Giknas

Last updated
Giknas
Genre folk dance
Origin Orestiada

Giknas is a folk dance from Orestiada in Thrace. The dance name is derived from the color nail polish used by the women at the wedding. The dance is done on the Saturday night prior to the wedding. Each guest leads the dance and offers a small gift to the bridal couple, usually in the form of money. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mantineia</span> Municipal unit in Greece; ancient city in Arcadia, Greece

Mantineia was a city in ancient Arcadia, Greece, which was the site of two significant battles in Classical Greek history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hora (dance)</span> Form of circle dance originating in Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, Greece and the Balkans

Hora, also known as horo and oro, is a type of circle dance originating in Aromanian and Romanian communities, especially in Romania and Moldova. It is also found in other South East European countries and culturally adopted by ethnic minorities such as the Ashkenazi Jews and the Roma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circle dance</span> Style of dance done in a circle with rhythm instruments and singing

Circle dance, or chain dance, is a style of social dance done in a circle, semicircle or a curved line to musical accompaniment, such as rhythm instruments and singing, and is a type of dance where anyone can join in without the need of partners. Unlike line dancing, circle dancers are in physical contact with each other; the connection is made by hand-to-hand, finger-to-finger or hands-on-shoulders, where they follow the leader around the dance floor. Ranging from gentle to energetic, the dance can be an uplifting group experience or part of a meditation.

<i>My Big Fat Greek Wedding</i> 2002 film by Joel Zwick

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone. It follows a young Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochari</span> Folk dance of the Armenian Highlands

Kochari is a folk dance originating in the Armenian Highlands. It is performed today by Armenians, while variants are performed by Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Pontic Greeks. It is a form of circle dance.

Ikariotikos or Kariotikos is a traditional dance and accompanying song originating in Ikaria a Greek island in the North Eastern Aegean Sea. Some specialists say that the traditional Ikariotikos was slow and the quick "version" of it, is a Ballos. The name Kariotikos is mostly used by the locals of Ikaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groomsman</span> Participant in Western wedding ceremonies

A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be selected. From his groomsmen, the groom usually chooses one to serve as best man.

The music of Thrace, a region in Southeastern Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and European Turkey, contains a written history that extends back to the antiquity, when Orpheus became a legendary musician and lived close to Olympus. Though the Thracian people were eventually assimilated by surrounding Balkan groups, elements of Thracian folk music continue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karsilamas</span>

Karsilamas is a Turkish folk dance spread all over Northwest Turkey and carried to Greece by Anatolian Greek immigrants. The term "karşılama" means "encounter, welcoming, greeting" in Turkish. The dance is popular in Northwestern areas of Turkey, especially on wedding parties and festivals.

Sousta is a Greek folk dance, performed at weddings as an activity of courtship between husband and wife. It originates from Ancient Greece, and holds prominence in Dodecanese Islands, and broader Aegean region. It is the second most common Greek dance, after the Syrtos, with many Greek islands and villages adopting their own version. The performance of the dance reflects various gender roles, inter-played with values of romance and marriage. The Sousta acted as a socialisation process between the youth of a village, evolving into a dance central to these youth as they grew up and formed relationships with others. Socially, the Sousta also functioned as a visible verification of courtship, namely paying respects to the wife and her family. The Sousta is most commonly performed as a three-step dance, with a 'hopping' motion and crossed-over hands.

Halay is the national dance of Turkey and a regional category of folk dance styles in central, southern, eastern, and southeastern regions of the country. It is mainly performed by Turks and Kurds in Turkey. Halay and similar dances are parts of multiple ancient folk dance traditions and cultures throughout the Middle East and regions in proximity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalamatianos</span> Greek folk dance

The Kalamatianós is one of the best known dances of Greece. It is a popular Greek folkdance throughout Greece, Cyprus and internationally and is often performed at many social gatherings worldwide. As is the case with most Greek folk dances, it is danced in chain with a counterclockwise rotation, the dancers holding hands.

It forms part of the broader musical tradition of mainland and of the southern Balkans. Compared to other regions of, the music of Macedonia is characterized by a high degree of diversity, due to the numerous influences it has received over the years from neighboring countries and particularly from refugees arriving in the early 20th century. In general terms, Macedonian music can be thought of as the connecting chain between the Western musical tradition of Epirus and Thessaly and the Eastern musical tradition of Thrace and Constantinople.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TLA Releasing</span>

TLA Releasing is a US film distribution and production company owned by TLA Entertainment Group. In March 2011, a new LLC was formed for the operation. Its primary output is LGBT-related films from all over the world under the "TLA Releasing" label, as well as horror films under the label "Danger After Dark". Since 2000, they have released over 200 films on DVD and various VOD platforms.

Syrtos is – in classical and modern Greece – a traditional dance in which the dancers link hands to form a chain or circle, headed by a leader who intermittently breaks away to perform improvised steps.

Endeka Kozanis is a traditional Greek dance, mostly danced at the region of Kozani. According to one point of view, it is a dance that was being danced at the weddings.

The Tapeinos horos is a traditional Greek dance.

Stamoulo is a Greek dance from Aridaia, a former municipality of Pella, Greece. It is a wedding dance that is performed by the couples and their relatives.

Pirgousikos is a dance from Chios done during the festival season called the Apokries (Carnival) before Lent and at weddings. The dance is done in groups of three. Two men and one woman usually dance it and move dancing in a V formation. The dance is accompanied usually performed to an instrumental song. In the past dancers would sing along with a song. The violin is the main instrument used today in playing the melody instead of the traditional bagpipes (tsampouna). The musical rhythm is in 2
4
. It is a dance from the village of Pirgi on the island of Chios.

Sperveri is a dance done at the wedding on the island of Rhodes. It is sung and danced as part of the dressing of the bridal bed. The sperveri refers to the ornate covering of the bridal bed. It is a women's dance. The dance is also accompanied by a song with the title έστολισαν το σπερβερι.

References

  1. "Παραδοσιακοί χοροί της Ελλάδας" [Tradition dances of Greece] (in Greek). pare-dose.net. 18 March 2008.