Syrtos

The Metropolis of Boston Dance Group (MYDG) is a not-for-profit Greek folk dance group founded in 1989 by Niki Dimotaki-Sokolove under the auspices of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and is the only dance group in North America certified by the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre of Athens, Greece. The mission established by founder Niki Dimotaki-Sokolove and His Eminence was to instill the culture and tradition of Hellenism and the appreciation of this great heritage in the Greek Orthodox youth of the Boston Metropolis through fellowship, learning, folk dances, and songs. The program of instruction was designed by Kiria Νίκi to emphasize the authentic aspects of Greek folk dance, including music recorded with regional instruments and costumes hand-sewn by ελληνοράφτες. Today, under the direction of Dr. John Pappas, the program strives to maintain the established mission and uphold the authenticity of our heritage while building upon the foundations set by Niki Dimotaki-Sokolove and His Eminence. Kefi Conference The Metropolis of Boston Dance Group is thrilled to announce the first ever international dance conference in Boston which will take place October 11-14, 2024. Participation from multiple states in the US and regions of Canada are expected to attend. Dance workshops will be led by instructors from Greece who preserve the authentic styles of the dances of their region. Metropolis of Boston Dance Group Instagram Kefi Dance Conference Instagram Kefi Dance Conference Facebook Episode Music: Manolis Kottoros

Yia Mas is founded by Greek American Kristina Maria Headrick. After witnessing the effects of Greece's devastating financial crisis on friends and family, Kristina felt compelled to share more about the country's culture and support Greece by bringing Greek wellness products to America. Yia Mas marries Kristina's Greek upbringing with her research on Greek philosophy, dance, design, and culture. Kristina's curiosity and appreciation for self-inquiry inspire her to share Greek folk remedies and ancient traditions and promote Greece beyond the usual diaspora narrative. Kristina holds a degree in history from the University of Virginia. She has extensive experience studying yoga and meditation (200-hour RYT, 100-hour meditation teacher training with Nalanda Institute of Contemplative Science, 75-hour training with Katonah Yoga, and the Mentorship program at Sky Ting Yoga in NYC). With a background in writing and digital marketing, her work attempts to bridge the gap between our increasingly digital realities and tactile experiences. She balances digital work with teaching movement and meditation, including in corporate and co-working space settings in New York City. Instagram: @yia.mas @kristinadelphi www.yia-mas.com Episode music: Manolis Kottoros

Kaeli McEnteer was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and has been Greek dancing for 15 years. She has just begun directing, having just concluded her first year as director of the Raleigh adult dance troupe “Ischis”. She grew up heavily involved with her home parish of Holy Trinity where her passion for dance was unlocked. Over the years Kaeli has expanded her knowledge of traditional dance through her former directors, going to HDF, doing her own research, attending workshops, and getting involved with other parishes. Kaeli is extremely passionate about dances from the region of Thrace and also enjoys the islands. Outside of Greek dance she is currently a Doctor of Physical Therapy Student.

Andonis Platis is the adult director for Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society based out of Chicago, IL. A seasoned cardiac medical device professional, he began his career as a perfusionist and researcher in the field of heart failure while also teaching for the community of Saint Demetrios in Tucson, AZ; his hometown. His “καταγωγή” is from the Axaia region near Aigio and Kalavryta. Since college, Andoni found Greek dance as a passionate hobby with on-going research and field studies with particular attention to the Aegean and Ionian islands. His particular interests lie in the role of the female lead within song and dance as well as mentoring aspiring instructors through research guidance and leadership skills. He has attended numerous workshops in America, Canada and Greece, conducted field research and been a part of FDF/HDF since the age of 12. He is married to Elpida and has 3 children, Georgia, Yianni and Areti.

