Carnival
Traditions from the City of Arta |
The city of Arta is the capital of the state of Arta whose residents are mainly occupied with the
agriculture of citrus crops. Its history goes very far back and it was a significant Byzantine center
associated with Constantinople, as indicated by numerous churches including the imperial Parigoritissa. Despite the fact that it is an urban center, rural traditions are found especially during the Apokria (Carnival). The roots of the carnival of Arta can be traced back to 1405, when the despot in Arta was Karolos, the First the Tokos. Karolos, longing for his country’s traditions, wished to see the popular Venetian carnival celebrated in his state. His guests from Arta who attended the celebration at the despot’s palace requested permission to get dressed up and wear masks during the Apokria. Following the conquest of Arta by the Turks, the sultan’s representative gave the people of Arta the privilege to dress up and entertain themselves during the Apokria and use musical instruments. However, the conquerors kept an eye on the Greeks because they were afraid of trouble or uprisings. That was how the teasing couplet was created. The spirit of the subversive atmosphere of the time was expressed in words through satiric and obscene songs. The Turks left Arta in 1881. The free people of Arta continued to celebrate during the Apokria. As soon as the Triodio (the 3-week period preceding the first Sunday of Lent) began, all of Arta became excited when they heard the musical instruments being played in the neighborhoods. The tabors were heard. The young men, dressed in black capes and masks with bells around their waists, ran through the streets and in the market. They visited the houses where the landlords treated them to local dark wine, ouzo or tsipouro. They sang various songs and couplets in the streets related to Apokria. One of the characteristic traditions of the town, as well as of other communities in the area, was the maypole (gaitanaki). The maypole (Gaitanaki) In Arta, the maypole was placed in the market on the second Saturday of Apokria where it would be joined by other maypoles, accompanied by musical groups, from neighboring villages. Only men participated in the maypole. Half of them, the yiannitsaroi, were dressed in Greek kilts. They wore masks and their heads were covered with a colorful scarf. The other half, the nyfes (brides), wore feminine dresses such as colorful chintzy skirts, a mask, a headscarf, and a white or black cape. Masquerades of this type constituted an additional expression of the subversive atmosphere of the day, this time as an image. The individuals cannot be defined with respect to gender, age or type of animal. Men become women, the young become old, and people become animals. In this environment disorder prevails over order, sensuality prevails over self-restraint, and intense sexuality prevails over strictness. The maypole was a tall piece of wood usually three meters long. It had colorful ribbons tied at the top, which symbolized the colors of spring. These ribbons were held by a yiannitsaro alternating with a nyfi, who intertwined them on the rod while dancing to various songs in the rhythm of tsamiko or syrto. The maypole was held by a man who was escorted by an arapis ( dark - skinned man). He wore a wild black mask, was dressed in a sheepskin, held a vourdouli (hitting stick), and was greatly feared by children. The arapis symbolized the Turkish conqueror, the tyrant. Other groups followed the maypole and sang couplets of the Apokria that satirized various situations. The camel and characters such as the man on stilts, the old man and the old woman, followed the maypole. The main celebration took place in the central square where, following the maypole-related events, the spectators danced dances such as: “Pos To Trivoun To Piperi” (“How do they grind the pepper?”), “Charalambis”, “Tis Nyfis” (“The bride’s”). In this framework of subversive expressions, the idea of death and human vanity is expressed in different ways through songs and traditions of Apokria. “ How do they grind the pepper?” Only men dance this dance. Often times it is danced at the end of a celebration or feast. It has a 2-beat section, which is danced in the style of Sta Tri a, and a 7-beat section, which is danced like a syrto. In the first section the dancers mimic what the song says with movements while a single dancer holds a leather belt in his hand, checks if everyone is obedient and punishes those who do not obey. The dancers in the circle hold hands with bent elbows. Tis Nyfis ( “The bride’s” ) This is danced only by men with one of them masquerading a pregnant bride. The dance is composed of two sections. The first section is accompanied by a free-style melody, during which the “bride” pretends to be in labor. When the rhythm of the melody changes, the “bride” jumps up and everyone dances the syrto Sta Dyo. This is repeated two to three times followed by songs. Source: Booklet - Winter Dance Conference 2004, New York |
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Folk
Dance Festival 2004 by Yannis Economou |
It was an honor and a humble experience to serve as a dance judge, for the second consecutive year, at the Folk Dance Festival (FDF) competition that was held in Ontario, California. The FDF is a ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, led by his Eminence Metropolitan Anthony. The festival took place at the Ontario Convention Center, an impressive facility that was able to accommodate a record number of participants, over 1,800, without counting parents, escorts and other
