Karagouna Costume

Thessalia

The landlocked but rich plains of Thessalia are Greece's bread basket. The name 'Karagouna' refers to the black coats worn by the region's women and also in our Senior Girls' costumes. The dance is done to one specific folk song which a woman so beautiful that the poor shepherd is willing to sell off his livestock in order to buy her jewelry.

Peloponnisos

The home of ancient Olympia, Corinth and Sparta, was once attached to the mainland but is now technically an island thanks to the deep man-made cut in the Isthmus.

Kalamtiano

The most universal Greek dance, this syrto (line dance) came from the town of Kalamata.

Tsagonikos

One of the oldest known dances of Greece

Thrace

Baidouska

This is an upbeat dance with skipping steps, in which the arm movements are as important as the feet.

Zonaradikos

The name of this dance refers to the unique hold in the line dance: holding on to a 'zoni' or belt, instead of hands.

Ionian Islands

Kerkyreiko

Coming from the island of Kerkyra (the Greek name for Corfu), it is danced to one particular song, and can be done in a single-file line or as couples, reflecting the long-time Italian influence on the island.

Macedonia

This mountainous area was Alexander the Great's home kingdom and boasts the second largest city of Greece, Thessaloniki, which is located near this region's tri-peninsula coastline.

Gaida

This is the Greek word for "bagpipe" which, in this mountainous region of shepherds, was an instrument easily acquired.

Kastoriano

This comes from the town of Kastoria, known for its many Byzantine churches and its lake.

Menousis

This dance is done to one specific folk song about a jealous man, Menousi, and his friends.

Epirus

Souliotissa costume

This region, which includes the historic town of Yannina, is rich in history (and conflict) from Ottoman times to WWII, and many of its dances reflect that.

Arapikos

From the village of Zitsa

Berbis

From the village of Zitsa

Fissouni

Greek for "bellows", as is seen in the forward and backward movement of the line and comes from the town of Preveza

Polemikos

This means "warlike" and was danced by "klephts" or guerrilla fighters from the village of Pogoni, who fought against the Turks.

Tsamiko

This is another, more well-known, dance of the Klephts and is danced even today at Greek events.

Asia Minor and Pontus (modern-day Turkey)

Asia Minor refers to the western coast of modern-day Turkey. This once included the Greek communities of Smyrna and Constantinople (now called Izmir and Istanbul). The region of Pontus was further inland, situated on the south shore of the Black Sea. Most of the Greek communities in these areas had been a part of the Byzantine Empire for a 1,000 years but were either killed or driven off as refugees in the 1922 genocide committed by troops of Kemal Ataturk to the Christian Greek and Armenian enclaves within Turkey. Those who were able to flee to Greece and America brought with them only the clothes on their back and their unique music and dances.

Hasapiko

This literally means "of the butcher" and was danced by the Butchers' Guild of Constantinople

Kasilamas

A couples' dance of Asia Minor where the partners face each other and dance mostly improvised steps

Kotsari

The name of this well-known Pontian dance refers to the repeated kicking step of the dance;"kots" means ankle in the Pontian dialect

Laziko

Pontian dance which has many variatons of steps

Syrtaki

Also commonly referred to as "The Sailors' Dance", this Asia Minor dance was popularized by the film "Zorba the Greek."

Tik

Pontian dance which includes sweeping arm movements along with the steps.

Tsifteteli

Also commonly referred to as a "belly dance", this improvisational Asia Minor dance is now the most common form of dance in modern-day clubs in Greece. We have incorporated it as part of our choreagraphy in newer Kalamtiano songs.

Zeimbekiko

This dance was born in the 1920s in the Rebetika clubs of the Asia Minor refugee camps in Greece. Rebetika songs are typically slow, talk about the sadness of exile, and are danced by only 1 or 2 people at a time, in a totally improvisational manner. 

Aegean Islands

Foties

The name, meaning "fires", refers to the lit candles held while dancing. This comes from Mytilini (Lesvos).

Hiotiko

a Ballo (couple-dance) from the isle of Chios, which is known for its flavorful Mastich (gum).

Ikariotiko

from the isle of Ikaria, the mythical landing spot of Icarus, who flew too close the sun and fell. The syncopated beats/steps of this dance are very unique.

Kapetanissa

this means "female captain" and is an upbeat dance

Kalymniko (Leriko)

in this dance done on both the island of Leros and Kalymnos, dancers are linked by a basketweave handhold, and the line moves forward and back, reminiscent of the tide.

Mihanikos

Meaning the "machine", the name refers to what sponge divers of the isle of Kos called the infamous diving bell which allowed them to dive deeper for sponges, but which left many crippled from the effects of the bends.

Samiotiko

from the green isle of Samos, from which many of our parishoners hail.

Plataniotiko Nero

Means "Water of Platanos" which is a village on Samos known for its spring water.

Sousta Naxos

The word "sousta" means spring and refers to the bouncy movement of this dance from the isle of Naxos. Many islands have their own version of a sousta, but this one is unique in that it is danced with 2 lines led by one leader.

Sterea Ellada

This region includes the cities of Athens and Thebes, as well as the archaelogical site of the Oracle of Delphi.

Kaggeli

This is traditionally danced by men and incorporates an improvisational style

Koftos

This word literally means "cut off" and refers to the stops in the music, when the dancers also pause

Pos Stoumbizoun to Piperi

This dance incorporates the slow 1-2-3 step during the chorus of the song which asks "How is the pepper ground?" while the steps done to the verses of the song reflect the answers: "It is ground with...the knee, the elbow, etc." with the body-part mentioned "stomping" in the middle of the circle.

Crete

The home of the ancient Minoan culture is also the largest of the Greek islands and boasts beautiful beaches and high mountains.

Kritiko Syrto

the basic line dance of Crete is unique in that it moves both to the right and to the left

Pentozali

this very fast dance (zali means dizziness in Greek) was once done by Cretan soldiers as part of their endurance training.