Festival and dance seminar & workshop: the Cyclads and ! Organized by the non profit Franco- Greek cultural association Nisiotis Dance, music, culture, tradition, history and memories of the Cyclads from 19 July to 1 August 2010

This exceptional 12-day seminar is A year of intense preparation, in part- aiming at you, who are passionate about nership with the dancers and musicians of and Greek music and dance. the island, the Town Hall of Naxos Drymalias, the villages and their cultural More than just a seminar: a real festival, associations, allows us to offer you a rich a total immersion in the extraordinary and unprecedented and unrivalled pro- island of Naxos, one of the most musical gramm : a new, rare and unique experience : and dance-oriented islands in the whole getting to know the Naxians and the very Greece. 12 days and nights of celebration rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Naxos, with our Naxian friends ! the island with the greatest music and A unique opportunity for a once in a life- dance tradition in the . time experience amongst an island com- munity which has an exceptional tradition 12 days in contact with Greece as it used of welcome and hospitality. to be, ancestral, forgotten and magic, sha- ring rare, joyous and warm moments with The seminar we offer you is very an outstanding community of islanders. friendly, musical and cultural, and takes place in Naxos, the living, vibrant heart of Getting to know the inhabitants of ON THE PROGRAMM music and dance in this unique archipelago, Naxos, there where the tradition was born, made up of more than 30 islands. where it sprang from, where it is still thri- • 5 hours of dance each day (2 hours The seminar is open to all who love ves, is shared and passed on, with energy, in the morning, 3 hours in the after- dance, tradition, culture, life and history of passion and authenticity. noon), with a visit to a different the Cyclads, of the Aegean Sea and Greece. village every other day

A lot more than just a dance seminar… • A guided tour of each village, so a voyage into the history, the tradition, the Welcome that you can learn all about its histori- culture and the soul of the islands and the cal and cultural tradition Aegean Sea…with the Naxians themselves !! to Naxos! • A dinner and celebration in the eve- ning with a group of musicians from A seminar in the very-heart of Greek tra- the village, in the traditional family dition: 12 exceptional days, with the Welcome to taverns serving the famous local deli- rhythm of the “”, the violin, the cious cuisine and the swaying, undulating music “paradise…” • Concerts with masters of Naxian of the Greek islands. music A 12-day seminar organized with the Νικος Καζαντζακης • A day trip by boat to the Little Naxians : for the first time in Naxos, and Cyclades, with connections to Naxos: very different from “the usual thing”: a dance , Schinousa, Koufounisia, Keros, seminar in the heart of the villages, with the Donoussa dance teachers, the musicians and the inhabi- • A day exploring the island, with a tants of each village, in every village ! visit to locations with links to tradition: For what good is a dance seminar in a maker and player of the tsambouna, Greece if the seminar takes place …in the a weaver’s workshop, a local distillery, hotel ? Our seminar takes place in the vil- an olive oil press, farms and vineyards, lages that are part of the Naxian tradition, etc. in complete collaboration with each village. • Accommodation in a family hotel in That’s the best and only way to run a tradi- Apollonas, a small fishing port, with an tional seminar in Greece! extremely charming atmosphere. THE ISLAND region is actually in that region itself, and Naxos welcomes you with OF DIONYSUS, that is the only real reason for basing the its marble gate of more than five OF CELEBRATION, seminar there ! discover, meters, the remains of the unfinished tem- MUSIC, DANCE, WINE Our aim is to enable you to meet and interact with the Naxians, who ple of Apollo, planned in Ancient Greece AND THE JOY OF LIVING! everyday create the life, the richness and to be the largest temple in the country. As the tradition of the island. It was at Naxos that Dionysus was born, soon as you arrive, this symbol tells you of The dancers, the musicians, the dance the god of the vine, of wine and its excess. the richness and grandeur of the “Naxian” ∆ιονυσος the “twice born”, from the teachers: our partners, friends and brothers or “Naxiote” culture. womb of Semele and the thigh of Zeus, he in dance for this seminar will be the islan- gave men the vine, wine, drunkenness and ders, the Nisiotes…the Naxiotes! therefore celebration, ecstasy and trance. He also married Ariane “on Naxos” where FOR 12 DAYS AND… he lived happy and in love. His songs and music were called “dionysiac”. 12 NIGHTS… BECOME A Nikos Kazantzakis, who lived for a year in NAXIOTIS ! BECOME A A complete programm… your complete the Naxian village of Eggares, in 1896, and programm, now !! NISIOTIS ! So it’s on Naxos that you will celebrate where he wrote “Letter to El Greco”, ano- and share the pleasures of the Aegean over Here is an invitation to νισιωτικα, to ther famous Cretan, wrote about Naxos: a 12-day period. "nisiotika”, the dances of the Greek Islands, the dances of the Aegean Sea. Αν ο παραδεισος ηταν Naxos is the largest and the most ver- In the Aegean Sea one of the greatest « dant of the Cyclads, with many fertile and civilisations was born, thousands of years στην γη, θα ηταν εδω » cultivated valleys, and more than 40 tradi- ago. tional typical villages. The word “Aegean” first originated with “If paradise was on the At the highest point of the island and Homer and came from the ancient Greek the Cyclads rises Mount Zeus, more than “aisso”, or “jump”. earth, it would be here, at 1,000 meters high. “Aix”, [the goat], is another word which Naxos" Down below, a succession of beaches came from it, as the goat, the symbolic ani- that grow more and more beautiful mal of Greece, is an animal that jumps. towards the south, make Naxos the island Speaking metaphorically, the Ancient with the most extended coastline of the called the large waves of their sea Cyclads, with more than 148 kilometers in “aigues”, as the Etesian winds made them “This island was a very all. appear to jump. “Aegean” is therefore their Chora, the capital of the island, with sea, meaning “with waves”. gentle, tranquil place; the faces of the more than 5,000 years of history, bears The Aegean Sea, which makes a watery people were kindly, the melons, the pea- witness to the Cycladic, Classical, connection between three continents, ches and the figs abundant, and the sea Hellenistic, Byzantine and Venetian eras. Europe, Asia and Africa, was the place The island has more than 500 churches, where many cultures were born, developed calm. I looked at the men: these men more than 40 castles and more than 130 and met. were never frightened by an earthquake windmills and watermills… The main archipelago of the Aegean or a Turk, and their eyes were not burning. Sea, the Cyclades, made up of 30 islands, Naxos is the true heart of the music and was and is the melting pot of a popular cul- Here, freedom itself had extinguished the dance life of the Cyclades, and has mana- ture, a tradition both rich and vibrant, and frenzy for freedom, and life took its ged to preserve a very rich and living heri- of a unique musical and dance heritage. course, the waters having subsided; and if tage. It is far and away the island with the And its dances, beautiful, fluid and undu- strongest music and dance tradition in the lating, just like the waves of the surroun- sometimes they were a little troubled, this Cyclads, a tradition which has spread ding and omnipresent sea, never fail to never turned into a storm. The serenity I throughout the Aegean and the whole of seduce and captivate all those who have experienced as I strolled around Naxos Greece, so much so that “nissiotika” is seen them, attempted or danced them at often synonymous for “n axiotika” and least once. These dances, the νισιωτικα, was the island’s first gift to me” vice-versa… were mostly born on Naxos, before being Nikos Kazantzakis passed on to the rest of the archipelago. The aim of this seminar is not to “para- Today, for the first time on Naxos, we chute” onto the island of Naxos a pro- offer you the chance to learn them on gramme that is foreign to Naxos, nor do Naxos, in the villages where they were we wish to have dancers and teachers who born, with the dancers, and dance teachers are not from Naxos. That would be a real who come from these villages. non-sense. For the aim of a seminar on It will also be an opportunity for you to Naxos is for people to learn the dances and meet the Naxians and the villagers, to traditions of Naxos with the Naxians and experience contact with the ancestral, for- not to learn the dances of Asia Minor, gotten and magic Greece of the past, and Epirus, Thrace or Macedonia. To learn the to share in rare, joyous and cordial dances of Epirus or Thrace you need to go moments with a community of islanders to Epirus or Thrace, to learn in the coun- with whom we have prepared this seminar, try of origin, to observe, listen and the first of its kind, with great pleasure on immerse yourself in the local culture. both sides. For the right place to learn or improve your knowledge of the dances of any A UNIQUE, ORIGINAL Steps and movements in rhythm are to AND AUTHENTIC dance what breathing is to life: the mini- EXPERIENCE mum, a starting point. But breathing does not mean “living”, For the first time, you are being offered and “knowing” and “doing” does not a seminar on Naxos, designed, prepared, mean dancing. led and organized with the Naxiotes. Dance is a vibration inside you, an We invite you to share with the Naxiotes expression of feelings and emotion, trans- their tradition and their attachment to it lated into movements of the body. over a 12-day period. It’s the “Nissiote” spirit which is expres- We want, with you, to get closer to their sed through the Nissiotika, and it is culture, their everyday life, their history, because this spirit is particular to them that their music and their dance. a non-Nissiote does not dance with the We therefore included them in the pro- island style, character or spirit. ject in advance, by drawing up the pro- But there are also differences between gramme with them, step by step. the islands, between the different villages Getting to know the habitants of Naxos, in an island, and between families in the there where the tradition was born, where same village, etc. it springs from, where it is still alive, where For example, each village has its “vlaha”, it is shared and passed on, with energy, pas- its carnival dance, and there are therefore 7 sion and authenticity. on Naxos, and not just one or two as you So it will be in the villages that we will be might think ! dancing, in the morning, afternoon and And then, according to whether the dan- evening, and not in a hotel room, far remo- cer is amorous, drunk, tired or melancho- ved from the everyday life of the Naxians. lic, or even all of those things at the same Our seminars and our celebrations will time, he dances differently. take place in the heart of the villages : in A good musician, a good player of the the squares, in front of the café or the βιολη or the λαουτο will know how to church, or in the schoolyard, etc : there catch all the nuances, and play along with where the Naxiotes dance, there where the the first dancer, who responds in kind. young Naxians also learn to dance : a step You may for example, during a festival at towards the Naxiotes, on our part, and an Korniaki, a village on Naxos, hear a dancer invitation on their part at the same time. tell a musician to stop playing the “apeiran- Our dance teachers, of which we have thitika”, that’s to say the same music, but several, are leading dancers and teachers, with a rhythm that belongs more to commanding respect in their own village of than to Korniaki, even though course and on the island, but also in the villages are hardly 10 km apart! Greece and abroad. Each one has come This seminar also offers you the chance from a different village, and it is these vil- to immerse yourself in this very particular lages, where the Naxiote and Nisiote tradi- υφος of the islands. tion is rooted, that will welcome us. When you dance the nissiotikas, they The dances of the islands, the Nisiotikas, make more sense to you, and you get more “I had met a rich Naxian, were born on Naxos, from the extraordi- out of them because you experience them the Lord Lazaros, who had a magnificent nary alchemy which occurred when the from within, and perform them with grea- orchard, one hour away from Naxos : he ter strength, energy and authenticity. It is violin and the lute arrived from Asia invited us and we stayed two weeks ; such Minor, when the fleeing without doubt this profound and impor- the Turkish yoke arrived there. A unique tant work that brings the dancer closer to abundance, so many trees loaded with fusion then occurred between the local and the essen ce of the dance, and helps him to fruit, such blessedness ! became a become immersed in it, so that he can put ancestral instruments : the flute, the tsam- fiction, a far off troublesome cloud, no bouna, and the tambour. all his heart into it and remain faithful to This entrancing music then spread to the the spiri t and soul of the dance. He no lon- more fear, blood or fighting for freedom ; other islands and the rest of Greece, then ger dances it on a superficial level, but it all melted away in the blissful drowsiness from within and becomes radiant. The to the rest of the world, taken by Greek emi- of Naxos”. Nikos Kazantzakis grants into all countries, and thus becoming dance transports him as he leads the dance, the symbol of the much loved Aegean. and his freedom gives the impression that Because Naxos was the thus starting he is taking off and flying like a bird. point for music in many of the islands, and It was on Naxos that Zeus grew up, in a in particular the rest of the Cyclads, we will cave that is still visible, and it was on the also be dancing several very beautiful dan- summit of Mount Zas, which today still ces, sometimes neglected or forgotten, but bears his name, that an eagle one day offe- all equally captivating, from Amorgos, red him thunder and lightning, the magic Andros, , Mykonos, Paros, which allowed him to reign on Mount Seriphos, Sikinos, Siphnos, etc. Olympus… Come in your turn to Naxos to find the THE NISIOTE υφος magic of the island, and immerse yourself THE NAXIOTE in a culture, a tradition and a life which υφος will make dance and song part of your Dance cannot be reduced to a series of daily existence. steps; dance is not summed up by a rhythm or a series of movements. AN EXCITING On the second rest day, if the weather is OUR TEACHERS, DANCERS PROGRAMM, BOTH OF good, (the meltem blows strongly in the AND CHOREOGRAPHERS DANCE AND MUSIC ! Cyclades in summer) we will go in a rowing Five leading dancers will assist us during this boat to explore the nearby little Cyclades seminar: We will dance for eight days : two days in islands: Irakleïa, Shinousa, Koufounisi, each of the main villages of the Naxiote , Keros, etc. • Apostolis, for all the dances of , tradition: Apeiranthos, Kinidaros, Komiaki, and for all the Cyclades. Apostolis lives in Koronos, etc. A PROGRAMM THAT IS Athens during the winter, but like every Each evening we will have a celebration OPEN TO ALL WITHOUT Naxiote, he is deeply attached to his island in a village square, with the musicians of EXCEPTION : FOR and his village