The Greek Folkdance group Karyatides already exist about 25
years, and we are not dancing only dances from one appointed
district (part of the country). We prensent also from the whole
mainland, the island, Crete and of course the popular dances.
All these will be presented by the original costumes.
DANCES FROM THE ISLANDS.
1.MICHANIKOS: a dance where an old man tries to dance with walking stick. (cane)
2.BALLOS: a well know couple dance.
3.SIRTOS: is also the most popular dance from all the islands.
4.IKARIOTIKOS: this dance has his origins on the island Ikaria, there where the legend of Ikaros Aris from.
That all will be present to you in the original costume from the island Samos.
DANCES FROM THE MAINLAND.
1.VEERMAN: this dance has his name from the movie 'Who pays the ferryman'.
2.KALAMATIANOS: Even though it is named after this pelopponesian city, Kalamata. It was named after the song "Mandili Kalamatiano" (meaning handkerchief from Kalamata). Kalamatianos is basically a syrtos made popular by this song and thus name stuck. It was popularized in the Peloponnese mostly because this area was once the most urbanized and because of its close proximity to the capital, Athens. It is today a Panhellenic dance sometimes called the Handkerchief dance and is today the wedding dance par excellence.
3.TSAMIKO: A dance of the Epiros region (north-west of continental Greece) performed to show the courage of the fighters.
4.ZORBA: it is mostly known outside of Greece because of the film Zorba, by the name "Syrtaki".
5.GAIDA: a dance from Macedoniê and is only danced by man.
This all will be presented in the original costumes "Tsoliadika" from the north of Greece.
DANCES FROM CRETE.
1.SOUSTA: a couple dance for lovers.
2.PENTOZALI: This dance is very fast and used to be performed by a group of men. Today women participate as well. The name comes from the Greek word "Pente": five, and the Cretan word "Zalis": step therefore the name "dance of the five steps".
3.CHANIOTIKO: the most popular dance from Crete.
4.MALEBISIOTI: a warrior dance which is danced from every where at Crete.
1.ZONARADIKO: this dance is comming from the north of Greece.
2.CHASAPIKO: from the turkish word "Hassap" = butcher, it is the butcher's dance. It's also a typical dance from the fisherman.
3.ZEMBEKIKO: the only Greek dance to be improvised by only one person at the time. It is the most expressive of all Greek dances showing the feelings of the dancer als he is accompanied by the hand clapping, on a veryspecific rhythm, of his friends kneeling in a circle around him. It's a man's dancewhich originates in Asia Minor, and named after the tribe's name "Zeîbeks".
Most Greek folk dances originate in a very ancient tradition. They express lover or happiness, prepare the men for war, or joyfully celebrate weddings. They can be danced by couples or by groups, in line or in a circle. Until quite recently, some dances were danced either by men or women and the interpretation differed in each case, even though the name and the music remained the same. In Greece, each region and each island has its own dances and has contributed to enrich the Greek cultural heritage. The variety also depends on the interpretation as the steps differ from town to village and even from one family style to another. This diversity is apparant in the costumes which reflect the regional origin, the vilage, the family and the marital status. City dwellers contribute a different style of dress from the country people to this rich heritage.