Zaharoula Zogopoulos was born in New York City. She began her Greek folk dance studies while attending the St. Demetrios Day School of Astoria, NY where the love of Hellenic traditions was instilled in her from a young age. She began choreographing her highschool Greek Dance Team and performed with the Pan-Macedonian Association of New York. Parallel to her Greek folk dancing, she continued to train in classical dance in NYC. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Drama, Theater, Dance and Choreography from CUNY Queens College, where she was awarded the “Farah Marcellus Award for Outstanding Choreography”. Zaharoula also holds a Master’s of Education Degree, certified in Elementary Education, Early Childhood, and Dance Education (K-12). She founded the Greek Dance Program of the Archangel Michael Church in Long Island in 1999. Since then, the program has grown exponentially. Zaharoula has presented her work in many Hellenic cultural and charity events. The Archangelos program has also participated in the Parathosi Archdiocesan Competition of NY since 2017. In 2020, her dancers participated in the Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival (FDF) for the first time. Zaharoula continued directing for FDF, and most recently competed in the Hellenic Dance Festival (HDF) in 2023 making Archangel Michael Church the first church from New York to compete in such national competitions. In her classes, she strives to create a warm and safe space for all children to feel inspired and learn the beautiful Hellenic customs through song and dance. Her mission remains to continue learning and growing as a dancer, director, researcher and choreographer. Zaharoula continues to conduct her research in Greece/US as authentically as possible with renowned dance experts as well as village elders and locals. Episode Music Credit: Manolis Kottors

Michael grew up in Salt Lake City, UT and from the age of 8 is where he discovered his love and passion for Greek Dancing. Fast forward over 20 years later, Michael still has that passion. Michael has participated in the GOYA dance groups, Dionysios College aged dance group, and the Minotavros Cretan dance groups in Salt Lake City. After his time in the youth groups was complete, he has since became an instructor for the youth dance groups to pass on the traditions to younger generations and hopes to keep the tradition alive for many years to come! Michael is also heavily involved with his church community by volunteering at the Greek Festival, and most recently serving on the Parish Council. His love for his faith and culture were inspired by his parents and grandparents. Watch the 11th Day Documentary here Episode Music Credit: Manolis Kottoros

Nektarios S. Antoniou, is the new Principal Cantor of the Ascension Cathedral, Oakland, is a member of the American Academy of Composers, Authors and Publishers, writes & produces Music for PBS' "The Life of Loi". He is the Founding & Artistic Director of Schola Cantorum (which recorded the encyclopedic: “A Story of the City: Constantinople-Istanbul” with a Grammy Award winning and nominated cast). He produced, curated the Byzantine Music for the "Augmented Realities Series" for the Behrakis Galleries, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Arvo Pärt’s haunting O Holy Father Nicholas at the MET Museum (including being featured in 13 Pop Up concerts). He was the convener, conductor and soloist for the UCLA/USC's acclaimed "Byzantine Soundscapes". He taught Byzantine music at Hellenic College for ten years, and Directed the Department of Greek Music and Chant at the Conservatory of Northern Greece/ Conservatoire de Thessalonique. He returned to the US as Principal Cantor and Director of Culture at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral. At Yale he was awarded the University's ISM Director's Prize, conducted, directed and presented cultural programs; the CREDO concert for Jaroslav Pelican and introduced the Summer Iconography Studio. He has authored, edited and translated several books and catalogues including Maestro Dimitri Mitropoulos’ Autograph Notes with Dr. Nicholas Zervas of Harvard. Polis Ensemble: Hellenic Sound Polis Ensemble: Calanda (Music Art Lab, 2023)

Maria and Nikos sat down with Stacie and Stavros, competition and FIT chairs of the Hellenic Dance Festival to chat about HDF2024 and more! For more information please visit www.hellenicdancefestival.com and hdf_weekend on Instagram and Facebook. https://www.hellenicdancefestival.com

