A presentation about folk dances made by the Greek students of the ERASMUS+ team (6o Gymnasio Larisas, Greece)

1. FOLK DANCES
FROM
NORTHERN
GREECE

2. Folk dances from THRACE

3. Folk dances from THRACE
 Thracian dances present rich and
impressive trio movement, reason,
melody. The peculiar symmetry of
body movements yet, coupled with
coordinated in the same acidity than
loud dancers exclamations, are
elements that add character to
separate impressive thracian
dances.

5. Folk dances from THRACE
 The dances are circular, opposite and
mixed and have various names,
mostly out of the way or the
circumstances under which are
danced, on special local events, from
the inaugural song lyrics which
accompany them etc. The most
common are:

6. Zonaradikos
 Mixed dance, danced from men and
women, impressive, with great spreading
throughout Thrace. Owes its name to the
fact that the dancers grabbed each other
by belts. Danced circular. The men are
going in front and the women are
following. According to the oldest
traditions, the last man to be caught with
the first dancer of the female cycle to
constitute together a circle, had
necessarily family ties in hand. The habit
of this applied to the set of circular
dances, especially in the region of
Didymoteicho.

7. Sigkathistos
 Particularly important dance, by men and
women. Danced at weddings, when they
go to pick up the bride, also in festivals
and other celebrations. It owes its’ name
to the the step of a semi-sit dancer in the
right and one on the left leg. The
sygkathistoi have several scales, modes
and melodies in their architecture. They
are danced in pairs, facing each other,
with a wide variety of dance forms, and
accompanied by enthusiastic
exclamations.

8. Hasapikos
 Considered a war dance.
 The current name was received
because it was a common dance,
especially between the butchers. The
dance consists of two parts, one slow
and the other fast. Other similar forms
are heavy hasapiko, chasapia etc.

9. Antikristos or Karsilamas.
 Dance which is widely spread (Qarshi
= opposite). Customary especially in
wedding ceremonies and
amusements. In the traditional
execution of the dance, women are
holding handkerchief by two diagonal
edges, stretched or bent at the elbows
and hands in hands which move right-
left or rotate the circular scarf in one
direction until it folded after what
unfolded in the opposite movement.

10. Mantilatos.
 Dance opposite, usually by a man and
a woman. Owes its name to the
handkerchief to keep the dancers.
Used especially at weddings, on the
road, when they went to get the bride
or the best man for the Church.
Humble. Wedding dance, simple and
slow, small steps, the first after the
coronation, with the bride on top of the
dance.

11. Other Folk dances from
THRACE
 Soufliotida. Female dance, which
proliferates in Soufli. Its name owes to
the opening verse "Sultana, Soufliotida"
local dance song.
 Yianni m', my Yianni. Mixed Chorus of
Soufli also, and he owes its name to a
local song.
 Gikna. Wedding Dance of Orestiada
area.
 Kourseftos. Dance so named
because his footsteps are fast.

12. …a Presentation by
 Elissavet Maggou