Thrace
Thrace: Western Thrace ceded to Greece in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne. The northeastern most province, as an ethnographic region it includes European Turkey (Eastern Thrace) and southern Bulgaria. Traditional dances continue to be enjoyed in Thrace and the region today is a rich source of living folklore. Diversity in hand hold positions is particularly characteristic. Thracians prefer music and dance of a relatively quick and brisk tempo. Their dance lines tend to move as a unit without highly developed leadership improvisations. The bagpipe (gaida) and lyra were the preferred village instruments.
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."
Zonaradiko: The basic dance of Thrace, originally danced by old men but today also by youth and women. Like most Thracian dances, the men dance in front of the line and the women in back. The name comes from "zonari" ( simply "zoni" meaning belt) the standard handhold for the dance is hand-to-belt of the adjacent dancer (Thrace is known for its variety of handholds), although the standard crisscross handhold is sometimes used instead. There are dozens of Zonaradiko songs, usually in 6/8 rhythm but sometimes in 2/4 and 4/4. Many performing groups, following the Dora Stratou theatre, wind up the line at the end of the dance. The Stratou theatre either picked this up from an unusual village or invented it for choreography; in most areas of Thrace, this isn't done.
Gyknas:
Koutso (Koutsos Horos): Thracian dance meaning "Limp". The dance starts slow and with a limping step, symbolizing the wounded soldiers of war, and as the music speeds up, the soldiers loose themselves in the dance and forget their wounds...taking leaping steps and kicking.
Koftos:
Stis Treis:
Syngathistos:
Syrtos:
