The Newsletter for friends and members of OHFS inside Vol. 10, Issue No. 1, Winter 2004 this issue… Winter Dance Conference 2004 1-2 Carnival Traditions from the city of Arta 3 “Christmas Around the World” 4 Winter Dance Conference 2004, New York Spotlight 4-5 By Panayi Panagiotopoulos in Gree c e , do people dance as crazily as we did in New Yor k. For me, it was the ultimate Folk Dance New Yor k Winter Dance Con f e r ence 2004 - ex p e ri e n c e . I was filled with pride when I Festival 2004 5 How did it all start? Was it supposed to be a saw how all of the dance troupes work to fun trip , a business trip , or just a sightseeing pre s e r ve our culture here. I know it may Photo Gallery 6-7 tr ip? Well, it turned out to be all three! Like seem commonplace for all of you…but for all other conferen c e s , this yea r ’s was expected me it was not just about dancing. I dance to be one more source of our cultura l in Gree c e , we have practice in Gree c e , we go Future Performances 8 education. We wer e all excited about going to conferences in Greece; but we are there, to this amazing city, but we wer e also eager it ’s easy for us! to experience all the different seminars that the orga n i z ers had scheduled. But let’s take the days one by one. Or not, l e t’s take the mornings and the nights Speaking for myself, I was enthusiastic about s e p a ra t e l y. On Friday and Sa t u rday there going to a Greek dance conference held on wer e workshops from morning until early in the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. You the evening. One took place in the basement kn o w, in Greece we kind of take our dance and one on the first floor. As much as I would he r itage for granted and we believe that this lo ve to do so, I really cannot talk about these 606 Greendale Rd. is the case with other cultures . I can assure mo r ning works h o p s . I honestly tried ver y Glenview, IL 60025 you that at no other Greek conference held Continued on page 2 847.657.0958 e-mail:[email protected] http://www.ohfs.org Tax-exempt Not-for-profit Organization Yannis Economou 847.657.0958 Director/President Kostas Economou 847.729.3406 Instructor Marianna Gudmundsson 847.967.5103 Artistic Director/Vice President Bessie Kouchoukos-Grosso 773.286.5132 Youth Group Coordinator The Orpheus dance group with visiting dance instructors after Saturday night's performance. Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society Lyra - Winter 2004 Continued from page 1 ha r d to wake up early in the morning and fo l l o w the group but it was beyond my po wers! By noon, when I would usually sh o w up, the participants wer e alrea d y wa r med up. Customs from Naoussa and Ep i rus we re the most powe rful. T h e in s t r uctors wer e brought right from the he a r t of Greece and they showed us and explained so many amazing details about each dance. It was interesting that the Members of the b a c k g round of each dance was Orpheus music accompanied by a story, almost like a fairy ensemble are tail. But I guess that’s how it is! Th e y jo ined by dance br ought not only the steps of a dance from instructors Gree c e , but the complete tradition of their Takis Baits is and vi l l a g e s . And this was the best part. Christos Tsits is in a "Rebetik a" sing alo ng. To me, as a junior participant to these co n f e re n c e s , this was what I enjoyed the most. It’s not only dancing but a whole st o r y behind it! It is about how the dance was created, why, when, and for what p u r p o s e. We heard so many differe n t st o ri e s . These stories will actually help us de m o n s t r ate the approp r iate atmosphere for a perf o rm a n c e. These stories will d e t e rmine our style and our mood. Consider how different the Epi r us dances Dance ar e from the Naoussa dances. We heard instructor why and we heard what peoples’ goals Takis Baitsis wer e in each case. Fli r t, tease etc., etc. joined by Orpheus Le t ’s talk about the nights. The endless members nights! Th u r s d a y , we arriv ed at the hotel. at the Friday Our music band, the Orpheus music night event. band, was giving its first perfo r mance in the reg i s t r ation room…just to warm the morning. Don’t worry; you will pa n i g i r i with some friends! The rest of u p. By the way, we thought only see pictures and somebody will make the night went on dancing at the glendi. Chicago had a heavy winter, but we fun of us at the next Vasilopita glendi!! The yel l o w line passengers of the NYC we re wrong! Friday night we all went un d e rg r ound had the unique fortune to to a Greek taver na for dinner. It was so Sat u r day night was our night! We gave see us playing the kl a r i n o and dancing ni c e . Our happiness was so apparent to an excellent perfo r mance! It was a time on the train!! We wouldn’t stop! It was eve r y stran g e r . Take a look at the picture when all of our efforts wer e rew a r ded. We the natural outcome after the official posted on the web site from the NYC had our space and our musicians playing glendi was ove r. But there is more … un d e rg r ound. Aren ’t we lovel y ? for us. One of the dance instru c t o r s, much more. The lobby of our hotel was Gio r gos Kot s o s , rem a r ked, "It is not you r empty and cold as never before. We Next, we’ll take a look at Friday night’s steps or your style that makes the s e i zed the opport u n i t y. We continued glendi. So many people in such a small d i f f e re n c e. It is your team spirit that our glendi in the lobby until the early place! But we didn’t care. We danced makes the differen c e ." We are a big pa re a m o rning hours! Bo u zo u k i , k l a r i n o, and danced and danced. All the and it showed while we wer e dancing. We ba g l a m a s wer e the hot instruments that musicians we re so great. They playe d a re friends with each other. This is night. These events are what will rem a i n music from almost ever y part of Gree c e . i m p o rtant! Don’t ever lose it! It is in our memories after such a conferen c e . After the glendi was over , some of us paid something that we don’t have in the We’ll let Yianni and Kosta show us the a visit to New Yo rk’s night life while Lykeon back in Athens—at least not all of steps and make sure we stick together as others went back to the hotel where us . We are a huge group and we get lost a group! r the glendi kept going until early in in it! With you, it was like dancing at a 2 Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society Carnival Traditions from the City of Arta The city of Arta is the capital of the state in the maypole. Half of them, the The main celebration took place in the of Arta whose residents are mainly occupied yi a n n i t s a ro i , wer e dressed in Greek kilts. central square where, following the with the agriculture of citrus crops. Its They wore masks and their heads wer e maypole-related events, the spectators hi s t o r y goes ver y far back and it was a co ver ed with a colorful scarf. The other half, danced dances such as: “Pos To Tri v oun To significant Byzantine center associated the ny f e s (b r ides), wore feminine dres s e s Pi p e r i ” (“ How do they grind the pepper?”) , with Constantinople, as indicated by such as colorful chintzy skirts , a mask, a “Ch a ra l a m b i s ”, “Tis Nyf i s ” (“ The bride’s”). nu m e r ous churches including the imperia l headscarf, and a white or black cape.