A spectacle, pleasure, a means of communication, gymnastics - this is not much that the word “dance” can be characterized with - it helps to better understand the culture of its bearer and brings people together. The dance ensemble "Pontos" of the "Krasnodar Society of Greeks" under the direction of Polikhranidi Anastasia for 15 years (in various compositions), has been actively participating in the life of society, the city and the region.
If you ask a tourist who is going on vacation to Greece if he knows at least some Greek dance, he will answer without hesitation that it is Sirtaki. Moreover, everyone has probably ever tried to perform it, because Sirtaki is a dance that will not leave anyone indifferent, hearing the incendiary rhythms everyone wants to start dancing! Therefore, Sirtaki is called the symbol and calling card of sunny Greece.
Today we want to tell you about the history of this wonderful Greek dance.
How did the sirtaki dance appear? What does this title mean? Why is it also called the Zorba Dance? We'll try to answer! Sirtaki is a relatively young dance, it has never been popular, although very often it is considered as such. It was created in 1964 for the film "Zorba the Greek" by Michalis Kokoyanis, the music for which was written by the famous Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.
After the release of the film, Sirtaki became the most popular Greek dance in the world, and a true symbol of Greece. In his memoir, Zorba the Greek starring American Anthony Quinn recalls that the final scene, in which Alexis Zorba teaches Basil on the beach to dance, was supposed to be filmed on the very last day. However, Quinn had broken his leg the day before. When filming resumed a few days later, Quinn could do without a cast, but he was unable to dance like the script called for.
Quinn recalls: “And I was dancing. I could not lift my leg and lower it - the pain was unbearable - but I found that I could drag it without much discomfort. Thus, I came up with a dance with an unusual sliding-pulling step. I would stretch out my arms, like in traditional Greek dances, and shuffle across the sand.” Subsequently, Cacoyannis asked him what the name of this dance was. Quinn replied, “This is Sirtaki. Folk dance. It was taught to me by one of the locals.”
So, with the light hand of a 100% American, the most popular Greek dance, Sirtaki, was born! Quinn was not disingenuous, the dance performed by him could not appear on its own, it became a combination of slow and fast versions of Greek folk dances - the slow "syrtos" and another Cretan folk dance - "pidihtos", lively and rhythmic. Indeed, sirtaki begins, like sirtos, slowly, and then gradually becomes more and more lively and energetic. Several people are dancing sirtaki, who put their hands on the shoulders of the neighbors on the left and right. They start with slow, smooth movements and gradually move on to fast and sharp ones, sometimes with jumps and jerks. Sirtaki also has elements of Khasapiko, an ancient butcher's guild dance that was very popular in Constantinople and western Asia until the early 20th century.
As for the word “sirtaki” itself, it is based on the name of the Cretan dance, and translated from Greek “sirtaki” means touch, which is also its integral characteristic.
The new dance has become a symbiosis of two choreographic directions and a vivid expression of the Greek national character. It is no coincidence that the mayor of the city of Athens once said: “The Greeks live according to the principle of sirtaki: they start (any business) slowly, then faster and faster, and, in the end, they reach incredible speed.”
In the vocabulary of culture and art, there are many terms and words that have come to us from other languages. Among them, one can name the word "sirtaki". What is "sirtaki"? Where did this word come from? This is what we will talk about today.
Sirtaki as a term in art
This word came to us from Greece as the name of the national group Greek dance. In Greek, the word means "to touch". The dance is characterized by a gradual increase in tempo from slow and calm to very moving. This is the hallmark of Greek culture.
Sirtaki: history
Many mistakenly classify the sirtaki dance as an ancient folk dance. However, you will be surprised to learn that this dance is not at all folk, but quite authorial. And its author is movie actor Anthony Quinn.
The second surprise for you will be that this dance is not originally Greek at all, but American, since Quinn is not a Greek, but an American, filmed in 1964 by the Greek director Michallis Kakkoyannis. True, the film dealt with the Greek theme. And the actor had to perform a Greek folk dance by the sea. But Quinn broke his leg, and it was not only difficult for him to dance a fast Greek dance - it was impossible. So he came up with a new dance based on the simple rhythmic movements of Greek folk dances in his slow version. The film was filmed for a long time. During filming, Quinn's leg healed. And he was already able to perform the second part of the dance quickly. The music for the sirtaki Kuina dance was also written specifically in connection with the need. It was written for Zorba the Greek by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.
But what about the director, did he really not know that such a dance does not exist? Apparently, Kakkoyannis was very trusting, as he believed the arguments of the actor, who said that local residents told him about this dance. Didn't he double-check with them what sirtaki is, is there really such a dance in the culture of the Greek people? It is possible that we will never find the answer to this question.
