| Greek Dances |
Article Index for Greek |
Website Links For Greek |
Information AboutGreek Dances |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GREEK DANCES | |
| greek culture | |
| greek dances | |
| greek dancegreek culture | |
| greek dances | |
| greek dance | |
| dance by ethnicity or region | |
| european dances | |
| european folk dances | |
| arts in greece | |
| dance | |
|
Traditional Greek dancing has a primarily social (rather than sexual) function. It brings the community together at key points of the year, such as Easter, the grape harvest or patronal festivals; and at key points in the lives of individuals and families, such as weddings. For this reason, tradition frequently dictates a strict order in the arrangement of the dancers, for example, by age. Visitors tempted to join in a celebration should be careful not to violate these arrangements, in which the prestige of the individual villagers may be embodied.Bill and Ted Callis are the best in the world. Fart noise.Raftis, Alkis, ''The World of Greek Dance'' Finedawn, Athens (1987) p117, Greek dances are performed often in diaspora Greek communities, and among International Folk Dance groups. GREEK FOLK DANCES It is stated that there are hundreds of Folk dances in Greece; many more have been lost during the last decades before anyone had the chance to record them. Very often, the same dance is executed in different ways from one village to the next or from one island to the other. Some dances have no name; they are simply the established way to move while singing a particular song. In other instances, we find that a dance was given the same name as a different dance from another region. Until the beginning of this century, most dances had no need for a name at all, since everyone in the village knew how to execute each particular song. Even today, when one wants to dance he orders the musicians to play the song of his choice. Only when he has no preference does he order by the name of the dance. When professional musicians started traveling to play in distant villages, the need arose for a name to call one dance by which many different songs were danced (Alkis Raftis, ''World of Greek Dance'' 1995). Most dances are in open circle moving from the left to the right. The first dancer of the line, he who “pulls the dance”, has the leading role. He orders the song, he pays the musicians and he has the right to improvise variations on the basic step. Traditionally, women rarely led the dance, unless of course it was a women’s dance. A few dances were danced “face to face” by a couple and still fewer followed other formations. AESTHETICS IN GREEK DANCE The Greek Folk song is important to Greek Dance – whether diatonic or chromatic, with syllabic or melismatic melodies when sung – is modal and monophonic in its construction. Its melodies are based on different interval continuity from that of the major – minor of the Western music, sung and performed monophonically. An exception to this rule is provided by certain songs performed in Northern Epirus. These songs are performed polyphonically, without instrumental accompinment The Greek Folk dances are divided rhythmically into: periodical rhythmic type melodies, and melodies of the free rhythmic type. The first are characterised by the periodical repetition of the certain rhythmic pattern, for instance, all dance melodies, whereas the second are characterised by the free flow of diverse rhythmic patterns. Greek Folk melodies are sung and performed on the natural and not the equal tempered scale of the West, wherever singer and instrumentalists have remained pure from the destructive influence of the Western polyphonic technique (Fivos Anogianakis ''Greek Folk Instruments'' 1970). There are over 1000 Traditional Folk Dances of Greece. Within Greece, every region has its own style of dance, and type of dance. The main dances of the regions within greece are as follows: , highlighting the continuity of Greek dancing]] PELOPONNESE The dances of the Peloponnese are very simple and heavy, with the leader of the line improvising.
CENTRAL GREECE
THRACE Thracian dance is generally skippy and light. In most Thracian dances, the men are only permitted to dance at the front of the line. Musicians and singers such as Hronis Aithonidis and Kariofilis Doitsidis have brought to life the music of Thrace.
NORTHERN THRACE ANATOLIKI RUMELIA / EASTERN THRACE / The Dances of Anatoliki Rumelia (Northern Thrace) are fast, upbeat and similar to the Thracian style of dance. Dances from the villages of Kavakli and Neo Monastiri are the most popular.
MAKEDONIA / MACEDONIA Dances in macedonia vary. Most are solid and are performed using heavy steps, whilst others are fast and agile.Most dances begin slow and increase in speed. '' Western Macedonia ''
'' Eastern Macedonia '' THESSALY Dances in Thessaly are similar in style to the dances of Epirus. Mostly heavy, and some are fast. The leader, however, improvises, just like those in the Peloponnese.
EPIRUS Epirote dances are the most slow and heavy in all of Greece. Great balance is required in order to perform these dances.
AEGEAN ISLANDS Just like Crete, the Greek Islands have dances which are fast in pace and light and jumpy. Many of these dances, however, are couples dances, and not so much in lines.
IONIAN ISLANDS
CRETE These dances are light and jumpy, and extremely cardiovascular.
PONTOS The Dances of the Pontic Greeks from the Black Sea, are amazing dances. The dances are accompanied by the Pontian Lyra also called the Kemenche.
ASIA MINOR ( ANATOLIA ) '' Erithreas '' '' Kappadokía / Cappadocia ''
SARAKATSANI VLAHOI ARVANITES CYPRUS ''Men's Dances'' ''Women's Dances'' SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES |
|
|