I am not a natural dancer, invariably I find a rhythm of my own
whenever I find myself on the dance floor, but I enjoy it. I have
visited this island many times with my Greek husband, coming every
summer for 3 months and often Easter too and I have always wished I knew
how to join in the dancing competently at family parties and gatherings
I always had a go but my own rhythm just didn't seem to fit into this
Greek form of line dancing. As I bobbed up, everyone else would bob
down, when I went left, they would go right. Eventually, I would give up
in frustration and watch on with envy. Now, living here for a whole
year, was the perfect opportunity to learn to dance properly.
Shortly after coming here in November last year I discovered a dancing
class which was run by the local cultural centre. This isn't any old
dance group, the more experienced members of this dancing team give
displays every year on the island and frequently tour Europe and
America. I have seen them dance many times and always came away
awestruck. What fortune for me - to have a marvelous, professional dance
teacher who would teach us dances from all over the regions of Greece.
Every week we would have an hour's lesson during which time we would
invariably learn a new dance and practice some of the ones we had learnt
in previous weeks. The other members of my class are all Greek. Their
ages range from their early twenties to mid-40s and they are all school
teachers in the local primary or secondary schools on the island. None
of them come from this island as the practice in Greece is that public
employees are sent wherever they are needed. The only non-Greek dance
pupils in this group then, were myself and two English female friends -
all in our 50s. As a consequence, we three were faced with an extra
challenge. Not only were we learning to dance but all the lessons were
taught in Greek and, as this was another subject we were having lessons
in, our newly forming linguistic skills were pushed beyond our limits.
For many weeks my English friends and I never knew what dances we would
do in our lessons until the rest of the class began moving, and then it
was a real 'aha' experience as we recognized the steps as a dance we had
learnt a few weeks before. Before learning a new dance our teacher,.
Niki, would tell the group what it was called and whereabouts in Greece
it came from, also explaining a little history of that particular
region. All this went completely over our heads and for a long time we
did not know that this was what she was talking about. We would look at
her earnestly, willing comprehension but all to no avail. She would then
start the music and slowly show us the steps, counting them out all the
time and advising us as a body how to accomplish the moves. I always
watched her with amazement. She made it look so simple and effortless.
Her body and legs would move so fluidly and in perfect time to the
music. Then it was our turn. I really tried to achieve the same ease and
gracefulness that she possessed but, unfortunately, I could only follow
the dance if I counted the steps out loud to myself and as a consequence
my efforts seemed to me very stilted and wooden. And, I was still having
trouble doing that slight bobbing movement that you see in many Greek
dances. I felt like some demented puppet but I didn't care, I was
keeping up and it was early days.
Out of the three of us, my friend Jane seemed to pick up the steps
fairly easily and, most importantly, remember them. For me and my other
friend, as soon as we had finished one dance and moved onto the next,
the steps of the dance just completed seemed wiped from our memory. Jane
suggested that we add in another lesson whereby the three of us would
meet at her house on a Saturday morning to go over what we had learnt
that week. This was an excellent idea and was further assisted by taking
video films of the lessons that we would then use to help us improve.
And improve we did. As the weeks went by we began to get used to the
rhythm of the music, the steps began to be accomplished with more
confidence and our understanding of dancing related Greek words was also
whizzing along. I could now understand the command to take small or
large steps, to go slowly, or quickly, to kick or stamp or twirl. I
still didn't know what the names of the dances I could do were but at
least I could now do them.
After four months of lessons our teacher announced that in around 4-6
weeks the cultural centre would be giving a dance display at one of the
big hotels on the island and she would like our group to take part. The
show would be for two nights and would include dancers from some of the
other groups that she teaches across the island. Additionally. we would
all be wearing the local, traditional costumes from the different
regions of Greece that our dances came from. When she suggested this in
Greek to the group I thought I had an inkling that this was what she was
saying. Checking it out afterwards with some of the our Greek team
members we got some of the details and it was in this secondhand way
that we continued to learn about the preparations for the show.
Everything could be 'hit or miss' and lucky for us most times (and it
seemed quite by accident) it turned out to be the former rather than the
latter. However, it was quite some time before we understood that we
would only be doing four local dances, the Syrtos, the
Tsamikos, the Sousta ,the Kotsari (Pontiaka) and the
Pentozali from Crete Before this we had been frantically
practicing everything in our extra lesson by ourselves. At least now, we
could concentrate only on those dances that we will be performing. And
practice we did and some more. I was certainly not going to leave
anything to chance. Our proper dance lessons continued normally. Each
week learning a new dance and going over others. Unfortunately, one of
the English dancers would not be able to dance at the display as she
would be leaving the island for four weeks. So it was Jane and I now
and, of course, our new Greek friends.
