Official Name : Hellas Dance Troupe of the Macedonian Society of Greater Chicago.
Dance Instructor : Tom Papadopoulos
Assistant Dance Instructor : Aleks Markovic
Websites : www.macedoniancc.com and www.myspace.com/hellas_dance_troupe
Current age range of members : 10 – 40
Proposed groupings : Lessons are open to all ages. Performers: 16-40 years of age or at the instructor’s discretion.
Target population for recruiting : Youth of Greek descent in the Chicago land area, with a focus on youth living in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. (Note: the dance troupe is open to everyone from all ethnic back-grounds.)
Target audiences/places for performing : Greek-American organizations in the Chicago land and Mid-West area. These include church events/summer festivals, Greek cultural events, and international events.
What should members expect to learn : The dance troupe’s purpose is to continue the Hellenic traditions and dances that have been passed down from generation to generation. The troupe performs dances from mainland Greece, the Greek Islands, Asia Minor, Pontus, and Cyprus. The aim is to educate dancers on the history behind the dances as well as the history of the costumes and their meanings in relation to Greek culture, with an emphasis on Macedonian dance and folklore.
Other benefits of joining the dance troupe : The dance troupe travels often and enjoys fun road trips throughout the year. The troupe has participated and performed at Pan-Macedonian Youth conferences in various cities such as Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, and Kavala, Greece, and has attended and performed at a dance seminar in Canada. These trips have given members the opportunity to meet new people and make friendships with youth from around the world who share in the enthusiasm of Hellenic dance and folklore.
What do we expect of dancers :
• Commitment and devotion to learning various Greek dances.
• Mutual respect and cooperation between members.
• Good attendance and availability for performances.
• Assistance in recruiting and marketing of dance troupe.
When is dance practice? : All year round; every Saturday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm (excluding days of performances, holidays, or days off announced in advance),
Where is dance practice? : The Macedonian Cultural Center: 8350 N. Lincoln Avenue, Skokie IL 60077
Fees : $50 donation per person for the first year, and $25 donation for each consecutive year.
Short term goals :
• To send out letters marketing the dance troupe to as many Greek organizations in the Mid-West as possible;
• To recruit 10 new members by the end of Summer 2007;
• To perform at more Greek Orthodox Church festivals;
• To introduce the dance troupe and its mission before each performance;
• To recruit at various Greek Language schools in the Chicago land area.
Long term goals :
• To establish two divisions of the dance troupe based on age and/or experience;
• Recruit members of Macedonian descent to join our dance troupe;
• To have another dance instructor assist current instructors as the dance troupe grows in membership;
• Upon achieving recruitment goals, to consider alternate location for dance practice;
• Cooperation with other dance troupes