Sirtaki dance. Sirtaki - the most Greek dance

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, who played in the film “Zorba the Greek” for main role American Anthony Quinn recalls that final scene, in which Alexis Zorba teaches Basil to dance on the beach, was scheduled to film on its last day. However, the day before, Quinn broke his leg. When filming resumed a few days later, Quinn was able to do without the cast, but he was unable to dance as required by the script.

The film's director, Michalis Cacoyannis, was upset, but Quinn encouraged him.

And I danced. I couldn't lift my leg up or down - the pain was unbearable - but I realized 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 like in traditional Greek dances and shuffled across the sand.

Cacoyannis subsequently asked him what the name of this dance was. Quinn replied:

origin of name

According to Quinn's recollections, he came up with the name of the dance; perhaps in consonance with the name of an existing Cretan dance. "Sirtaki" is a diminutive form of the Greek word "syrtos", which is the common name for several Cretan folk dances. Syrtos is often contrasted with another Cretan dance style- pidichthos, which includes elements with jumps and leaps. Sirtaki contains elements of sirtos in the slow part and pidichthos in the fast part.

Choreography

Sirtaki dance standing in a line or, less commonly, standing in a circle and placing 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 more abrupt ones, often including jumps and leaps.

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 prepared for this record for almost a month, and planned to put 6,400 people in line, but only 5,164 were officially registered. At night, for 5 minutes, volunteers danced the Zorba dance on the embankment, exceeding the previous record recorded in Cyprus in 2010 (1,672 participants) , almost 4 times.

Sirtaki - popular dance Greek origin, 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 the Hasapiko, an ancient butcher's dance. The Sirtaki dance, as well as its music written by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, is sometimes called the “Dance of Zorba”. 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 Anthony Quinn, who played the title role in the film “Zorba the Greek,” recalls that the final scene, in which Alexis Zorba teaches Basil to dance on the beach, was supposed to be filmed on the very last day. However, the day before, Quinn broke his leg. When filming resumed a few days later, Quinn was able to do without the cast, but he was unable to dance as required by the script. The film's director, Michael Cacoyannis, was upset, but Quinn reassured him. “And I danced. I couldn't lift my leg up or down - the pain was unbearable - but I realized 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 like in traditional Greek dances and shuffled across the sand.” Cacoyannis subsequently asked him what the name of this dance was. Quinn replied: “It’s sirtaki. Folk dance. I was taught it by one of local residents».

origin of name

According to Quinn's recollections, he came up with the name of the dance; perhaps in consonance with the name of an existing Cretan dance. "Sirtaki" is a diminutive form of the Greek word "sirtos", which is the common name for several Cretan folk dances. Syrtos is often contrasted with another Cretan dance style - pidichtos, which includes elements with jumps and leaps. Sirtaki contains elements of sirtos in the slow part and pidichthos in the fast part.

Choreography

Interesting Facts

In Peru, the sirtaki melody evokes negative emotions because it is associated with a video recording of a meeting of the leaders of the terrorist organization “Shining Path”. In this recording, terrorist leader Abimael Guzman dances sirtaki with his clique.

Fragment from the film "Zorba the Greek"

Here is one of the options

It's a little different here

Sirtaki is a dance of Greek origin, but at the same time it is not folk. This is a unique action that 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 maximum amount of people. The more performers there are in a dance, the more spectacular it becomes.

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Photo gallery: Sirtaki dance - the spirit of Greece in your home

History of sirtaki dance

Sirtaki is a fairly young Greek dance. It consists of fast and slow movements of the ancient Greek warrior dance Hasapiko, and was created in 1964 for the film Zorba the Greek. After the film was broadcast in many countries around the world, the views of the audience were riveted on this extraordinary and funny action. So the new movement began to be associated with Greece. Sirtaki's movements were created by choreographer Yorgos Provias, and the music was written by composer Mikis Theodorakis.

The history of the name and one of the main movements of this dance is very funny. In the film "Zorba the Greek" the main role was played by American actor Anthony Quinn. Filming of the scene when his hero Zorb had 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 prohibited from making the jumps and sudden movements written in the script, the actor came up with an unusual solution to the problem. Having promised director Michalis Kokoyannis that he could handle the scene, Quinn came up with a sand-sliding motion, which he complemented with raised arms.

When Kokoyannis asked the actor what kind of dance he was performing, Quinn joked that it was the Greek folk dance sirtaki, which one of the local residents taught him. 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 during the performance, a person completely forgets about the surroundings and simply enjoys the movements to the music, brought to the point of automatism. The beautiful action can be roughly 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 already mentioned, Quinn broke his leg and the first dance scenes were filmed when he could not yet move confidently. The second half of the sirtaki dance was filmed during the period when the actor moved freely and nothing bothered him. Accordingly, all movements began to be performed at a faster pace. Here we can already notice jumps and slight bounces during the dance.

Nowadays, you can often find sirtaki performers in national Greek costumes. One gets the impression that sirtaki is a Greek folk dance, but this is not so. It’s just that dressing up dancers like this serves as a presentation of the culture of Greece outside its borders.

Since sirtaki has existed for more than half a century, several variations of it have appeared, but main feature remained unchanged - a slow start and a gradual acceleration of the tempo. Sirtaki is a group dance, and is performed by people standing in one line or forming a circle. If there are quite a lot of people wanting to dance, then creating several lines of dancers is acceptable.

Sirtaki dance training

During the performance of sirtaki, hands are always placed on the shoulders of neighboring dancers on both sides. The upper parts of the dancers' bodies should be in contact with each other. well and basic movements performed only with the help of the legs. The steps must be well learned and brought to automaticity so that they are performed synchronously and at the same time. In addition, dancers are required to watch their hands, since breaking the line during the action is unacceptable.

The main movements of sirtaki are called as follows:

Added steps.
Lunges, or as they are popularly called, half squats.
"Zigzag".

The most interesting and spectacular is the zigzag movement. It is performed like this: the dancers stand in one line and put their hands on the shoulders of their neighbors. Then, moving in a circle or from side to side, they seem to cross their legs in the process of rapid movement (running).

Sirtaki video lesson

Learning to dance sirtaki at an amateur level is not difficult. Many tourists can confirm this, because they themselves often take part in this dance while on vacation in Greece or simply while traveling around Crete.

It's actually enough to learn basic steps, which we mentioned above. An experienced performer, as a rule, is placed on the far right so that he loudly commands what movement should be performed next. And he is already followed by less experienced and newbies. If we're talking about When it comes to sirtaki on stage, here the performers simply memorize combinations of basic movements and bring them to the point of automatism, so that the action is as synchronous as possible.

Sirtaki lessons (watch the video) are in demand today. You can also learn the basics at home, and then polish your performance in a group with your friends.

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 melody of a Greek dance - and good mood guaranteed for you and your guests!

Sirtaki is a popular dance of Greek origin, 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 butcher's dance. The Sirtaki dance, as well as its music written by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, is sometimes called the “Dance of Zorba”. 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

origin of name

According to Quinn's recollections, he came up with the name of the dance; perhaps in consonance with the name of an existing Cretan dance. "Sirtaki" is a diminutive form of the Greek word "syrtos", which is the common name for several Cretan folk dances. Syrtos is often contrasted with another Cretan dance style - pidichtos, which includes elements with jumps and leaps. Sirtaki contains elements of sirtos in the slow part and pidichthos in the fast part.

Choreography

Sirtaki dance standing in a line or, less commonly, standing in a circle and placing their hands on the shoulders of their neighbors. The meter is 4/4, the tempo increases, 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 more abrupt ones, often including jumps and leaps.

Interesting Facts

Where did the Sirtaki dance come from?

Symbol of Greece and Greek culture. Sirtaki is loved not only by the indigenous inhabitants of the islands; tourists also appreciate this dance. This melody cannot be confused with any other. Its motif is recognizable far beyond the borders of Greece. The authorship belongs to the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.

The most famous melody leaves no one indifferent. The dancers claim that every movement of the fascinating choreographic masterpiece takes them to a different reality. Those around them no longer confuse the actors; they bring their every movement to the point of automatism, it is impossible to stop.

Origins and originsSirtaki

Everyone famous dance did not originate during the life of the ancient Greeks. It was created in the 60s of the last century. It has become a real national tradition thanks to the film “Zorba the Greek,” directed by Michalis Kakoyannis. The dance is based on the idea of a slow beginning, a gradual unfolding of events and a rapid ending. This principle, according to the mayor of Athens, who was in this position in the 1960s, is national trait Greeks

Sirtaki is considered an ancient dance of butchers. Allegedly, it was from them that the director of the film “Zorba the Greek” spied the basic movements. But according to another version, the actor who was assigned to the main role, Anthony Quinn (Alexis Zorba), broke his leg right before the start of filming. To find a way out of the situation, a kind of dance was invented for him. His sliding movements began at at a slow pace, but with the development of the motive, they rhythmically accelerated. This solution was presented to the director by composer Mikis Theodorakis, and Quinn came up with the name Sirtaki, which received recognition and wide distribution.

The Greek folk choreographic genre “syrtos” developed in Crete. It is believed that Quinn drew an analogy from him when he used the movements in his work as Zorb. He claimed that a local Greek taught him such body movements, and they were forever etched in the actor’s memory with their liveliness, beauty and uniqueness.

According to the plot, written based on the book of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba taught a guest from distant England, Basil, a famous Greek dance. Who would have thought that this particular motive and movements would become the national priority of the country, its business card and a way to attract tourists from different countries peace.

According to another version, it is believed that the basis of sirtaki is not only sirtos, but also the original dance of khasaposerviko. Its movements are sharper than in sirtos and more reminiscent of jumps. It is known that the director invited a fairly famous dancer to work with Quinn, but the actor was unable to learn the basic movements from the teacher and could only perform the slow part of the sirtaki. This is also explained by the artist’s physical condition, namely, a broken leg. Quick movements in the film are performed by Quinn's stunt double. There's some close-up footage of Quinn's slow movements, but long-range plans made with a double.

The hymn to the Greek soul, however, was going to be changed already at the film editing stage. But in last moment changed their minds. “There is nothing more accurate that conveys the foundations of Greek culture and the character of this people,” wrote Cacoyannis. Simple melody became the main thread not only of a brilliantly shot movie, but also of the main idea itself, the Greek essence.

Many historians and Greek scholars interpret the concept of “sirta” as touching a flat surface with one’s feet. Acceleration in the process of performing a dance speaks of the skill of the choreographer. By the way, the performer of the role of Zorba, the American Queen, was awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of Greece.”

The essence of sirtaki dance

Well-honed steps are performed in national Greek costumes. This decision is often typical for demonstrating national traditions in front of tourists. In everyday life, the Greeks, in order to show simple combinations of movements at festivals and celebrations, do not dress in national clothes. Their attire is quite simple.

IN modern Greece Every dance movement can no longer be attributed to its origins. In just half a century, so many variations have appeared that they cannot be counted. But the essence remains intact:

Slow start.

Gradual acceleration of the pace.

A fast ending.

To this day, this choreographic ensemble is called “Zorba’s Dance.” The Greeks love their hero and are happy to demonstrate their favorite movements. It is impossible to perform the dance alone. This is a collective decision. The perfect combination when 10-15 people dance sirtaki. At first they line up, demonstrating smooth movements with their legs, but they can also merge into a circle. This is not forbidden. When characteristic movements still show large quantity people, they line up in several lines, then forming a couple of circles.

A mandatory ritual is to place your hands on your neighbor’s shoulders during the dance and touch your torso with him. Legs never cross with a brother. Don't unclasp your hands. This contradicts the main idea of sirtaki. The ideal option is a dance when the dancers' legs rise and glide smoothly, synchronously, not lagging behind the music by a beat.

Smooth movements consist of a trinity:

Half squat.

The crossed zigzag movement, especially when the dancers move in a circle, makes a lasting impression on the audience. The size of the music is four quarters. But as the tempo increases, it turns into 2/4. In this rhythm it is easier to jump and move faster.

Folk masterpieces

In the summer of 2012 in Volos, as a result of a planned action, more than 5,500 Greeks, aged from 13 to 90 years old, lined up in a kind of sirtaki round dance. This was another Guinness World Record under the light of the Moon, which became the only one in the world in terms of scale and number of participants. The choreographic steps lasted exactly 5 minutes, and the dancers were residents of Volos, Athens, Thessaloniki, Larisa, Trikala, and islanders. The Greek synchronized swimming team also joined.

Greeks never betray their national traditions. Every festival or celebration is accompanied by collective steps. For tourists, this is another page in Greek culture. It is so original that there are no analogues in the world. The melody itself has gained fans all over the world. Now, when people hear the fiery tune of sirtaki, associations arise only with Greece.

Almost all scenes of the film "Zorba the Greek" were filmed in Crete. The famous island has always been particularly popular among tourists. This is the most large island in the Greek Republic. Almost every tourist who arrives in Crete strives to come to the city of Rethymno. It is located in the northern part of Crete and is truly considered the most beautiful of cities. The port was built by the Italians.

From legend to legend

Crete is filled with legends. It is believed that Zeus, the ruler of the gods, was born on this island. This is why Dikti Cave is popular among tourists. In it, Zeus, taking the form of an ox, hid the kidnapped Europa from prying eyes. And Ariadne was here. Her ball paved the way for Theseus from the intricate passages of the labyrinth, where the well-known Minotaur lived.

What about sirtaki? What else is connected with him, besides the movie he shot? Friendly Greeks will never deny the cultural traditions of other peoples, but they also cherish their own no less than representatives of other nationalities. Distinctive feature Greeks – daily following folk customs. They are used to greeting each other noisily and talking loudly on the street. In this they are a little similar to the Italians.

But at the same time, the inhabitants of Crete and Greece, in general, are quite calm and absolutely naive. Their measured life is so reminiscent of that same sirtaki. Slow, smooth movements, waddle, slowly. But when you need to hurry up or show honor to a neighbor, then they resemble a fly during its flight.

These people speak quietly in everyday life, but sometimes the noise of their voices makes everything around them pale. They are full of emotions and gesticulate. This pace smoothly replaces their philosophical, contemplative attitude towards life.

At approximately 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the Greeks begin their traditional rest. Siesta lasts 3-4 hours. During this period, they eat and sleep, and after that they no longer go to work. In the evening they gather in taverns, where they listen to pleasant music, drink soft or even strong drinks and, in a fit of emotion, dance. What would you think? Of course sirtaki. Collective choreographic steps cannot be stopped.

The most interesting sights of Crete are located a few steps or kilometers from the hotels. Transport is good. There are fishing settlements here, which no tourist will be left dissatisfied with. Almost every city has churches, fortresses, museums and even mosques. In the evening, when young people fill the taverns, it becomes really fun, and everyone dances the fiery sirtaki.

Sirtaki and bouzouki

Bouzouki is a folk plucked string instrument Greeks It is very similar to a lute. Bouzouki is much older modern dance sirtaki. The roots of the instrument are in the distant ancient Greece. It comes from the kithara. Bouzouki is most common in Cyprus, although it is popular throughout Greece.

Previously, three-string double or even triple bouzoukis were played. But now the instrument is often four-stringed (each string is double). It was revived just at the time of the appearance of sirtaki, in the 60s of the last century. For a long time Bouzouki was not recognized, but only in combination with the well-known dance did it gain new popularity. Now it is impossible to imagine sirtaki without the accompaniment of the colorful, rich tones of a plucked string instrument.

That's it for the Greeks cultural traditions don't end. The wonderful combination of sirtaki and bouzouki is only gaining momentum. Representatives of this nationality greatly value fun. Even in times of crisis, the Greeks coined a saying: “Poverty loves a good time.” They don't drink a lot of alcohol. Performing sirtaki is considered an excellent doping. He is the main ingredient in the cocktail of fun.

Bouzouki and other colorful national attractions of Greece can be easily seen everywhere. The fun unfolds closer to night. When entering any of the bars, where it is advisable to reserve seats in advance, tourists can enjoy melodies played on bouzouki. There are night centers and taverns.

Tourists will hear not only national motives. You will get to know Italian and Turkish songs and dances. Programs in bars and entertainment centers different. Sounds modern and folk music. In the summer of 2015, Greece celebrated the 90th anniversary of its national hero, composer Mikis Theodorakis. Let us remind you that the famous Sirtaki melody belongs to his pen. Among other things, I remember symphonies performed by orchestras, ballets, arrangements of folk tunes, and chamber works.

In the bars and taverns of Greece you can also see excursions, including quite young people. Of course, they explore all the sights accompanied by a guide and their school teachers. Tourists do not drink alcohol; they come to watch the sirtaki dancing and are not averse to participating in it themselves.

During music program The tradition of showering guests with flowers has become widespread in Greece. Its roots are in ancient festivals and celebrations. If you really like the performer, or there is a person in the company whom you would like to shower with flowers, you can buy a tray with carnation buds.

When visiting such establishments for local residents and tourists, there is no dress code. Even the well-known Sirtaki dance is danced without dressing up in national costumes.