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Our troupe performs in several different
types of costumes, depending on the type of dances performed. The Makedonomahi, meaning freedom fighter, is from Macedonia, the northern most region of Greece. This costume is also known as the Pavlos Melas. Pavlos Melas was a general from Athens who faught for the freedom of Macedonia, against the Ottoman Empire. |
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The Gida, is one of the most striking Greek costumes.
It is worn in the fifty or so villages of the Roumlouki district in the plain of Yannitsa. The most striking feature of this costume is the unusual headdress (katsouli). It is generally regarded as a sign of pure Hellenic descent and bears a resemblance of an ancient helmet, which according to local tradition has been worn since the days of Alexander The Great. Alexander, in order to reward the women of this district for their gallant
conduct during a battle, is said to have bestowed the helmets of his fallen soldiers, to the wives who fought in their stead. |
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The Foustanella (Tsolias). It was established by Otto, the first King of Greece, as the formal court dress in the middle of the 19th century, prevailed in the urban centers of Moreas (Peloponnese) and Roumeli (Central Greece). This dress was originally the military outfit of the Greek chieftains. The waistcoat is called the “fermeli” and has panels hanging from the back. The men wear a white shirt with puffy sleeves under the fermeli that closes in front. The “foustanella” is the pleated skirt that is made of approximately 400 pleates called “langolia”. Each pleate representing one year of slavery under the Ottoman Turks. The Foustanela has changed in the meaning of detailed work, the length of the “fousta”, and, sometimes, the number of jackets worn. The sleeves have become decorative, resembling wings without the function of sleeves. After all the changes, it has become the standard Pan-Hellenic male costume worn today. |
The Kato Panagia, or Asia Minor female costume is worn on the Aegean coastline. Villages and towns of Asia Minor created a civilization and tradition that remained deep in people's mind and heart even after the 1922 disaster. The costume consists of a black sleeveless dress, a fine white shirt with rich cotton handmade lace at the edges of sleeves, black wool jacket with narrow sleeves lined with red fabric and gold trim decoration and the white headkerchief with floral decorations. (ΚάτωΠαναγιά) |
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The Vraka of Hania, Crete is a colorful, male, island costume. Unlike the mainland costumes, a vraka is worn instead of a foustanella. The word ''vraka'' means generally the male Crete costume although this kind of trousers worn by the islands inhabitants of Greece. The men’s costume is made of heavy wool felt to protect against the cold and is embroidered with black cord. On their heads they wear the black crocheted "mandili" in mourning for the loss of the capitol of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople (present day Istanbul). The tassels dangling in their eyes are said to represent tears for the people lost in the explosion of the monastery at Arkadi in Crete. When the mandili is lowered it is a sign that they are not to be approached. |