Greek Dance

Greek dance is an old tradition. There are different interpretations of dance from all the Greek islands. Island dancing has a flow, while Pontic dancing is sharper. There are over 4,000 different dances from all over Greece. These dances are done at social affairs, where the communities come together on holidays such as Easter, or festivals. They also do these dances at weddings and family functions.

In Greece, folk dancing is still as alive today as it was in ancient times. The Greek people love to dance and express their feelings through it. Every dance has a story and is considered a form of art. Even Plato and Socrates agreed that educated men should know how to dance.

In ancient times, the Greeks believes that dancing was a gift offered to certain people by the gods so they could teach it to others. In Crete, where the Minoan civilization flourished, they used music and dance as part of their everyday life. The Cretans usually danced around a tree, altar or mystical object or they danced around a singer or musician. When Crete was overrun during 15th century BC, it was later controlled by Mycenae. The Mycenaeans kept the dancing alive and passed it along to mainland Greece.

What we know as belly dancing is also part of the dance in Greece. If you went to a Greek restaurant here in the United States, this would probably be the dance they would be doing.