Sirtaki and other Greek dances

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Even Aristotle and Plato assured: all Greek dances have ancient roots. Every corner of hospitable Greece has its own dance style, and there are more than four thousand of them!

The most important are Greek dances that originated on the islands (nishyotika). Each of them has not only their own movements. It has a whole story and deep meaning. The same can be said about the most famous dance in Greece - sirtaki, which has become a symbol of the country.

This dance was really born in Greece, it was created specifically for the film "Zorba the greek" ("Zorba the Greek"), in the 60s. His choreography contained a mixture of folk dances called "hasaposerviko" and "sirtos". It turns out that, although sirtaki has become a real Greek symbol, in fact it is not a purely national Greek dance.

It was after the release of the film about the sirtaki dance that the whole world learned. The composer who wrote the music for the film received an Oscar, and the author of the sirtaki himself was awarded the Order of Lenin. A dozen clubs appeared in New York where they played only Greek music, and, moreover, theyThe visitors were not only Greeks. These were the days of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, but mostly young people listened to them. But Greek dances were to the liking of older people. An amazing thing: at the first sounds of the sirtaki, they revived and seemed to become younger, rising from their seats for an incendiary dance.

Sirtaki is based on a mixture of rhythms - both fast and slow. The dancers become in one line (less often - in a circle). At the same time, the hands of each of them lie on the shoulders of their neighbors. The dance begins slowly, unhurriedly and smoothly, gradually accelerating. Movements become more and more sharp, fast, turn into jumps. This music is full of life, energy and youth.

Interestingly, in Peru, a dance melody can evoke a variety of emotions (depending on the listener's political beliefs). After all, it is associated with the meeting of the founders of the famous Shining Path movement, which has an extremely left-wing radical orientation. In the video of this meeting, Abimael Guzman, the leader of the organization, enthusiastically dances sirtaki in a national costume in the style of Mao Zedong.

Think that sirtaki is out of date? It turns out that this Greek folk dance is still being danced. For example, in November 2011 in France, La Defense Square was filled with locals and tourists. Together they gathered to perform sirtaki in support of Greece. Some succeeded, some did not, but most importantly, it was sincere and from the heart!

Of course, sirtaki is not the only dance in Greece. From ancient times have come down to usoriginal Greek dances with very original names: Katsipadyanos, Angalyastos, Anoyanos Pidichthos, Apanomeritis, Mikraki, Rumatyani Susta and many others. Each of them has its own unique style and its own characteristics: some are characterized by improvisation and a sharp change in tempo, others by springiness and grace, and others by a slow tempo with heavy steps. At the same time, dancers can sing and even play the guitar.

Truly, the real soul of Greece lies in dancing!