Welcome to the LA Greek Fest|Greek Dancing|

The Art of Greek Dance Dancing is the most direct expression of feelings and sentiments for the Greek culture. These traditional dances have changed very little since ancient times…a circle of people holding hands and moving in a counter-clockwise direction. The leader often performs more intricate steps while the other dancers do the basic steps. The main characteristic of Greek dances is the great diversity of rhythm, and most of the dances take their names from the regions from which they originate. Greek children are taught from a very early age and most participate in dance groups through high school.

Some Types of Dances HASAPIKO: Comes from the union of butchers in Constantinople – it has become the best known Greek dance since the movie “Zorba the Greek”. PENTOZALI: Originally from Crete – the name comes from the Greek words “pente” and“zala” which means five steps. KALAMATIANOS: The name comes from a song about Kalamata – the first area to be liberated in the Greek Revolution of 1821. TSAMIKO: This is traditional a man’s dance and the best chance for a Greek dancer to show off his acrobatic skills. ZEIBEKIKO: This is a solo improvisational dance of expression.


GREEK FOLK DANCE PRESENTATIONS Enjoy dance presentations on Saturday and Sunday by Saint Sophia’s award winning groups • SINEFAKIA – Our Youngest Group • AMENOSTROVILOS – “Hurricanes” • KYKLONIAKIA – “Cyclones” • KYMATA – “Waves” • FOURTONA – “Seastorm” • TRIKINIA – “Stormies”


Greek Dance Workshops Learn to Greek Dance with our resident dance expert Ramsey! Workshops are offered throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday on the main stage. Check the Fest Schedule for times.