MUSIC & DANCE
GREEK DANCE
Greek temples. Thesyrtos is depicted on ancient Greek vases and there
are references to dances in Homer’s works. Many Greek folk dances are
performed in a circular formation; in ancient times, dancers formed a
circle in order to seal themselves off from evil infl uences or would dance
around an altar, tree, fi gure or object. Dancing was part of military edu-
cation; in times of occupation it became an act of defi ance and a covert
way to keep fi t.
Dance styles often refl ect the climate of the region or disposition of
the participants, and dance is a way of expressing sorrow and joy.
In Epiros, the stately tsamikos is slow and dignifi ed, refl ecting the
often cold and insular nature of mountain life. The Pontian Greeks, on
the contrary, have vigorous and warlike dances such as thekotsari, re-
fl ecting years of altercations with their Turkish neighbours. In Crete you
have the graceful and slow syrtos, the fast and triumphant maleviziotiko
and the dynamic pentozali, with its agility-testing high kicks and leaps.
The bright and cheery atmosphere of the islands gave rise to light,
springy dances such as the ballos and thesyrtos, while the graceful and
most widely known Kalamatianos,originally from Kalamata, refl ects
years of proud Peloponnese tradition. The so-called ‘Zorba dance’ (as
immortalised in Zorba the Greek), or syrtaki, is a stylised dance for two
or three men or women with linked arms on each other’s shoulders,
though the modern variation is danced in a long circle with an ever-
quickening beat.
Women and men traditionally danced separately (or often used
handkerchiefs to avoid skin contact) and had their own dances, while
courtship dances such as thesousta were danced together.
The often spectacular solo male zeïmbekiko, with its whirling, medi-
tative improvisations, has its roots in rembetika, where it wasoften
danced while drunk or high on hashish. Women have their own sensu-
ous tsifteteli, a svelte, sinewy show of femininity evolved from the Middle
Eastern belly dance.
A modern take on thetsifteteli is the dance most commonly seen on
tables and dance fl oors these days. The best place to see traditional danc-
ing is at festivals around Greece and at the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre
in Athens. Contemporary dance in Greece is gaining prominence, with
leading local dance troupes taking their place among the international
line-up at the prestigious Kalamata International Dance Festival and the
Athens International Dance Festival.Byzantine
music is mostly
heard in Greek
churches these
days, though
Byzantine hymns
are performed by
choirs in concerts
in Greece and
abroad, and
the music has
influenced folk
music.GREEK GIG GUIDEDuring summer you can see Greece’s leading acts in outdoor concerts around the
country. In winter they perform in clubs in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as the larger
regional towns.
Authentic folk music is hard to fi nd. The best bet is at regional panigyria (open-air fes-
tivals) around Greece during summer. Crete’s vibrant music scene is easier to tap into –
look for posters at tavernas and pasted around telephone and power poles or ask around.
Athens’ live music scene includes many intimate rembetika (blues) clubs and glitzy,
expensive, cabaret-style venues known as bouzoukia. Second-rate bouzoukia clubs
are referred to as skyladhika or doghouses – apparently because the crooning singers
resemble a whining dog. These are the venues for seeing the fl ower-throwing (plate-
smashing is rare these days), wanton (and expensive) displays of exuberance, excess
and kefi (good spirits or mojo). Opa!