Do you want to understand the Greeks a little bit better? Do you want to show off during the festival and at home “hey, where did you learn that?” Do you want to start shaking your hips and shoulders more? Then come to the Greek Dance Workshops of Soula Notos. Hoppa!
 

Soula is a Greek-Dutch performer and comedian. As a comedian she has played at the Lesbian Festival Nijmegen, the gay Midzomergracht Festival in Utrecht, Women Inc. festivals, Pink Saturday, Lesbian Day Belgium, and on many other occasions and in different comedyclubs. As an actress she featured in her own plays Doctor, what do cowgirls dream about? (a feminist western) and a solo for children Homesick; in other plays like Dance, Cinderella, dance! in which she was the dancing Prince Lovely. She uses a lot of dance and movement in her plays and acting.
 

Soula is a passionate dancer and has been dancing all her life: at Greek parties (glenti), at traditional weddings in Greece and Holland and she was a member of a Greek folkdance group. She has given workshops before and is looking forward to passing her love of Greek music & dance to others. Information can be found on her website www.soula.nl

Greece is one of the few countries in the world where the folk dances are as alive today as they were in ancient times. Dance has always played an important role in the life of a Greek. It is an expression of human feelings and everyday life. The Greeks danced at religious festivals, ceremonies; they danced to ensure fertility; they danced to prepare for war and to celebrate victories; they danced at weddings; they danced to overcome depression and to cure physical illness.
 

Almost every dance has a story to tell. Dance was regarded as one of the highest forms of art. Plato agreed with his mentor Socrates that every educated man should know how to dance gracefully by which he meant the manly exercises that kept the body strong and supple and ready to do its duty on the battlefield. The Pyrrhic, or weapon dance (a form of mock combat) taken from Crete and perfected in Sparta, was the ideal.

Traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turns maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. The principal characteristic of folklore dance is that it is not transmitted in a traditional manner but by a process involving dance teachers and gym instructors. When dance is learned and performed this way, it ceases to be traditional.

In ancient times, dance was held in high regard in particular for its educational properties. Dance was essential for developing personality as well as preparing for battle. Dance along with music, writing and physical exercise, was the basis of the educational system. In major cities/kingdoms of Ancient Greece, men were taught to dance. According to Athenaeus in Arcadia, the expenses were met from the civic purse and pupils staged an annual display of their accomplished skills which all citizens attended.

Greek dancing differs from region to region and its choreography and movements very much depend on the morphology and the climate. The music of the Aegean Islands is very delightful and lyrical and as such portrayed in its dances. These are characterized by the lightness of steps and the springing in the knees. Most frequently danced are Ballos Syrtos, Trata, Stavrotos, Chiotikos and Ikariotikos.

Greek Dance Lessons with Soula = 1.5 hours of FUN!

We're very happy that, for the first time in the history of the International Women's Festival, we'll be offering our visitors the chance to experience Greek dances as well and join our own Greek Dance Lessons! We'll be organizing several sessions throughout the two weeks of the festival this summer, so that everyone has the chance to show-off their new dance steps in the evenings in the bars of Skala Eressos. Best of all ... the dance lessons are totally FREE of charge, so everyone can join!

In 1,5 hours you will be introduced to a few national Greek dances. One individual dance, a couple’s dance and a circle dance. So you will experience the variety of Greek dances. Soula's lessons will be given every other day throughout the two festival weeks, so you can't have an excuse to miss one of them!