins in early antiquity and developed in many ways on the mainland and the Greek islands. The tradition of Greek dance is cultivated in our time by many folk dance groups and lay people in the traditional costumes of the region. The performance takes place in groups, in pairs or individually in the respective dance style. Traditional Greek dance does not necessarily need instrumental music, but it does require the rhythm for the steps.

Folk dance is also very popular in today's Greece. In addition to many different regional folk dances, the two dances Kalamatianós and Sirtós are considered the "national dances " of Greece.

The ancient legacy

Various ancient representations show the dances of ancient times and that characteristic features have been preserved to this day. Crete seems to have been the cradle of the Hellenic art of dance . One of the oldest Greek dances, the Kalamatianós, was probably danced as early as Homer's time . Of all the peoples of ancient times, the Greeks seem to have given dance the highest priority. They believed that dance improved physical and emotional health. They saw dance as a means of developing the body and its abilities in harmony on all sides, to which they attached great importance.

For the Hellenes, dance was above all the art of depicting the body, characterizing certain situations, be it that these symbolically represented love life or any activities. “The purpose of the art of dance,” writes Lucian, “is to depict a sensation, a passion or an action through gestures.” “Dance affects the soul like no other art. Dancing is divine by nature and a gift from the gods, ”explained Plato . All gods dance, even Zeus. According to Homer's hymn, Apollon leads the Cretan boatmen to his altar in Delphi at a dance step , and they also follow him in a dance. Artemis dances with her nymphs, and Hesiod makes the muses dance on the helicon around the altar of Zeus. Sophocles danced naked after the battle of Salamis, Plato performed cyclical round dances with a choir of handsome boys, and Socrates, ashamed to be seen naked in public, danced in secret for his own amusement. The best dancers, Socrates once declared, are the warriors.

Both sexes liked to dance, mostly in separate groups. The participation of both in the same dance was exceptional. Some dances were done by men and some by women. The Athenian youths disguised themselves and danced as horns, nymphs or maenads, the girls and young women danced to the beat of the castanets and often performed with artificial dances.

There were many dances of the ancient Greeks; comic dances, martial dances, dances for athletes and for religious worship, plus dances for weddings, funerals and celebrations. Dance was accompanied by music played on lyres, flutes and percussion instruments such as tambourines, cymbals and castanets.

Round dancing and singing are the adornments of the festive meal, writes Homer. Carousing were embellished with performances by dancers who were dressed only in Efeukränzen, but they were turning to God in honor of the face, neck, chest and belly with red lead red. The comedy of the dance was based on the movement of the bottom, which had to be stretched out as far as possible. The dancers either touched each other or crossed their arms and did not touch, they walked on tiptoe, jumped up, performed a dance. The singing of the participants or spectators formed the actual musical accompaniment. The dance was by no means limited to the mere movement of the feet, on the contrary, music and gestures played a major role in the Greek dances. Greek dance excluded vulgarity.

The ancient Greek dances are typified as war or peace dances. The latter are integrated in theatrical performances or are used for religious services in particular to worship their gods, to witness mourning and for domestic festive events, in particular for wedding celebrations.

The panhellenistic folk dance

The Panhellenic dances are mainly Syrtos , Kalamatianos and Tsamikos or Heratis . Overall, there are many dances that share regional characteristics, but also differ greatly from village to village, especially in mountainous areas. Usually they are performed in the regional costumes. Most of the time, open circle dances are danced with different arm positions, although there are also pair dances and row dances.

  • The Kalamatianos from the Kalamata region is listed in a circle and is already mentioned in the Delphi inscriptions. While one partner moves brilliantly in turns and jumps, the other dances in calm, gentle movements.
  • The Syrtos comes from the Hellenic period of Crete and was widespread on the islands of the Aegean Sea. The Zeibekikos, a traditional warrior dance that was originally carried out with shield and sword and represented a man-to-man combat, is also popular with male dancers. The Hassapikos was originally a Byzantine dance of the butchers from Constantinople.
  • The choros koutalia ( spoon dance ) was probably danced by Orthodox Christians from ancient times to the multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire of the 19th century, probably alongside Ottoman spoon dance variations of their Islamic neighbors. The dancer and the dancer beat the rhythm to the music with a pair of wooden spoons per hand.

The common group formation in ancient Greek dance was both the open and the closed circle. The dancers were mostly amateurs. Singing, dance and instrumental music were the branches of the theater, and the performer was often singer, dancer and musician at the same time.

The musical instruments were made of wood, guitars and lyres, metal cymbals and drums that set the dance rhythm. Folk music is determined by its origins, which originate on the Aegean islands or on the mainland. Popular music is often referred to as bousouki, as it is played excellently on guitars and mandolins in the Lavernas seaport. The rhythm of the music must harmonize with the movement of the dance. The ancient Greek dances are characterized as war or peace dances. The latter are integrated in theatrical performances or serve religion, in particular the worship of the gods, and the witness of mourning and are performed at domestic festive events, especially at wedding celebrations.

Popular dance music

The sirtaki is now part of the repertoire of many Greek folk dance groups. It is a vivid expression of everyday life and is danced on many occasions such as weddings, family celebrations, and dance halls. Mikis Theodorakis ' music for the famous film Alexis Sorbas became a worldwide success, Sorba's dance became the epitome of Greek music, and the so-called "Sirtaki" is now regarded by millions as an excellent Greek dance.

Folk dances

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