To learn more about the South Florida Greek Film Festival, including sponsorship information and how to submit a film, visit: https://hellenicculturalsocietyofsouthflorida.org Saturday October 14 http://souvlaki.gr/ Eftihia: The story of songwriter Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou (1893-1972), who escaped the burning of Smyrna and journeyed to Athens, Greece, where she became a major figure in Greek popular music. Her lyrics have become some of the greatest and most timeless hits, such as "Perasmenes mou agapes", "Oniro Apatilo", "Ime aitos horis ftera”, "Iliovasilemata", "I fantasia", "Ise i zoi mou", "Mandubala", "St ‘ Apostoli to koutouki", "Petradaki, petradaki", "Mou spasane ton baglama", "Dio portes ehi izoi" ("To telefteo vradi mou"), "Rihte sto giali farmaki”. Direction: Angelos Frantzis Screenplay: Katerina Bei Starring Kariofilia Karabeti, Katia Goulioni, Pigmalion Dadakaridis, Thanos Tokakis and Dina Michailidou Sunday October 15 Savor Cinema "Venizelos: the struggle for Asia Minor” Eleftherios Venizelos, one of Greece's greatest statesmen, faces challenges that test his diplomatic and humanitarian skills during the critical decade from the Balkan Wars and World War I, up to the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. His struggle is told through dramatized scenes, rare archival material, and expert interviews. Nikos Dayandas is a Greek director, writer, researcher, editor, and producer who has worked on international co-productions for broadcasters such as NATGEO, ARTE, and ZDF. He also collaborates with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Episode Music: Panayiotis League

Ο Στέφανος Πελεκανής, ο νεαρός καλλιτέχνης της Παράδοσης που ξεχώρισε και αγαπήθηκε για τις ιδιαίτερες ερμηνείες του αλλά και το ξεχωριστό ηχόχρωμά του είναι ένας νεαρός ερμηνευτής της παραδοσιακής και εκκλησιαστικής μουσικής, φιλόλογος και μουσικός που τιμά την παράδοση και έχει ήδη συνεργαστεί με σπουδαία ονόματα στο χώρο της παραδοσιακής μουσικής κάνοντας περιοδείες σε ολόκληρη την Κύπρο και έχει εμφανιστεί σε διάφορες τηλεοπτικές και ραδιοφωνικές εκπομπές σε Ελλάδα και Κύπρο. Γεννήθηκε στις 3 Φεβρουαρίου του 1987 και από πολύ μικρή ηλικία ασχολήθηκε με την μουσική κάνοντας μαθήματα πιάνου, σολφέζ, θεωρίας της μουσικής, αρμονίας και βυζαντινής μουσικής. Συμμετείχε σε διάφορες μουσικές εκδηλώσεις και χορωδίες και μόλις το 2020 αποφάσισε να ασχοληθεί επαγγελματικά με το τραγούδι. Τον Ιανουάριο του 2022 κυκλοφόρησε τον πρώτο του προσωπικό δίσκο «Τα ποιητάρικα – Η φωνή της Κύπρου» με συμμετοχές από τον χώρο της Παράδοσης, όπως Κυριακού Πελαγία, Μιχάλης Χατζημιχαήλ, Χαμπής Αχνιώτης κ.α. Έχει κυκλοφορήσει επίσης δύο digital albums με ζωντανές ηχογραφήσεις αγαπημένων παραδοσιακών τραγουδιών αλλά και επιλογή βυζαντινών ύμνων. Το 2023 κυκλοφόρησε επίσης δύο επανεκτελέσεις παραδοσιακών τραγουδιών με πειραματική προσέγγιση συνδυάζοντας είδη μουσικής. Βρίσκεται στα σκαριά η δεύτερη δισκογραφική του δουλειά με δικές του συνθέσεις σε στίχους του Μιχάλη Χατζημιχαήλ. Stephanos Pelekanis, a young artist, who honors tradition, renowned for his special interpretations, and distinctive vocal tones, is a performer of traditional and church music, philologist and musician. He has already collaborated with great names in the field of traditional music touring all over Cyprus, and has appeared on various television and radio shows in Greece and Cyprus. He was born on February 3, 1987. From a very young age, Stephanos was involved in music, taking lessons in piano, solfège, music theory, harmony and Byzantine music. He participated in various musical events and choirs, and it was only in 2020 that he decided to engage in singing professionally. In January 2022, he released his first personal album "Ta poitarika - The voice of Cyprus" with contributions from the field of Tradition, such as Kyriakou Pelagia, Michalis Hatzimihail, Hambis Achniotis, etc. He has also released two digital albums with live recordings of many favorite traditional songs, as well as a selection of Byzantine hymns. In 2023 he released two remakes of traditional Cypriot songs with an experimental approach combining genres of music. His second record, with his own musical compositions to lyrics by Michalis Hatzimichail, is in the works.

