Irlandos at 18:06, March 11, 2006

2006-03-11T18:06:08Z

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'''Sirtaki''' ('''Sirtaki''', or '''[[Syrtaki]]''' - in Greek ''συρτάκι'') is a popular dance of [[Greece|Greek]] origin. However, despite widespread belief, it is not an authentic traditional [[Greek dance]]. In fact, it was created in [[1964]] for the movie [[Zorba the Greek]] from the mixture of slow and fast versions of [[Hasapiko]] ('''Hasápikos''', '''Chasápikos''') dance. The dance and the music (by [[Mikis Theodorakis|Míkis Theodorakis]]) are also called '''Zorbá's dance''' or '''Zorbas'''. Sometimes one can see the name "the dance of Zorbas", because originally the name of the movie was "Aléxis Zorbás".

A distinctive feature of the Sirtaki dance and music is its speeding up.

The name Sirtáki comes from the Greek word [[syrtos]], a common name for a group of traditional Greek dances of so-called "dragging" or "shuffling" style (as opposed to [[pidikhtos]], which is hopping or leaping style. Despite that, Sirtaki incorporates both syrtos (in its slower part) and pidikhtós (in its faster part) elements.

Now Sirtáki is one of cultural attractions of [[Greece]] (and Greek-style taverns all over the world).

===Choreography===

Sirtáki is danced in a line or circle formation with hands held on neighbors' shoulders. Line formation is more traditional.

Meter is 4/4, tempo increasing, and often the signature is changed to 2/4 in the fastest part. Accordingly, the dance begins with slower, smoother actions, gradually transforming into faster, vivid ones, often including hops and leaps.

[[Category:Greek dances]]

Sirtaki - Revision history

Irlandos at 18:06, March 11, 2006