By the way, about the name of the dance. And it is attributed to Quinn's fantasy: supposedly this is a "small" (reduced) version of the traditional Cretan dance sirtos.
Sirtaki: performance technique
Most often, the sirtaki dance is performed by a group of people standing in one line and holding outstretched arms by the shoulders of their neighbors. It happens that part of the dance is performed in a circle, but, as a rule, this is an exception. In the case of participation in the dance of a large number of people, the dancers are arranged in several lines.
The dance is performed only with the feet, while the bodies and arms of the dancing sirtaki remain motionless. With the help of a strong grip of the hands, the dancers maintain the line of dance.
The rhythm of the dance is clear, in four quarters, and with a fast one - in two quarters. The legs perform movements absolutely synchronously: the traditional zigzag cross step, side steps, squats and half squats, lunges. If we analyze the features of the movements used in the dance, the Greeks noticed that in the first part of the sirtaki dance, the traditional movements of the Cretan folk dance group sirtos were used, and in the second - fast part - elements of another group of Cretan dances - pidikhtos, including jumps and jumps.
In order to hear the rhythm of the dance well during the performance, the dancing sirtaki put on special hard-soled sandals on their feet.
Types of modern sirtaki
One of the most common variants of sirtaki in modern Greece was born on the basis of the Athenian hasapiko dance. What do hasapiko and sirtaki have in common? First, the music. Secondly, the linear form of dance. True, both dances do not involve the arrangement of a large number of people in one line. There should be no more than three. If there are more dancers, then they line up in parallel lines. Thirdly, a whole range of movements, especially similar in the fast part of the dance.
There is a version that hasapiko was previously a military dance. It was used as a pantomime to prepare for combat and to teach silent combat, such as approaching an opponent. And also conveyed the features of the battle by the Greeks.
The second version of sirtaki is zorbas, which does not consist of two parts, but of three or four. All parts are characterized by a change in rhythm and tempo. In the slow part, the movements are similar to sirtaki, and in the fast part, to hasapiko. Moreover, the movements during the dance can be changed and combined by the dancers improvisationally, by transferring the “impulse” to the neighbors with their shoulders: after all, their bodies are tightly pressed against each other.
There is another dance that is very reminiscent of sirtaki - naftiko. It is danced by Greek sailors, and it is very reminiscent of the Russian apple. The original dance for naftiko was the ancient folk dance Makkelarikos, from which the Hasapiko dance later grew.
Sirtaki today
What is sirtaki for the Greeks now? Now the Greeks like this dance so much that they consider it equal to other national traditional dances and dance it with pleasure at the holidays. Photos of sirtaki are presented in the article.
In the case when you need to acquaint guests with Greek culture, it is performed in Greek national costumes.
Today there are a large number of options for the execution of sirtaki. The Greeks call the author of the dance the Honorary Greek, and his dance is the dance of Zorba. And sirtaki are danced not only in Greece, but also in many countries of the world. For example, in the USA back in the late 1960s, sirtaki were performed in a number of nightclubs. And in Russia, sirtaki is one of the brightest numbers of ballet theaters and dance ensembles, for example, the Moiseev Ensemble, the Gzhel Dance Theater.
So what is sirtaki? For some, this is an amazing phenomenon of the dance culture of the 20th century, which captured the whole world with its energy. For others, it is a way of ethnic self-identification. For the third - the opportunity to find like-minded people and share with them a positive charge received from the joint detachment from the surrounding reality and absolute immersion in the rhythm of the dance, which embraces completely. And what is sirtaki for you?
Updated: February 06, 2018The progenitors of the national Greek dance "Sirtaki" were the Cretan dances "Syrtos" and "Pidichtos". And few people know the amazing story of the origin of the Sirtaki dance. In fact, Sirtaki appeared not so long ago, in 1964, on the set of the film Zorba the Greek (based on the novel by famous writer Nikos Kazantzakis). And there was a dance, I must say, very spontaneously.
According to the script of the film, its main character, played by Antony Quinn, was supposed to show the national Greek dance to Basis. The beach scene was supposed to be quite short, about two minutes. Therefore, director Michael Kakoyanis faced a difficult task, to find a musician who would write music for this scene, so much so that in two minutes he could convey all the energy of Greek dance and make him believe that this is really a national dance. Kakoyanis entrusted such a difficult task to the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. And he handled it brilliantly. The dance itself, which, by the way, was called the Zorba Dance, was invented by Anthony Quinn. And to make it as similar to Greek as possible, Anthony Quinn personally trained the dance technique with the local population. And since the film was shot entirely on the island of Crete, Quinn learned to dance the most popular national Cretan dances - Sirtos and Pidichtos.
The dance invented by Anthony Quinn was literally glued together from Sirtos at the beginning of the dance and Pidichthos in the second (fast) part of the dance. From here appeared, which became insanely popular, the accelerating rhythm of the national Greek dance. But, if we compare Cretan dances and Sirtaki, it is clearly seen that they are not quite similar, Cretan dances are energetic, with a lot of jumps and various steps performed by the dancers, which, in fact, is not in Sirtaki. And all this despite the fact that Quinn quite well mastered the technique of local dances and the original version of the dance he invented was very similar to the dynamic Cretan dances, although it was pure improvisation. The fact is that before shooting the scene on the beach, Anthony Quinn broke his leg, and the crew was in danger of being left without this scene at all. But Quinn convinced director Michael Cacoyanis that he could do the "Zorba Dance" even with complicated leg swings. Naturally, the complex elements in the dance were never realized, but the dance turned out to be original and attractive in its own way. After filming the scene, Anthony Quinn revealed that his leg was so sore that it was impossible to lift it off the ground, let alone jump or swing. But Quinn found a painless way to move his bad leg - he dragged it across the sand. This is where this smooth and sliding step in Sirtaki came from. The name "Sirtaki" was invented by Anthony Quinn himself, and it came from the name of the dance "Syrtos" in a diminutive form. When Michael Cacoyanis asked him what kind of dance it was. Quinn sneered that it was the folk Greek dance "Sirtaki", which he was taught by a Greek. In his answer, Quinn seemed to justify himself that he had danced a dance, which, after all, was very different from what he would like to dance and what he had learned from the locals. But a little time passed before the film "Zorba the Greek" really fell in love with the Greeks, and the "Zorba Dance" touched the Greeks so much that it instantly became the most popular Greek dance and very soon was recognized at the legislative level as a national Greek dance. All over the world, the Zorba Dance became known as the Sirtaki dance, and the dance itself became one of the main symbols of Greece.
Reference: Anthony Quinn - full name Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn - American actor, artist and writer of Mexican origin. Years of life 04/21/1915 - 06/03/2001. Anthony Quinn has won two Oscars for his roles in Hail Zapata and Lust for Life.
Sirtaki is a dance of Greek origin, but at the same time it is not a folk dance. This is a unique action, which has no equal even among the brightest. Firstly, sirtaki arose quickly and spontaneously, and immediately conquered the whole world. This is the dance of the film - after the release of the film "Zorba the Greek", the world learned about sirtaki, and people quickly picked up its rhythm. Secondly, sirtaki is perhaps the only dance that can be performed by the maximum number of people. The more performers there are in the dance, the more spectacular it becomes.
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Photo gallery: Sirtaki dance - the spirit of Greece in your home
The history of sirtaki dance
Sirtaki is a rather young Greek dance. It consists of fast and slow movements of the ancient Greek warrior dance hasapiko, and was invented in 1964 for the filming of Zorba the Greek. After the broadcast of the picture in many countries of the world, the views of the audience were riveted to this extraordinary and funny action. So the new trend began to be associated with Greece. Sirtaki's movements were created by choreographer Yorgos Provias and composed by composer Mikis Theodorakis.
The history of the name and one of the main movements of this dance is very funny. Anthony Quinn played the lead role in Zorba the Greek. Filming of the scene when his character Zorb was supposed to teach Basil to dance on the beach was scheduled for the last day. But the day before, Quinn broke his leg. Filming had to be postponed until the day when the actor could do without a cast. Since Anthony Quinn was still forbidden from making jumps and sudden movements prescribed in the script, the actor found an unusual solution to the problem. Promising director Michalis Kokoyannis to handle the scene, Quinn came up with a sand-sliding motion, which he completed with raised arms.
When Kokoyannis asked the actor what kind of dance he was performing, Quinn joked that it was the folk Greek dance sirtaki, which he was taught by one of the representatives of the local population. The name "sirtaki" came to his mind by analogy with the Cretan dance sirtos. By the way, it is his steps that are present in modern sirtaki.