Gabriella Papatzimas, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, has always had a strong connection to her Greek heritage. Growing up in the Greek community at Holy Trinity in Phoenix, she embraced the language, culture, and traditions from an early age. As a first-generation Greek-American, Gabriella’s first language is Greek, and she takes immense pride in her roots. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Arizona State, Gabriella embarked on a career in Real Estate Tech as a People Manager.She also dedicated her time as a Greek School teacher for 11 years, helping younger generations stay connected to their heritage. When not teaching or working, she dedicated her time to Greek dancing which became a great love of hers from the moment she could walk and has since been immersed in the dance program for 28+ years. In 2009, she embraced the role of a Greek Dance Instructor (shoutout to her first group, Seismos). Three years later, in 2012, she proudly took her first group to the FDF, accompanied by her godbrother, Niko Panagiotakopoulos, representing Holy Trinity Dance Program - Phoenix. Since then, she has been taking groups to competitions year after year. Building upon her passion, she embarked on a new venture in 2022, joining forces with Evangelos Tsagaris to bringing Arizona representation to HDF with the Assumption Dance Program. To Gabriella, Greek dancing is more than just a hobby—it is a vital way to preserve and celebrate her heritage. She firmly believes that Greek culture should be cherished and passed down, regardless of where people call home. Through her involvement as an instructor, Gabriella Papatzimas tirelessly works to ensure that Greek traditions thrive by attending workshops in the United States and spending weekends doing research with her co-directors. Niko Panagiotakopoulos was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona where he studied Electrical Engineering and is now a licensed General Contractor. While his father was born in Athens, his grandparents were from Peloponiso in Tripoli, Patras, and Pyrgos keeping him connected to his Greek heritage! Niko has been involved in greek dancing from a young age at Holy Trinity Cathedral, dancing since he could walk, and being the crazy kid running around his mothers dance practices while she spent years as the program director. Niko’s first FDF was at 8 years old I’m Pasadena and he has only missed one year since then, and started attending HDF as well in 2022! His last year dancing as a student was also his first year as an Instructor in 2011. Since 2011 Niko has attended many workshops from California to Charlotte, bringing instructors like Joe Graziosi and Jordan Elrod to Phoenix, and visiting Greece every summer seeking out workshops and panegiria. In 2017 Niko took the helm as the Program Director at Holy Trinity and has loved growing his community and keeping his culture alive! Episode Music: The Anemos Music Project

Katherine Papadimitriou Ladikos was born and raised and still lives in Atlanta, GA. At the age of 4, she and her brother Dimitri were dragged from Saturday Morning Cartoons to meet with a woman named Eleni that would teach them Greek Dancing inside the dining room of a restaurant. Who knew from both sides that one simple dance of Kastorianos would take a full day to master and turn into a lifetime of love for Greek Folk Dancing. Katherine & Dimitri would perform their duet for a few years and started learning new dances with the older group that their Mother Kiki Papadimitriou had joined. The journey began with performances at Greek Festivals and Events all over the Southeast and many travels to the infamous Winter Dance Conferences learning from many International instructors from Dora Stratou & Lykeion Ton Ellinidon and National instructors who still grace the world of Greek Dance today. Troupe Hellas would eventually introduce several groups incorporating all ages from age 5 and up and eventually Katherine and Dimitri would be dancing and performing with their peers and parea. Katherine was very dedicated to the world of dance and would help make costumes, assist with teaching, and taking roles on the board and in 1995 Troupe Hellas would evolve into the Lykeion Ton Ellinidon Atlanta and the sad departure of their long time director Eleni as she moved out of the country and would now become more involved. The group was like a fine wine and grew better and better over time. Eventually events, festivals, and dance conferences would turn into competitions at both FDF and HDF. Katherine and Andrew knew each other since little kids but it was the dance group and the tight bond of their parea that would bring them together and marry in 2007 which is around the time when Katherine stepped back from dancing due to a genetic retinal degenerative disease which was making it most difficult to learn and perform. Although Katherine is not physically involved in teaching and performing her heart beats and feet don’t stop moving for Greek Folk Dance. Their sons Kosta and Stefanos are both in the dance group and both Katherine & Andrew are proud to cheer them on, sneak in a dance here and there, all while making new memories and reminiscing about the good ‘ol days. If you liked this episode, please consider making a donation in Kat's name to the Foundation Fighting Blindness: https://donate.fightingblindness.org/webdonation Episode Music: Endasi Live in Miami