It wasn't until 3 weeks before the show that we began to practice the
dances we would be performing and then only once a week. Will we be
getting any extra lessons? Was our dancing OK? was I bobbing at the
right time? what about our costumes, when will we get them, how do we
know they will fit? what days and time will the display be? how much
will the tickets be? So many questions that it seemed embarrassing and
would give a sense of panic if we bombarded our Greek friends and
teacher with them. We tended to work then on the principle that we must
be doing OK or the teacher would have told us. And when it is really
important for us to know something we were confident that she would .
The last two weeks before the show we were very busy with rehearsals.
They were held at the hotel on the stage, 3 times the week before and 5
times during the week of the show. It certainly helps being in the venue
as I find as soon as something changes in the environment I am
temporarily thrown. By the time the show comes round I shall be quite
used to this stage. I think we should be alright now!!! The first
performance was to be Friday night and the final one on the Saturday
night. On Wednesday evening before the show we picked up our costumes.
Its very beautiful - on someone else, young and lithe - I'm afraid I
look a bit like Heidi's grandma!!!! We have to wear a long white heavy
cotton undershirt/blouse thing with a lace collar, on top of this goes a
dress/coat (mine is dark burgundy with a fine black stripe -beautiful
heavy material) Over this goes a short, black, long sleeved, velvet
jacket with gold metallic embroidery trimming it. then there is a large
sash, a gold necklace made from tiny coins and - the crowning glory - an
extremely flattering headscarf. It is quite a lot of stuff to wear and
very heavy that I can hardly walk in it all let alone dance!!!! All the
other women are probably in their early twenties - but look 14 and dance
beautifully, graceful and elegant. I hope the audience's eyes will be on
them rather than Jane and me!!!!
On the first night of the show. Jane and I both had a different
understanding of what should happen. Getting all the instructions in
Greek is very challenging especially when your head is full of the
sequence of steps for the different dances and the trauma of getting it
wrong. I understood it that we would not have a dress rehearsal - just a
rehearsal and could then go home until 7.30. Jane thought we had to stay
there from 4pm. As it turned out, this time I had understood it
correctly. Together we make a great team in our understanding of what is
going on. Between us we have never got it wrong. Sometimes I do and she
doesn't and vice versa. For example, today we found out that we are to
dance first and for some reason I had been sure that I had heard our
teacher tell us that we would go last.
The rehearsal went very well although it wasn't a dress rehearsal.
Everyone was really nervous and anxious that something would go wrong
and now we had the added stress of not knowing how it will be to dance
in these heavy clothes until we actually do it! For me, I have to keep
reminding myself of the changes in each dance. In one of them, the
Sousta the girl on my right leaves the line to dance with a partner in
the middle of the circle. I find it quite difficult to keep my feet in
step when she does this whilst at the same time trying to reach out to
hold the hand of the person she has just left. This I find especially
difficult because it takes place in the dance with the fastest steps!
The other thing that makes me anxious is when we dance the Rothithiko.
At the command of 'Oopa' we change from dancing round in a circle to
dancing into the circle. In previous rehearsals I have felt a surge of
panic each time this point is close and, consequently, miss the first
few steps. Fortunately, at the dress rehearsal it went perfectly. I was
so relieved to have finally cracked it that I continued going into the
circle after the requisite 3 times and missed the first steps when
everyone else returned to going round. Still I was glad to have made
these mistakes in the final rehearsal because I will be very conscious
not to do it at performances.
After the rehearsal everyone else went home to relax before returning at
7.30. Jane and I were far too worked up to go home and then come back
again. We sat in the poolside bar and drank a soft drink whilst Jane had
a toasted sandwich. Her thoughts had been so taken up with this
evening's performance, she had forgotten to eat any lunch and was in
desperate need of sustenance. Afterwards we decided to go for a calming
walk along the beach. The nerves and anxiety seemed to be interfering
with our intake of oxygen as neither of us could stop yawning. We
returned to the hotel at 7pm and sat in the cafe with a large heavily
caffineated coffee to stop us yawning. As the time moved on my stomach
was becoming more and more jittery, giving a sudden lurch when I noticed
some young dancers in the hotel lobby all dressed in their costumes.
Time to go and sort out ours.
When we reached the lobby we saw one of our group, who immediately came
to us to show us where the changing rooms were and to let us know that
we will be the first dancers after a musical introduction. It was now
around 7.45 and the show would start at 9pm with us coming on around
9.30. Plenty of time. We checked out backstage and the dressing rooms.
Everywhere was packed with excited young people in a stunning array of
different costumes, all beautifully colourful and exquisitely made.
