How to greek dance hasapiko

Hasapiko (L*), Vari or Argo – Greece, revised – Folkdance Footnotes

*a Living dance is a 1st Generation dance that is still performed in the country of origin (or immigrant communities) as part of a social event like a wedding where others can participate (not for an audience) by people who learned the dance informally (from friends and relatives by observation and imitation, not in a classroom situation). For more information, click here and here.

VARI HASAPIKO or ARGO HASAPIKO or HASAPIKO (Hah-SAH-pee-koh) See also under Living Dances Hasapiko https://folkdancefootnotes.org/dance/a-real-folk-dance-what-is-it/about/hasapiko/ and Hasaposerviko https://folkdancefootnotes.org/dance/a-real-folk-dance-what-is-it/about/hasaposerviko-greece/, and under 2nd Generation Dances Syrtaki https://folkdancefootnotes.org/dance/a-real-folk-dance-what-is-it/2nd-generation-dances/syrtaki-greece/. They’re 3 different but related dances, – some Greeks call the same dance by different names. The main difference is speed, and what I call Vari Hasapiko is the slowest. If I had to do one folk dance for the rest of my life, this would probably be it! It is still very much alive in Greece, though mostly as a performance dance, has a huge repertoire of great accompanying music, an interesting basic step that doesn’t get boring easily, has room for individual expression, millions of variations, and a legendary background story. Vari Hasapiko is the dance of dispossessed Greeks who were shipped out of Turkey in the 1920’s, flooding Greece with largely unwanted refugees. They congregated in urban slums, creating their own subculture, playing musical instruments unfamiliar to Greeks – the Bouzouki & Baglama. Their songs were cynical, talked of sex and drugs. Their dances were for men only – solo, in pairs or trios, but largely improvised on the spot. Bouzouki music was disreputable to proper Greeks until, like Rock & Roll, it was discovered by disaffected youth and outsiders (tourists). Considered by many to be the best Greek movie ever made, “Rembetiko” tells the story of this era, loosely based on the life of one of its most popular female singers, but beware it is not a happy tale! Nobody sings the blues quite like the Greeks, and this movie captures the spirit of Vari Hasapiko like no other. By the late 1950’s, Bouzouki music had become mainstream, and the dancing could be celebrated in movies like “Never on Sunday“.

Some examples –

Some contemporary pros. The basic step is a foundation that’s returned to occasionally – otherwise its all improvisation.

Another contemporary, this one by some regular guys. Notice how the guy on our right watches the guy on the left for clues for what’s coming next. The tune is Fragosyriani, one of the iconic hasapiko tunes, composed by Markos Vamvakaris in 1935.(see Hasapiko music, under MUSIC https://folkdancefootnotes.org/music/about-music-types-songs-etc/hasapiko-music/ ).

Some instruction –

First step should be on the left to the front. Some people do a basic step of 12 beats, most do 14 beats (how I now teach), and some do 16 beats (add 2 beats to the end).

14-beat Hasapiko basic step

Here’s a video taken from an old TV show – lots of moves! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bIxDPidrE Here you get a clear look at lots of variations. Notice this guy’s basic step has 14 counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8kdTRxeAD4

Some music: “Hasapiko Politiko” by Giannis Papaioannou, 1953, perhaps the most famous melody today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh5NCKCi9Oo For more music, see Hasapiko music under MUSIC

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The Most Famous Greek Dances (video)

1.

Sirtaki

Sirtaki (also called syrtaki) is arguably the most famous Greek dance to the non-Greeks. It owes its reputation to the movie “Zorba the Greek” (1964) with Anthony Quinn. The eminent Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis created this dance by alternating slow and fast steps of two famous Greek dances, Hasapiko and Hasaposerviko. Thus, Sirtaki was born and took its baby steps on the big screen! The rest is history… Today, it is one of the most famous and fun Greek folk dances, raising the spirits every time. To dance it, place your arms on your neighbors’ shoulders and form a line or a circle.