Kostas Mitsis was born in 1975, in Munich/Germany and moved to Preveza/Greece in 1976, where traditional dance and music held a significant role in his everyday life. He studied Agriculture at the Aristotle’s University of Thessaloniki and Greek Dance and Songs at Lykeion ton Ellinidon of Athens and several other institutions. He speaks Greek, English and German. Kostas has devoted his career to the rich musical and dance traditions of Greece. He is involved for 36 years in the traditional realm as a folk dancer as well a dance instructor, presenting his work on Greek music and dancing traditions in seminars and symposiums in 26 countries around the World. Kostas has been active in traditional singing since 2002 and covers a wide repertoire from all over Greece. He has worked and continues to collaborate with some of the most renowned folk musicians of Greece. He has appeared and conducted performances twice at the Herodes Atticus Odeon at the Acropolis of Athens, at the Athens and Thessaloniki Concert Halls, at the ancient theater of Dion the ancient odeon of Nicopolis and many theaters and concert halls around Greece and the World. Kostas is touring every year in America, Canada and Europe performing at various festivals and concerts of the Greek Diaspora. He has appeared on the Greek TV several times to the most renowned TV shows as well as in numerous radio shows in Greece, America, Canada, Australia, Sweden and Germany. In 2011 Universal Music Greece has released his CD “A Piece of Greece” with the 16 most renowned Greek folk songs. He also organizes annually the biggest folk dance seminar in Greece in Preveza area the first weekend of July. Contact Info Cell: +30-6972-972-957 Email: mitsisk@gmail.com Social Media Facebook Page: Κώστας Μήτσης - Kostas Mitsis, www.facebook.com/kostasmitsis.gr (50.000 followers, Leading in Greece among the Folk Singers) YouTube: Kostas Mitsis, www.youtube.com/kostasmitsis (36.500 subscribers, Leading in Greece among the Folk Singers) Instagram: kostas_mitsis LinkedIn: Kostas Mitsis Twitter: Kostas Mitsis Episode Music Credit: Kostas Mitsis

Meredith Panayotopoulos was introduced to and fell in love with all things Greek dancing and culture in college when she met her husband George. She spent 10+ years dancing, directing and co-general directing in San Jose, California. She was blessed to be invited with her dance group to Florina in the summer of 2015, where her love and passion for passing on the beautiful traditions of Greek dance and customs was deepend immensly. From the start she had an affinity for costumes and all of their beautiful and intricate detail work and has been able to use skills learned from childhood to help build costumes for the groups she has been involved with. She had to take a step back from directing as her family grew and currently she and her husband enjoy incorporating many of the beautiful έθιμα και παράδοσεις they have learned over the past 20 years through the years in how they raise their family.

Dimitri Carabas is a Composer currently living in Astoria, Queens. He attended The University of Nevada Las Vegas where he earned a Bachelors in Classical Music Composition. There, his writing focused on Post-Romantic and Minimalist styles. With a growing interest in merging Classical writing and Electronics he set his eyes on a Technology degree after his Undergrad. It was in Valencia, Spain where he would earn a Masters in Music Technology, Production, and Innovation from the Berklee College of Music. During this program he focused on Synthesis, Electronic Production, and Video Production. It is his intention as an artist to tour an ensemble, combining instruments from the Classical tradition with Synthesizers and striking visuals. Dimitri is the director and founder of Meraki Folk Dance New York, a successful independent dance group in the New York City area. @Merakifolkdancenewyork https://www.dimitricarabas.com/meraki

We sat down with dance giants to record the first installment of our dance etiquette series. Unofficially we like to call this 'don't be a D on the dance floor'. It's an episode where we bring the voices of many to table to discuss dance etiquette and how the culture in the United States may have influenced dance culture. A giant thank you to our panel guests: Stacie Zoumberakis Aris Yortzidis Dimitrios Dallas Joe Graziosi Episode Music: Endasi