There were costumes from northern Greece,. Thrace and Macedonia. as well
as from our island. However, this. I could only guess as my linguistic
skills were not able to understand the babble of excited explanations
that were going on around me. We were the island's group, because nobody
in our team actually came from the island. All were Greek, with the
exception of Jane and myself and the idea of the dance display was not
just to give enjoyment to the audience with the music and dancing but
also to encourage people to understand and appreciate differences
between the different groups in Greece as well as recognizing there are
many similarities. Hence all the local dancers were doing dances from
elsewhere in Greece and those from outside the island were to do the
local dances. We then wandered back into the lobby where we found the
rest of our group and our teacher. Jane and I were getting a bit hung up
about the fact that we did not have proper shoes. Our teacher had looked
at the ones we had brought with us and said they were not really
suitable but, don't worry, because there would be someone in one of the
other dance groups who would be able to lend us theirs. Niki, our
wonderful teacher, then went off and returned with a young girl, Eleni,
who had the same shoe size as me. She was delighted to be able to lend
me her shoes as she had another pair that she would be dancing in - and
they fitted. We agreed to find each other at the end f the show so that
I could return them to her. The teacher then decided that Jane's shoes
would be OK so that was one more problem sorted. After another five
cigarettes I said to Jane that I would really like to go and get changed
and get the feel of the costume so we made our way backstage to join the
throng. Once we had climbed into our costumes and then gone to the
official dressers to get our headscarves on right, our necklaces pinned
into place and a final once over to check that we looked authentic I
began to feel that the show was really going to happen, and I didn't
look like Heidi's grandma after all, in fact I looked OK, the headscarf
was tied in a way that was not unflattering and all I wanted to do now
was get it over with.
The performance was supposed to begin at 9pm with traditional music
played by the musicians from the cultural centre. However, true to the
Greek concept of time, it was nearer half-past by the time it got going.
After 15 minutes we were told to go backstage and be ready to go on when
the music stops and Niki begins her introduction to the dancing. Huddled
backstage with the rest of our group our nervousness increased tenfold,
all I could think about now was that I desperately needed to spend a
penny but there wasn't time anymore. One of our group, Yorgos, came to
each of us and wished us all luck and then did a very good job of
relaxing us all by clowning around. It certainly worked because suddenly
I was aware of Niki speaking to the audience, explaining who we were and
what dances we would do and, suddenly, we were on! And it was brilliant!
As soon as I heard our music playing, the steps just fell into place and
off we all went. I was aware of an audience but didn't dare look out to
it. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the lead dancers to make sure I was
in time, and just thought about what dance I was doing, blocking out
that this was the first night of the show. Nothing went wrong, I kept
step when Haroula let go of my hand to do her solo, I went into the
circle and out again at the right time and I was really enjoying myself
by the time it all ended and was able to look out to the audience for
the first time. At the end of our four dances we were really on a high.
We had done it and tomorrow cannot be as nerve-wracking as tonight. I
was very hot, sweaty, and breathless but I was thrilled.
After we had performed our dances, Jane and I went to the bar in the
lobby and had a stiff drink and 2 more cigarettes. We then spent a very
enjoyable 2 hours watching all the other dancers until the end of the
show when all the teams had to go back on stage to dance the Syrtos
together. A piece of cake now and so exciting to be part of all this. At
the end of the performance we all went out to eat together, the
musicians came too and the taverna was buzzing with the excited chatter
of relief and the knowledge that all the practice had paid off. there
was more dancing in the taverna, but this time just for us, and it was
2.30 am before we left exhausted by the pressure but buzzing with the
achievement. Tomorrow can now be looked forward to instead of seen with
trepidation.
The following day was spent just waiting with anticipation for that
night's performance. I was able to achieve nothing other than ironing my
costume so that it would look presentable in the evening. At 7pm I met
Jane on the corner and off we set for the hotel. Tonight our friends and
families would be watching us but for me the worst was behind me now
that I knew I could do it. I just wouldn't think of the audience again
and I was determined to really enjoy the performance. Our friends and
family arrived, admired our costumes and took copious photographs then
took their seats in the auditorium. The performance we gave this time
was even better than the night before. We made a conscious effort to
look relaxed and smile more. I even dared to look out into the audience
and noticed my husband right up at the front of the stage taking videos
of it, but I wasn't fazed anymore and just kept dancing. At one point my
headscarf fell down and yesterday it would probably have thrown me
completely but now, I barely noticed. At the end of the performance we
were thrilled that we had achieved something that we, and our teacher
could be proud of. I felt very fortunate and pleased that I had had the
opportunity to take part in a real Greek dancing display for the Greek
community.