2. Ikariotikos

Definitely one of the most beloved dances in Greece, Ikariotikos is a very exciting and fun dance. It is part of the “Nisiotika”, the dances that come from the Greek islands (‘nisi’ means ‘island’ in Greek), and specifically from the island of Ikaria. The dance has three different stages. It starts with a slow pace, then moves to the second stage where the pace quickens. Finally, in the third stage, the pace becomes even faster and everyone needs to move in complete synchrony in order to manage the dance. The faster the pace, the more fun it is, so it is not surprising that this is one of the most famous Greek traditional dances. It is performed in a line or a circle and the dances hold hands at shoulder height.

Greek Dance Lesson in Athens

3. Kalamatianos

Another very popular folk dance in Greece. It derives its name from Kalamata, the city of the Peloponnese peninsula. Nevertheless, it is well-known all over Greece and is established as a Pan-Hellenic traditional dance. Kalamatianos dance is also performed in a line or a circle, with dancers holding hands. Its roots can be traced in Greek antiquity, all the way back to Homer!

4. Hasapiko

Mikis’ inspiration for creating the Sirtaki. Hasapiko is a traditional Greek dance that has its roots in the city of Constantinople. Its history goes all the way back to the Middle Ages when butchers performed battle dances with swords. Thus, the name of the dance (‘hasapis’ means ‘butcher’ in Greek). Just like the Sirtaki, Hasapiko is performed in a line or a circle, with the dancers placing their arms on their neighbors’ shoulders. Hasapiko progresses from a slow to a faster pace. The faster-paced version is called Hasaposerviko.

Hint! Are you visiting Greece and Athens soon? Take the opportunity and enjoy a Greek dance lesson at the heart of the city, from a qualified teacher! Dance your heart out and learn all about the spirit of the Greek dances by experiencing it yourself.

5. Tsamiko

This Greek fold dance has been characterized as Pan-Hellenic, although it isn’t popular in the Greek islands. Its roots are traced in the movement of the ‘Klefths’ during the Greek Revolution in the early 19th century. The Klefths were anti-Ottoman, warlike mountain-folk who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Originally, only men performed this dance. Today, women join as well. When this happens, it usually includes a ‘double banister’, with men dancing in the outer circle and women in the inner. Alternatively, there is one circle with one male dancer followed by a female and so on. Tsamiko can be danced by the whole group (that is, everyone performs the same steps-movements) but also individually, where the first dancer does a solo, improvising and expressing himself.

6. Pentozali

The Pentozali is a very enthusiastic, war dance. It is the dance of revolution. Directly connected with the history of Crete and its people's liberation fight. Nothing in this dance is accidental. Every part (from the music to every step of the dance) is symbolic of their fight for freedom. It is danced in a line, with the lead dancer performing various moves, while the other dancers follow with the basic steps.

7. Sousta

Another Cretan dance, Sousta is another very famous traditional Greek dance, now being performed all over Greece. It is a love dance, with the man and woman dancing facing each other. First, the dance begins in a circle with a hand grip from the palms and the elbows bent. Then, the circle begins to dissolve and the two opposite scales come face to face. Sousta seems to be the ancient dance that was called "Pyrrhichios" but with the entry of women into the dance, its nature changed and from warlike it became purely erotic. The dance consists of small steps that are done on the spot or moving slightly forward, backward, right and left, with the addition of side steps and other variations. Two good dancers can easily perform a love story from the beginning to the end.

8. Zeibekiko

This is a dance completely different from the above. This is performed by one dancer at a time and it does not exactly have specific steps to follow. It is a free dance and it depends on the character of each dancer. Improvisation is a valuable skill here and, although slow in pace, it has a strong intensity. It used to be a dance for men only but today everyone can dance to it. Each dancer has his own figures with which he expresses himself. Also, each dancer dances to only one song, only once. Many times it is his own, specific song and not a random one. Traditionally (and this remains a strong custom in some areas of Greece even today), when someone is dancing no one else is allowed to interrupt or disturb him, or dance with him in the same place.

