What is Sirtaki? Greek dance of American origin

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

In the vocabulary of culture and art there are many terms and words that have come to us from other languages. Among them, one can name the word "sirtaki". What is "sirtaki"? Where did this word come from? That's what we'll talk about today.

Syrtaki as a term in art

This word came to us from Greece as the name of the national group Greek dance. In Greek, the word means "to touch". The dance is characterized by a gradual increase in tempo from slow and calm to very moving. This is the hallmark of Greek culture.

Sirtaki: history

Many people erroneously classify the sirtaki dance as an ancient folk dance. However, you will be surprised to learn that this dance is not at all folk, but quite authorial. And its author is movie actor Anthony Quinn.

The second surprise for you will be that this dance is not originally Greek at all, but American, since Quinn is not a Greek, but an American, filmed in 1964 by the Greek director Michallis Kakkoyannis. True, the film de alt with the Greek theme. Andthe actor was supposed to perform a Greek folk dance by the sea. But Quinn broke his leg, and it was not only difficult for him to dance a fast Greek dance - it was impossible. So he came up with a new dance based on the simple rhythmic movements of Greek folk dances in his slow version. The film was filmed for a long time. During filming, Quinn's leg healed. And he was already able to perform the second part of the dance quickly. The music for the sirtaki Kuina dance was also written specifically in connection with the need. It was written for "Zorba the Greek" by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.

But what about the director, did he really not know that such a dance does not exist? Apparently, Kakkoyannis was very trusting, as he believed the arguments of the actor, who said that local residents told him about this dance. Didn't he double-check with them what sirtaki is, is there really such a dance in the culture of the Greek people? We may never find the answer to this question.

By the way, about the name of the dance. And it is attributed to Quinn's fantasy: allegedly this is a "small" (reduced) version of the traditional Cretan dance sirtos.

Sirtaki: performance technique

Most often, the sirtaki dance is performed by a group of people standing in one line and holding outstretched hands on the shoulders of their neighbors. It happens that part of the dance is performed in a circle, but, as a rule, this is an exception. In case of participation in the dance of a large number of people, the dancers are arranged in several lines.

The dance is performed only with the feet, and the bodies and hands of the dancerssirtaki remain immovable. With the help of a strong grip of the hands, the dancers maintain the line of dance.

The rhythm of the dance is clear, in four quarters, and with fast - in two quarters. The legs perform movements absolutely synchronously: the traditional zigzag cross step, side steps, squats and half squats, lunges. If we analyze the features of the movements used in the dance, the Greeks noticed that in the first part of the sirtaki dance, the traditional movements of the Cretan folk dance group sirtos were used, and in the second - fast part - elements of another group of Cretan dances - pidikhtos, including jumps and jumps.

In order to hear the rhythm of the dance well during the performance, the dancing sirtaki put on special hard-soled sandals on their feet.

Views of modern sirtaki

One of the most common variants of sirtaki in modern Greece was born on the basis of the Athenian hasapiko dance. What do hasapiko and sirtaki have in common? First, the music. Secondly, the linear form of dance. True, both dances do not involve the arrangement of a large number of people in one line. There should be no more than three. If there are more dancers, then they line up in parallel lines. Thirdly, a whole series of movements, especially similar in the fast part of the dance.

There is a version that hasapiko used to be a military dance. It was used as a pantomime to prepare for combat and to teach silent combat, such as approaching an enemy. And also conveyed the features of the battle by the Greeks.

The second version of sirtaki is zorbas, which does not consist oftwo parts, but three or four. All parts are characterized by a change in rhythm and tempo. In the slow part, the movements are similar to sirtaki, and in the fast part, to hasapiko. Moreover, movements during the dance can be changed and combined by the dancers improvisationally, by transferring the "impulse" to the neighbors with their shoulders: after all, their bodies are tightly pressed against each other.

There is another dance that is very reminiscent of sirtaki - naftiko. It is danced by Greek sailors, and it is very reminiscent of the Russian apple. The original dance for naftiko was the ancient folk dance Makkelarikos, from which the Hasapiko dance later grew.

Sirtaki today

What is sirtaki for the Greeks now? Now the Greeks like this dance so much that they consider it equal to other national traditional dances and dance it with pleasure at the holidays. Photos of sirtaki are presented in the article.

When it is necessary to acquaint guests with Greek culture, it is performed in Greek national costumes.

Today there are a large number of variants of sirtaki. The author of the dance, Anthony Quinn, is called the Honorary Greek by the Greeks, and his dance is the dance of the Zorba. And sirtaki are danced not only in Greece, but also in many countries of the world. For example, in the USA back in the late 1960s, sirtaki were performed in a number of nightclubs. And in Russia, sirtaki is one of the brightest numbers of ballet theaters and dance ensembles, for example, the Moiseev Ensemble, the Gzhel Dance Theater.

So what is sirtaki? For some it's amazing.a phenomenon of the dance culture of the 20th century, which captured the whole world with its energy. For others, it is a way of ethnic self-identification. For the third - the opportunity to find like-minded people and share with them a positive charge, received from the joint detachment from the surrounding reality and absolute immersion in the rhythm of the dance that embraces completely and completely. And what is sirtaki for you?