Figure 1.--These boys participate in a paidia or a Greek dance group of boys and girls. |
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Since the early 20th century, Greeks started to organize dancing clubs in
order to teach the traditional folk dances to the new generation. The oldest and most important club that started to teach folk dances to groups of boys and girls is the Lyceum Club of Greek Women (Lykeio Ellinidon), a non-profit organization, founded in 1910. Within past 30 years more organizations started funding dancing clubs in
order to teach their children dancing. These organizations include the Athens and Thessaloniki branches of YMCA (known by the Greek initials XAN), the municipalities and the workers unions etc.
Since the early 20th century, Greeks started to organize dancing clubs to teach traditional folk dances to the new generation. The oldest and most important
club that started to teach folk dances to groups of boys and girls is the Lyceum Club of Greek Women (Lykeio Ellinidon), a non-profit organization, founded in 1910. Since the 1970s, more organizations started funding dancing clubs in order to teach their
children dancing. These organizations include the Athens and Thessaloniki
branches of YMCA (known by the Greek initials XAN), the municipalities and the workers unions etc. Today dancing clubs operate in each city and in major villages around
Greece, Cyprus and in cities abroad with big Greek communities (Melbourne, New York, Munich,
Toronto etc).
Boys and girls, besides practicing, perform the dances in year round festivals and
demonstrations in Greece and abroad wearing the traditional costumes. The
costumes rarely belong to the children as they are very expensive. The costumes are property
of the club.
A kilt like costume was worn mainly in the central and southern regions of Greece. The costume derives its name from the pleated white skirt (foustanela) made of many triangular shaped pieces of cloth sewn together diagonally. The foustanela was worn by the Greek fighters of the 1821 revolution and today it serves as the official uniform of the Evzones, Greece�s Presidential Guard, who can be seen guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. The foustanela skirt consists of 400 pleats symbolizing the years during which Greece was under Ottoman rule. The remainder of the costume is composed of a white shirt with very wide flowing sleeves, an embroidered woolen vest, a sash worn around the waist, and shoes (tsarouhia) with large pompons.
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A kilt like costume was worn mainly in the central and southern regions of Greece. The costume derives its name from the pleated white skirt (foustanela) made of many triangular shaped pieces of cloth sewn together diagonally. The foustanela was worn by the Greek fighters of the 1821 revolution and today it serves as the official uniform of
the Evzones, Greece�s Presidential Guard, who can be seen guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. The foustanela skirt consists of 400 pleats symbolizing the years during which Greece was under Ottoman rule. The remainder of the costume is composed of a white shirt with very wide flowing sleeves, an embroidered woolen vest, a sash worn around the waist, and shoes (tsarouhia) with large pompons.
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