Greek Dancing

For two Thursdays this February, our group was transported back to a more simple time in Greek history. We were able to learn several traditional Greek dances from a very talented local instructor. We started with some simple steps, and as our confidence and gaiety grew, she moved on to more complicated dances. As we danced, she explained each dance, the region of Greece where it originated, the name in Greek and what they meant, and the occasions where the dances would be appropriate. Learning the history behind each dance made the experience so much more meaningful for a history buff like me! We learned a mountain dance that was more choppy, harsh, and solid. She compared it to the mountain people who life harder lives and reflect this in their dances. We also learned an island dance that was breezy, simple, and light, much like the majority outside opinion of Greece. They were both so much fun, and seeing the contrast between peoples within this small but varied nation was so interesting. We also learned a more contemporary line dance, which was more challenging, but definitely fun as well!
I really enjoyed getting to do this with the group and see how much everyone enjoyed themselves. I have always participated in dance in one form or another, either dance classes or musicals with my high school theater group, so learning steps and counts are completely normal to me and in those situations, those around me. In this instance, not everyone had experiences with dancing and had to learn a whole new skill set. It was so great seeing people step outside their comfort zones, really try their hardest, and truly enjoy themselves! Seeing everyone smiling and laughing while doing something so foreign to most was wonderful! I personally enjoyed the more traditional dances more than the last line dance because they seemed more group oriented than the line dance. The group dances reminded me again of the emphasis on family and village here in Greece. They included everyone and drew us all together as part of the HUG family!