| If you've seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", then you | | | | to your left foot, kick your right foot to the left. That's it! |
| know that Greek folk dancing is a blast! From the | | | | You really can learn to dance in the Greek folk style! |
| outside, it probably looks a little complicated. There are | | | | How To Practice This Dance |
| many different Greek folk dances that are set to | | | | It might be easiest to try to learn this dance by |
| particular types of music. A few Greek dances might | | | | yourself or with one other friend. Now, think about the |
| be too difficult to jump right into, but there is one dance | | | | six steps to this dance. Once you can visualize them, it |
| in particular that is very easy to learn and always | | | | is easier to refer to the steps as: right, left behind, right, |
| performed at parties and festivals. Put on your dancing | | | | kick, left, kick. Make sure that you understand what |
| shoes, you're ready to learn to dance in the Greek folk | | | | these directions really mean, though, so that you're not |
| style! | | | | kicking with the wrong foot, etc. |
| How To Dance With the Greeks | | | | Take these six steps very slowly at first. Once you |
| The first thing to know about Greek folk dancing is | | | | complete the last step, "kick" (or kick your right foot to |
| how it works. Greek dancing is done in a line, with | | | | the left), then you begin the sequence again with "right" |
| people lining up from right to left. The "leader" of the | | | | (or step right with your right foot). Keep repeating |
| dance will almost always be on the right. This lineup, | | | | these steps slowly until you begin to feel comfortable |
| dancing to the right, transforms into a large circle. Once | | | | with them. |
| this circle is formed, the leader of the line and the | | | | How To Recognize This Dance |
| person dancing at the end will be near each other. | | | | Now that you've practiced the steps, you're ready to |
| Do We Hold Hands? | | | | dance this dance at a big fat Greek wedding. How will |
| For most Greek dances, people in a line will hold hands | | | | you recognize this dance? One simple way to know |
| regardless of the gender of the person next to them. | | | | that people are dancing the same dance is by asking |
| There are a few dances where the dancers put their | | | | yourself if it looks anything like the Jewish dance, the |
| hands on the shoulders of the people next to them | | | | Hora, done to the music of Hava Nagila. (In fact, Hora |
| (such as the dancing made popular in the film "Never | | | | simply means circle dancing, which is most Greek |
| On Sunday"). Many times I see people with no Greek | | | | dancing as well.) Most of the time, the songs that this |
| dance experience attempt to hold onto the shoulders | | | | Greek dance is performed to sound quite a bit happier |
| of the people next to them. This typically isn't | | | | than Hava Nagila and the majority of Greek dance |
| necessary. Hand-holding is normal and much easier. | | | | songs as well. Greek music is quite complicated in its |
| Typically, the right hand goes on the bottom and the | | | | rhythms, but this dance is simply six medium-tempo |
| left hand goes on the top. This means that while | | | | beats. Once you have assessed if this dance looks |
| holding hands with the people next to you, you will | | | | similar to the one you have learned, simply watch the |
| have your right hand underneath the hand of the | | | | dancers and see if you can pick out the six step |
| person on your right and your left hand on the top of | | | | pattern that you have learned. If you see it, you're |
| the person on your left. | | | | ready to join in the fun! |
| Breaking It Down. | | | | Make sure that you join the dance either at the end of |
| The Greek folk dance that you're going to learn has | | | | the line or between some people that you recognize |
| only six steps. When you think about it that way, it's | | | | (typically towards the end of the line). |
| pretty simple! These six steps, once mastered, are | | | | That's it! It's easy to learn to dance Greek folk dances! |
| simply repeated over and over again. There really isn't | | | | This simple Greek dance is fun, a great workout, and |
| much else to it! Here are the six steps: step right with | | | | always performed at parties, festivals, and weddings. |
| your right foot, left foot crosses behind, step right with | | | | You're sure to get the chance to perform it, and you'll |
| your right foot, kick your left foot to the right, step left | | | | have a blast! |