We sat down for a great conversation with Maria Koulouris Glanz and Christos Pantieras of Ethos Greek Folklore Association based out of Ottawa, Canada. They shared with us their journeys in Greek dance, and how Ethos is supporting the preservation of Hellenic Folklore today. You can learn more about Ethos using the link below. Maria and Christos, we loved having you on, and can't wait to chat again about some of the deeper topics that did not fully make it into this episode. https://www.ethosgreekfolklore.org/about Episode music provided by Endasi

Rania Samartzis- born in NYC, moved to Athens, Greece until I was 8 yo, then moved to Port Richey, FL and currently living in Palm Harbor,FL. My mom is from Kastoria (Macedonia) and my dad is Athenian (his mom from Smyrna & his dad from Thiva). I started dancing when i was in school in Greece as part of the school curriculum, then when we moved to Florida with my family, i joined the local church dance group with my brother. As my brother went into college, the group did not have a college dance group so he ventured out to the next local dance group - in tarpon Springs.. Levendia! I joined him shortly after. I have been a part of Levendia (of the St. Nicholas Dance Ministry) for about 15 years now. This year teach the middle/high school group along with Mike. I’ve taught the High School/College groups for several years and this year I also help with the adult group with Maria Kouskoutis as the main instructor. Nomikos “Mike” Kambourakis Born in Kalymnos, Greece - raised in Tarpon Springs, FL! Greek folklore has been a part of my life since I was a baby. My great grandfather Nikitas Tsimouris played the Tsampouna and would play all the time accompanied by his wife (my great yiayia) Nomiki and his 4 sisters singing at the house. I started dancing with Levendia in the first grade and was hooked since as it “ran through my veins” and ive been dancing since. This year I am teaching the middle/high school group of the St. Nicholas Dance ministry. Music courtesy of Panayotis League

Joe Kaloyanides Graziosi, from the Boston area, has done extensive research on regional dance in Greece and among Greek communities in the U.S. Drawn to Greek music and dance from a young age Joe was an enthusiastic participant in the Greek church dance and New England area community music scene and danced and taught in the Boston area amateur dance groups “Helios Dancers” and “Meraklides” in the latter 1970s after returning from a semester abroad program in Greece in 1975 where he did dance research under the guidance of the noted folklorist Ted Petrides, concentrating at the time on the dance traditions of the Greeks of Anatolia. He has taught throughout the world for community groups and at major folk dance camps, including the Balkan Music and Dance Workshops since 1982, and has taught regularly with Greek performing groups throughout North America. He was a co- founder of New York's Greek American Folklore Society (GAFS) along with its director, Paul Ginis, where he taught throughout the decade of the 80s. Joe has taught and introduced people to Greek dance in Taiwan, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and England and has taught regularly in Japan since 1990 where he will be returning this summer of 2022.. He has served as judge and advisor for the west coast Greek Orthodox (San Francisco Metropolis) Folk Dance Festival (FDF) since 1984, as well as judge and advisor for the Atlanta Metropolis’ Hellenic Dance Festival (HDF) for 20 odd years. He is, along with Ahmet Luleci, co-founder of the annual World Music & Dance Camp, now in Iroquois Springs, NY and in its 26 the anniversary year, 2022. He was co-director and organizer of the 1982 Greek Music Tour sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Ethnic Folk Arts Center of NY and the New York State Council for the Arts which brought together major exponents of regional traditional folk music from both Greece and the Greek American communities. In conjunction, he was co-author and co-editor of the accompanying booklet “Greek Music Tour” and consultant for archival recordings of participating musicians. He is also a contributing author to the 2019 book “Greek Music in America” edited by Tina Bucavalas and published by the University Press of Mississippi. During the 1990s and early 2000s Joe was co-organizer and co-host, along with former FDF judge John Lulias, of several tours to Greece, with a concentration on local culture, cuisine, music and dance. Since the onset of covid he has been teaching a weekly on line Greek folk dance class via zoom. Joe produces CD compilations of hard to find regional folk dance music. His contact information is, email: horoswithjoe@yahoo.com and cell phone: 508-415-4345

The man who needs no introduction, 54Thirty himself, joined me on this week's podcast. We had a good time talking about Greek dance and 900 other things. Enjoy!