Greek Dances

[really]

What I meant to ask was can women dance the dances for men and vice-versa.

[Prokomenos]

Originally Posted by really
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Are there dances only for women and dances only for men, Prokomenos? I find that there seems to be more dances for men. Not that I mind.
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So is Mrs. Proko part of a dancing group that dances at Greek events?

Nah Mrs. Proko only dances when we go to weddings or a Greek dance event. She wont dance anywhere else.

[Ellinas]

Originally Posted by really
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Are there dances only for women and dances only for men, Prokomenos? I find that there seems to be more dances for men. Not that I mind.
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So is Mrs. Proko part of a dancing group that dances at Greek events?

Most of the dances are danced by both sexes. They are some dances that require dancers from both sexes to be danced properly (they are danced in couples etc.).

The one which is considered traditionally a dance for men, is Zeimbekiko. The rythm is kind of "masculine" as I mentioned before, and it's a dance that was practiced by warriors the past centuries. The last decades though we see the dance often being practised by women too, however most of the time Zeimbekiko danced by women isn't succesful, because the "moving style" it requires is masculine. I've seen women dancing Zeimbekiko in a feminine way, a way that looked good to the eye, but I don't know if we can say that dance was still a Zeimbekiko.

And of course tsifteteli is a women's dance. I've seen men dancing too but I am not going to comment
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[really]

Ellinas, would the couples dances be more dances from the islands or villages?

Yes, the way some dances are structured, I find it would be difficult to look the same whether a woman dances a men's dance and vice-versa. I think the "body shape" forms part of the dance in a certain way, that's how I kind of perceive it, if you understand what I mean.

I would not mind seeing that mens' tsifteteli.
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What is that belly dance that is danced by a man called?

[Megale]

Originally Posted by Ellinas
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Most of the dances are danced by both sexes. They are some dances that require dancers from both sexes to be danced properly (they are danced in couples etc.).

The one which is considered traditionally a dance for men, is Zeimbekiko. The rythm is kind of "masculine" as I mentioned before, and it's a dance that was practiced by warriors the past centuries. The last decades though we see the dance often being practised by women too, however most of the time Zeimbekiko danced by women isn't succesful, because the "moving style" it requires is masculine. I've seen women dancing Zeimbekiko in a feminine way, a way that looked good to the eye, but I don't know if we can say that dance was still a Zeimbekiko.

And of course tsifteteli is a women's dance. I've seen men dancing too but I am not going to comment
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.

Don't forget the tsamiko too! Yes its danced by women too, but a few women kick the foot like a guy a bit too much! lol

[Ellinas]

Originally Posted by Megale
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Don't forget the tsamiko too! Yes its danced by women too, but a few women kick the foot like a guy a bit too much! lol

Somtimes it looks a bit.. I don't have problem with it though
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[Ellinas]

Originally Posted by really
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Ellinas, would the couples dances be more dances from the islands or villages?

Yes, the couple dances are frequent in the islands and villages.

Originally Posted by really
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Yes, the way some dances are structured, I find it would be difficult to look the same whether a woman dances a men's dance and vice-versa. I think the "body shape" forms part of the dance in a certain way, that's how I kind of perceive it, if you understand what I mean.?

Yes I understand and I agree. That's why Zeimbekiko is traditionally a men's dance and tsifteteli a women's dance. In our era many things are mixed up though, not only the dances :D.

Originally Posted by really
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I would not mind seeing that mens' tsifteteli.
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What is that belly dance that is danced by a man called?

It's called tsifteteli, just being danced by a man. Tsifteteli is the Greek belly dance. I saw it sometimes being danced by men and I was :nah:
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Sometimes men are participating in tsifteteli danced by women, but they are accompanying, not dancing like the women. Like in this video:

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Greek tsifteteli is different from Turkish tsifteteli or Arabian belly dances, it is less "revelatory" and its moves are more limited.

[really]

Thanks Ellinas for the video.

I read in a comment on YouTube that tsifteteli came from Arabic dances. Although more limited as you said, not that I know much about Arabic belly dances, it kind of resembles them. I like with the men accompanying the women, it somehow makes it look more like a dance just to enjoy dancing and not for show.

[really]

There is something that puzzles me, it is that I saw Greek musicians playing clarinet and keyboard in Greek songs/music. Which Greek musical instruments would those be replacing or be close sounding to?

[Ellinas]

Originally Posted by really
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There is something that puzzles me, it is that I saw Greek musicians playing clarinet and keyboard in Greek songs/music. Which Greek musical instruments would those be replacing or be close sounding to?

Clarinet (we call Klarino) is popular in Greek music for more than 2 centuries. It used to be the main instrument of Vlach music and today it is frequently used in Dimotika but also spread in other music genres too.

In Greek music, keyboard is usually used for accordos and other accompaniments for the completion of the rythm. It is not replacing any instruments, it just improves. Except sometimes in more "improvished" orchestras where instruments are missing and they replace toumberleki drum for example with the sounds of the keyboard.