Greek Dance Lesson in Athens

Hint! If you are visiting Athens any time soon, book a Greek dance lesson and learn how to dance some of the above Greek dances.

About the author: Our team at Greek TravelTellers consists of academics and lovers of Greek culture. Our vision is to convey our knowledge and Greek values through unique tours and experiences. Through our blog, we hope to bring Greek history and culture closer to you. Feel free to learn more about us.

Greek dances (part 2) - Moscow Society of Greeks

March 31, 2018

Dance is an opportunity to express your soul in plastic. Movements, postures of the performer tell about his feelings and experiences. Folk dance is the ancestor of all other types of this art. Each locality has its own rhythms, movements, postures, costumes, and so on. Greek dances in their homeland are so popular that they are danced even in discos. They are even taught to tourists who have come to rest.

Igor Semenikhin - Sirtaki

Greek dances

Let's get to know them better. Greek dances are popular not only among the representatives of this people themselves, but in many other countries they are danced with pleasure. Greek music and dance are studied in many European and American universities. And even performed live by ensembles using bouzouki . This is a Greek folk instrument, similar to a mandolin, which can be easily combined with any other: accordion, guitar, piano, and so on. Its sound is modest and languid.

In Greece, there was a huge number of dances - more than 200. They were divided into 5 groups: ritual, sacred (performed during the sacrifice), stage, domestic and civil (they were danced at public holidays). In ancient Greece, dance was considered a gift from the Gods, which combines spiritual and physical beauty. The muse of Terpsichore is designed to teach the soul and body to combine correctly with each other.

Sirtaki (from the Greek συρτάκι - touch) is a popular dance created in 1964 for the film Zorba the Greek. It is not a Greek folk dance, but is a combination of slow and fast versions of hasapiko , an ancient warrior dance. The sirtaki dance, as well as the music for it, written by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, is sometimes called the "Dance of the Zorba". The choreographer of the film and, in particular, the dance of Zorba and Basil in the final scene, was Yorgos Provias.

After the release of the film, Sirtaki became the most popular Greek dance in the world and one of the symbols of Greece.

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.

Khasapiko (Greek χασάπικο; "butcher's dance") is a Greek folk dance that previously had ceremonial and applied significance and was performed as a military ritual.

According to the common version, the hasapiko is a military dance performed by selected units of warriors of the Byzantine era, called cassapides. The steps of the dance were very simple and consisted of the following: the warrior entered the battlefield and tried to destroy all the enemies. In other words, these "dancers" were chosen warriors who repeated their actions on the battlefield. These warriors danced the kassapiko at the festivals, and this distinguished them from other units. Then in the Greek language in the name of the dance one letter “s” left and “k” changed to “x”, and thus the dance of hasapiko appeared. The butcher in Turkish is “kasap”, and in Greek “makelarios”, thus in Greece the dance began to be called “makelarikos”.

A slower version of the dance is called "hasapiko heavy" (wari hasapiko) and is danced to a 4/4 rhythm. For the faster version, the rhythm is 2/4.

Zeibekiko - e This Greek folk dance originated in Ancient Thrace. Its name comes from the name of the soldiers - zembekid. Their descendants came to Greece after the disaster and brought with them this ancient ancestral dance. Only men performed zeibekikos. This is the only solo Greek dance known to the world. The steps in it are always built on improvisations. The performer has the opportunity to express himself. The zeibekikos dance in ancient times was accompanied by a demonstration of weapons.

Kleftikos – partisan dance. It was used for recreation as well as for military training. The name comes from the word "klefty", that is, "partisans". This dance originated in ancient times - in the era when the Greeks were fighting with the Ottoman Empire.

Kalamathianos is one of the most popular in Greece. This is a type of sirtos. This dance was performed to songs. Most of them sang about the city of Kalamata, from which the name came.

Tsamikos - this dance has many variations. In different parts of Greece, it is performed in their own way. The movements of the dance, its style, form, spiritual component reflect the habits and characters of the inhabitants of each locality.

To be continued…

greekmos 2019-10-31T13:02:30+03:00