and returns every summer. In Athens he founded a student dance troupe the village. ADVANCED DANCERS AS On the last evening, we will have a grand which he leads, and all the students of Athens party with the Naxiotes. WELL AS BEGINNERS, who are passionate about traditional dance In the evening, we will have dinner in BUT ALSO TO PARTNERS have joined his group. In summer, with the different family taverns which serve tradi- AND COMPANIONS Naxiote members of his troupe who also tional, delicious Naxian food. come back to the island for their holidays, he We will also take part in the “panagiri” of The non-dancing companions will of organises a tour around the small hamlets of a village. course be able to plan their own activities the island. We will also be given a private concert by every day (not included in the seminar): • Sophia, assisted by Katerina, for the dances one of the local masters of Naxian music. • Walks with a multilingual photographer, a of Komiaki. Sophia is a great lady of the We will be transported in a coach which fine expert on the island and its hidden Naxian tradition, and has been interviewed will be reserved for us. treasures. A guide-book of walking trails several times by the press, the radio and the A young, completely bilingual Naxiote on Naxos is available. television. She learnt music with her father, a will be available throughout to interpret. • Days on the sea in a sailing boat with a violinist, at the age of 2. It is said on Naxos We will sleep in a family hotel that is that children learn to dance before birth, in warm and welcoming completely independent skipper, a great sai- in a little fishing vil- lor from the Cyclads (depart from Chora) their mother’s womb, by sensing the vibra- lage near to the villages we will be visiting • Visit to neighbouring islands, with many tions and that of the music around them. It is during the day, and whose owner is also pas- daily connections from Chora : Delos, true that the natural beauty and fluidity of sionate about dance, music and tradition. Paros, Antiparos, Mykonos, etc (depart their dances has a certain innate quality. The bedrooms of the quiet and convivial from Chora) • Vicky, for the dances of Kinidaros. Kinidaros hotel have all the comfort you will need: • is undoubtedly the most vibrant, most dance your own bathroom, television, air condi- Visit to museums, to Byzantine churches (more than 400 on Naxos !), to castles and oriented village of the Naxian tradition. Vicky tioning, refrigerator and balcony with view has already lived abroad, where she created of the sea 20 metres away, or of the won- small villages • her own centre for traditional Greek dance. derful countryside. Hire of scooters, motorbikes, mountain bikes or cars (in Chora) She has now returned, and teaches the young We will have two days of rest. children of the village. Every year she organi- • Windsurfing (in Agios Georgios and On the first rest day, we will explore ses many cultural events based on tradition, of Mikri Vigla) other aspects of Naxian tradition: the eve- which she is an expert. ryday life that is expressed in dance and • Water skiing Stephanos, for the dances of Apeiranthos. song in the nissiotikas: • Horse riding • • • Stephanos is also passionate about dance, Visit to a maker, player and teacher of Deep sea diving music and tradition. He plays the and the the Tsambouna, Vaggelis, with magic fin- • Fishing (if you have brought equipment, violin. As a primary school teacher, he has a gers, who is reviving the instrument and or bought some on arrival in Chora) unique gift for teaching. Every day in summer, teaches it to children of 5 or 6 years old. • Taking it easy… he gathers together all the children of the vil- He makes them for all the islands, and will lage and organizes cultural, sporting or fun show you the differences between the activities for them. Tsambounas of all the Greek islands. • This seminar is of course not run • Maria, also from Apeiranthos. She leads her Visit to an old olive oil press. for profit. • Visit to a weaver’s workshop, making the village’s association in Athens. For each village Naxian fabric which all clothing used to be in Naxos has its own cultural association, both made of, including the costumes of the in the village and in Athens, for the “former dancers, and all the fabric for the home. It inhabitants” of the village, who come back to For more information, the island during the summer period. is said that the women of Naxos weave please do reach us at: with so much love and passion that when you get near to their cloth, many years later, you can still hear their songs… www.nisiotis.gr • Visit to a farmer who makes cheese, wine www.νησιωτης.gr and raki where you can sample and also www.nisiotis.fr buy some provisions! www.nisiotis.com • Visit to a kitron distillery, the famous liqueur of Naxos, made from the leaves of www.nisiotis.net the citron tree. www.nisiotis.eu • Visit to an emery mine, the precious metal which the prosperity of the island was based on in the old days, but which also made the everyday lives of the miners ¤ (00) (33) (0)6 03 78 28 77 very harsh, a fact commemorated in hun- Philippos / Φιλιππος dreds of songs and dances. i • etc. [email protected]