friends. The competition categories included dance and choral groups of different ages that originated from Greek Orthodox parishes located, primarily, in the west coast. The greatest personal challenge as a dance judge is trying to separate ones emotional side from ones rational side. The emotional side is telling me that all groups deserve a perfect score for their tireless efforts, perseverance and personal sacrifice involved with their participation in this festival. Maintaining a quality dance program is a formidable task as it balances so many factors in today's hectic lifestyle. It requires countless activities and obligations for parents and children alike. Inspiring today's Greek American youth to participate in a cultural activity in addition to other extracurricular demands, adds another layer to this challenge. Despite all that, it is certainly impressive to watch almost 100 groups and thousands of participants along with their families. They were all gathered to celebrate and express not only Greek folk dances and songs, but their cultural identity and presence in this country. They have indeed enhanced their own lifestyles and, in a way, improved their quality of life. Keep up all the good work! |
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"Christmas
Around the World" by Youth member Athena |
The Orpheus youth group performed with the adult group at the Museum of Science and Industry. We performed many of the Greek dances and songs that are performed around Christmastime. The performance was great; the youth group sang Kalanta from different islands, and the dances were awesome. After working so hard and practicing so much we were able to put on a great show. I thought we did a very good job representing Greeks. Every year around Christmas, the Museum of Science and Industry has Christmas Around the World. There are Christmas trees that are decorated with the different heritages’ around the world’s decorations. We, along with many other heritages, show a sample of how we celebrate Christmas. We wore different costumes from different islands. We also did the same dances in different ways. The adult group also performed at the Museum of Science and Industry. In one of the dances, they danced and sang at the same time. There was also a live band that provided the music for some of the dances. The band has been self taught, with a little training. Instruments from the clarinet to the goat were used. All in all the performance was great. All of our hard work really did pay off. We had a really great time dancing, and seeing all the differently decorated trees. Right now we are working to make the end of the year program as great and as fun as the Museum of Science and Industry performance was for all of us. I know it will be great. |
Spotlight on Orpheus Youth Dancer... |
Theofanis
S. |
Hometown: |
Mount Prospect, IL |
Parents/Family From: |
Dad is from the village of Theresi close to the city of Tripoli and my mom is from the United States |
Occupation: |
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Time Dancing with Orpheus Group: |
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Thoughts on Dancing: |
It makes me feel proud of my heritage and brings out my masculine side. It also makes me happy. I enjoy dancing and I hope to continue with the troop because there is nothing better than dancing. Anybody can express themselves no matter whom they are and that's why I like it. |
Favorite Dance: |
All of them because they’re all unique in so many different ways but my most favorite is tsamiko because it's a masculine dance. |
Most Vivid OHFS Memory: |
My most vivid memory is my first performance at the Museum of Science and Industry. I remember it as if it was yesterday and I enjoyed it because I knew that I was doing something that I love. |
Favorite Greek Dish: |
My favorite Greek dish would have to be my mom's pastichio. I love it because of what she puts in it. It’s so mouth watering and the spices she uses are to die for. I can almost taste it now! |
Favorite Place in Greece: |
My favorite place in Greece is Crete because of the beautiful flowers and the sight seeing is amazing and breath taking. |
Hobbies/Sports/Other Interests: |
My hobbies are attending church, being apart of St. John's Goya, playing x-box, and hanging with friends. The sports that I enjoy are: baseball, football, basketball, tennis, golf, and, my favorite, soccer. |
Nobody knows I: |
used to play the violin. I wasn't that good but I know a thing or two about it and I would love to pick it up again. |
Best childhood memory: |
My best childhood memory was when I learned to ride a bike and got my training wheels off. |
Dream vacation/the perfect weekend: |
My dream vacation is going to Greece and visiting and living with my dad's family and making sure that everything is okay. |
Someone I 'd like to meet: |
The one person I would love to meet would be Regis Philbin. Man, that guy is hilarious! |
Favorite building/spot in Chicago: |
My favorite building is Dappers East (my dad's restaurant) and hey, if you're in the neighborhood please do stop by. |
I'm currently looking for/forward to: |
I'm looking forward to being in the adult group even though I love the youth group. I can't wait until I graduate high school. |
I stay home to watch: |
I stay home to watch tennis, bowling, golf, and other very weird sports that not many people watch. |
Prized possession: |
My prized possession is my family because without them I wouldn't be here today. |
Where I heard about Orpheus Dance Troupe: |
I heard about the dance troupe from Alex Kapotas who is one of my favorite instructors. Not that I don’t like all you guys! Thank you for teaching me the many dances that I know. |
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Last revised:
12/31/2012 03:40 PM