Video of greek dance sirtaki
Everyone who has ever tried to dance sirtaki says that in the process of performing a person completely forgets about the environment and simply enjoys the movements to the music, brought to automatism. A beautiful action can be conditionally divided into two parts: the first is slower and calmer, the second is already beginning to accelerate both in melody and in movements. This is explained quite simply. As we have already mentioned, Quinn broke his leg and the first dance scenes were filmed when he could not yet make confident movements. The second half of the sirtaki dance was already filmed at a time when the actor was moving freely and nothing bothered him. Accordingly, all movements began to be performed at a faster pace. Here we can already notice both jumps and light jumps in the process of dancing.
Nowadays, quite often you can meet sirtaki performers in national Greek costumes. One gets the impression that sirtaki is a folk Greek dance, but it is not. It's just that the dressing up of the dancers serves as a presentation of the culture of Greece beyond its borders.
Since sirtaki has existed for more than half a century, several variations of it have appeared, but the main feature has remained unchanged - this is a slow start and a gradual acceleration of the tempo. Sirtaki is a group dance, and people standing in one line or forming a circle perform it. If there are a lot of people who want to dance, then it is acceptable to create several lines of dancers.
Sirtaki dance training
Hands during the performance of sirtaki are always placed on the shoulders of neighboring dancers from both sides. The upper parts of the dancers' bodies should be in contact with each other. Well, the basic movements are performed only with the help of the legs. The steps must be well learned and brought to automatism so that they are performed synchronously and simultaneously. In addition, dancers are required to watch their hands, since during the action it is unacceptable to break the line.
The main movements of sirtaki are called as follows:
- Attached steps.
- Lunges, or as they are called in the common people - half-squats.
- "Zigzag".
The most interesting and spectacular is the zigzag movement. It is performed as follows: the dancers stand in one line and put their hands on the shoulders of their neighbors. Then they, moving in a circle or from side to side, seem to cross their legs in the process of rapid movement (running).
Video lesson sirtaki
It is not difficult to learn how to dance sirtaki at an amateur level. A lot of tourists can confirm this, because they themselves are often participants in this dance during their holidays in Greece or just while traveling around Crete.
It's actually enough to learn the basic steps we mentioned above. An experienced performer, as a rule, is placed on the extreme right, so that he loudly commands what movement should be performed next. And already less experienced and beginners follow him. If we are talking about sirtaki on stage, then here the performers simply memorize combinations of basic movements, and bring them to automatism so that the action is as synchronized as possible.
Sirtaki lessons (watch the video) are in demand today. You can also learn the basics at home, and then polish your performance with your friends in a group.
If you don't know what to do with your guests at your birthday or any other celebration, show them a few sirtaki moves, turn on the Greek dance melody - and you and your guests will be in a good mood!
Sirtaki performed by participants of the Accroche-Cœurs festival
After the release of the film, sirtaki became the most popular Greek dance in the world and one of the symbols of Greece.
History of creation
In his memoirs, American actor Anthony Quinn, who played the title role in Zorba the Greek, recalls that the final scene, in which Alexis Zorba teaches Basil on the beach to dance, was supposed to be filmed on the last day. However, Quinn had broken his leg the day before. When filming resumed a few days later, Quinn could do without a cast, but he was unable to dance like the script called for.
The director of the film, Michalis Kakoyannis, was upset, but Quinn reassured him.
And I danced. I could not lift my leg and lower it - the pain was unbearable - but I found that I could drag it without much discomfort. Thus, I came up with a dance with an unusual sliding-pulling step. I extended my arms, as in traditional Greek dances, and shuffled across the sand.
Subsequently, Cacoyannis asked him what the name of this dance was. Quinn replied:
origin of name
According to Quinn, he came up with the name of the dance; perhaps in consonance with the name of the existing Cretan dance. Sirtaki is a diminutive form of the Greek word Sirtos, which is the common name for several Cretan folk dances. Sirtos is often opposed to another Cretan dance style - pidichthos, which includes elements with jumps and jumps. Sirtaki contains elements of sirtos in the slow part and pidichthos in the fast part.
Choreography
Sirtaki dance, standing in a line or, more rarely, standing in a circle, and putting their hands on the shoulders of their neighbors. The meter is 4/4, the tempo is increasing, and often in the fast part of the dance the meter changes to 2/4. Sirtaki begins with slow, smooth movements, gradually turning into faster and sharper ones, often including jumps and jumps.
Guinness record
On August 31, 2012, in the town of Volos, Thessaly region, Greece, a record was set, included in the Guinness Book of Records, for the most numerous sirtaki dance. The local municipality has been preparing for this record for almost a month, and it was planned to put 6400 people in line, but only 5164 were officially registered. At night, for 5 minutes, volunteers danced the Zorba dance on the embankment, surpassing the previous record recorded in Cyprus in 2010 (1672 participants) , almost 4 times.
