THRACIAN DANCE, GREECE

Recently I attended traditional dances of thracians, in village Feres.
I want to share with you, some information and some photos.

Thracian dances tend to be lively. They are also known for their numerous variations in hand holds. Dances of Thrace are predominantly circle dances in which the men dance at the front of the line followed by the women. Their dance lines tend to move as a unit without highly developed leadership improvisations. The most popular dances are Zonaradikos, Souflioutouda, Apadiasteite sto Xoro, Kastrinos, Sfarlis, Syngathistos, Tripati and Baintouska.

The music of Thrace is characterized by the high-pitched melody of the gaida (goatskin bagpipe) or clarinet and the constant steady drumming of the toumbeleki. Other unquestionable instruments are the lyra, klarino, and defi. Thracians prefer music and dance of a relatively quick and brisk rhythm.

The following is a description of some of the most popular dances, as suggested by the Minoan dance group of San Francisco.

Zonaradikos
The Zonaradikos is a circle dance in which the dancers hold each other by their belts or zonaria (hence the name Zonaradikos). This dance is done in every village and region of Thrace. Three variations of the basic step are paties or stomps, monopatia or single stomp, and psalidia or scissors, usually followed by the koulouriastos or curling.

Hassapia
The hassapia dance has been dated back to Hellenistic times, before the time of Alexander the Great whose soldiers brought it to Macedonia. It is a warrior's dance in which the movements represent the noiseless approach on the enemy camp, the encounter, the fight, and the victory. This dance is done in a circle using a shoulder hold.

Kallinitikos
Kallinitikos is a dance done by groups of three people: a man in the middle and two women at his sides or a woman in the middle and two men at her sides. The dance is named after the kalines, the bride's girlfriends, who do this dance as they escort her to the church.

Kouseftos
Kouseftos, with its characteristic quick running steps, takes its name from the word kousevo in Thrace, which means to run. It differs from other Thracian dances in that, instead of being danced in a circle, its dance progression takes the form of a labyrinth.

Mandilatos
Mandilatos is a couples' dance, which takes its name from the mandilia or handkerchiefs that the dancers hold while dancing. This dance is done at weddings in Thrace as the guests escort the bride or the best man to the church. During the procession, some guests hold a mirror, which symbolizes the purity of the bride, and others hold brooms, which symbolize her housekeeping ability.

Xesyrtos
Xesyrtos is a circle dance in which the men dance at the front of the line, followed by the women, and do variations to the dance step with characteristic slaps, jumps, and kicks.

Stis Tris
Stis Tris means "in threes." Each dance set is composed of three parts of four steps each. The arms are held down and move in a synchronized motion with the steps.

Syngathistos
Syngathistos is a free-style couples dance that is danced as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church. The bridal party also dances as they display and exchange gifts with the bride and groom, particularly gifts of handkerchiefs and head scarves.
source: http://www.yorku.ca/facs3920/content/studentwork/group7/thracian

Thank you!