Greece is one of the few countries in the world where folk dances are as alive today as they were in ancient times.

Dance has always played an important role in the life of a Greek. It is an expression of human feelings and everyday life. The Greeks danced at religious festivals, ceremonies; they danced to ensure fertility; to prepare for war and to celebrate victories; they danced at weddings; to overcome depression and to cure physical illness.

Almost every dance has a story to tell. Dance was regarded as one of the highest forms of art. Plato agreed with his mentor Socrates that every educated man should know how to dance gracefully by which he meant the manly exercises that kept the body strong and supple and ready to do its duty on the battlefield.

“The dance, of all the arts, is the one that most influences the soul. Dancing is divine in its nature and is the gift of the gods”. Plato

Traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turns maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. The principal characteristic of folklore dance is that it is not transmitted in a traditional manner but by a process involving dance teachers and gym instructors. When dance is learned and performed this way, it ceases to be traditional. 

REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Greece has 6 mainland regions: Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Greece and Peloponnesus. In addition, the islands fall into 3 main groups: the Ionian Islands to the west, the Aegean Islands to the east (which include the Cyclades and Sporades groups) and the Dodecanese Islands to the southwest.

The largest of all the Greek islands is Crete. Although Cyprus is an independent country, it is however the largest island inhabited by Greeks and falls within the Greek major cultural regions.

IONIAN ISLANDS

Also known as Eptanisia, meaning the seven islands, they were reunited with Greece in 1864. These islands were highly influenced by Italy. The people from Corfu are particularly musical. It is not uncommon to see organised concerts in the main squares. The dances are graceful, flirtatious and sometimes with erotic swaying of movement. Cephallonians are noted for their humour which is portrayed in their dancing. Most frequently danced are Sirtos Ai Yiogis, Fourlana, Ballos, Kerkyraikos,Thiakos and Tsirigotikos.