THRACIAN DANCE
Thrace (Thraki) occupies the northeastern corner of Greece. It orders with Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the east and has southern shores on the Thracian sea. It has had a turbulent history, which has to a great extent determined its present cultural physiognomy. It has constituted the final destination of refugees for cultural or religious reasons, who felt threatened by the conquerors. Thrace, owing to its geographical situation on the northeastern end of the Greek territory, and as a result of its historical destiny, lends itself perhaps more than any other region of Greece to the study of the traditional culture of the country. Thrace is today considered a place where the East meets the West in perfect harmony, also because elements of both cultures are reflected in its way of life, customs and architecture. It is a special place with a very rich history, and it has been relatively untouched by the tourism explosion (according to the magazine Focus on the world). The area of Thrace consists of three prefectures, Evros on the east, Rodopi in the center and Xanthi on the west. As Anne Leonidou wrote on her website, traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turn, maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. 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. As reported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the manner in which the costumes took shape follows the laws of tradition: one generation hands it down to the next, a fact which entails adherence to conservative forms and very slow evolutionary processes, characteristic of the traditional way of life as a whole. The traditional costumes do not follow the fashion of the day, which does not mean that they are not influenced by fashion. Changes are minor; the rhythm is slow, because, in the traditional society, any changes made must meet with the general approval of the members of the community. The suits were also the wedding outfits for the bride and groom, as they are more elaborately decorated than the everyday wear. The costumes of this region are much heavier than usual because of the much colder climate of northern regions compared to the dry and warm climate in the rest of Greece. For this reason, the Thracian people didnít pay attention to whether the clothes were stylish or elegant. They were more interested in practicality and bright colors to catch the eye. The womenís dress consists of the poukamisa, the woolen overdress, the woolen vest, the apron, and the brightly decorated scarf. A characteristic of the overdresses of this region is the two slits in the front of the bodice, which the women used for nursing their babies. In addition, they would decorate the back of the overdress with long, colorful ribbons. The menís vest is embroidered with motifs from their daily agricultural life, such as fruits, vegetables, or animals. Another distinctive feature to the costume of Thrace is the bronze belt, which is usually hand made by Thracian goldsmiths.
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