Macedonia
Macedonia: Also formally united with Greece in 1913. Greek Macedonia includes a wide arc of territory, east to the Aegean coast and west far inland to the Pindus mountains. Like Epirus, with many mountains and small valleys, Macedonia has an especially rich folk culture. This variety is partially explained by its geographic position as the pivotal point of the Balkans, being the meeting place of the Greek and Slavic worlds with the presence of Vlachs, Albanians and formerly Turks. As a result, Macedonian dances have similarities with bordering regions, e.g. Grevena with Epirus, Florina with Bitola, Yugoslavia, etc. Besides the common clarinet, violin of mainland Greek folk music, one also encounters brass bands, zourna-daouli "zygia", bagpipes (gaida) and lyras. This inherent richness was enhanced by the influx of Greek refugees in the 1910s and 1920s from throughout the Greek world.
Dances:
Paidouska: Before the liberation of northern Greece and southern Bulgaria from Turkish control, dances passed back and forth between Greeks and Bulgarians quite often. Baidouska spread from Bulgaria not only to Greek Macedonia and Thrace but as far north as Romania. In Bulgaria, "baidoushka" describes a class of dances, much like "pidikhto" or "syrto" in Greek; the rhythm is always in 5/16. Greek baidoushkas are often in 5/16 but sometimes in 6/8, 3/8, or 2/4. The ones which I've seen done all have a series of smaller steps in place or to the left, followed by hop-steps to the right. The meaning of the name of is uncertain, but is probably from the Bulgarian word for "limping."
Gaida: Takes its name from the primitive Balkan bagpipe which was once popular in northern Greece but which the clarinet has replaced in most areas. It really refers to a tune, not a dance, since some villages have completely different steps for the same song. The common Gaida dance, however, is known in most of Macedonia. It is probably from the town of Florina and its steps are similar to the Hasaposerviko, although the style is distinctive. The rhythm is 2/4, starting slow and speeding up.
Leventikos: The name, loosely translated, means upstanding or manly. The dance comes from Florina, where it is the most popular dance, but it is also done in other western Macedonian towns such as Kastoria and Kozani. Many songs are used; the music is interesting both for its complex rhythm, usually described as 12/8 (7+5, or 3+2+2+3+2), and for its instrumentation: the areas around Florina are the only place in Greece where brass instruments such as cornet and tuba are used, which the locals adopted from Turkish military bands. There are several variations, including a simplifed version for teaching (it's a difficult dance to do). The dance may be done by men and women. The Slavs call it Poustseno.
Makedonia: This is a relatively new dance and is done throughout Macedonia. The words to the song Famous Macedonia (Makedonia), which are patriotic and sing of Alexander the Great and the 4,000 year Greek presence in Macedonia, were composed to an old tune before World War I when Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians fought for Macedonia. The dance (16 steps in 2/4 rhythm) was composed at the same time, probably in Oneiri.
Omorfoula: From the region of Florina. This dance is fast, and energetic and danced in an open circle. It's name was derived from a song that is no longer remembered.
Nizamikos: A war dance which name comes from the Turkish words, nizam askeri, meaning tactical troups or soldiers.
Syngathistos:
Partalos: Mens dance from thessaloniki. The dance consists of 6 basic steps, and the hands are held by the shoulders.
Pousnitsa: Mens dance from the region of Florina, which can also be called kathistos. It is danced freely, and only by men. The name means kathistos-gonatistos (sitting and kneeling), because it consists of fast kneeling, falling to the knees and quickly getting back up, turns, and kicks.
Raikos: Also called Paitouskino, this dance was originally danced in Naousa, and Edessa. Now danced throughout Macedonia, you can find different variations of this dance and with a slightly different name.
Dimitroula: A women's dance that is named after a song of the area. The dance starts slow in a tight circle, and as the music speeds up, the steps become quicker and the hands begin to move and/or go to the shoulders.
Ormanli:
Paitouskino:
Hasapkia:
Tikfesko:
Trita Pata:
