The country is mostly Greek Orthodox and people celebrate Easter with a variety of processions that are accompanied by traditional dance troops. Amongst the many dances performed during this season are the tsamikos, and kalamatianos. Introduction to Greek dancing G reek dance is said to have an intimate relationship to the phrasings of the words which accompany it. The dancer takes a series of steps phrased with varying patterns to match the exact rhythm of the words. Greek language relies on the varying length of the syllables in order to get the correct inflation and rhythm of the sentences.
Dancers change position in relation to the line of dance.
The dance usually starts with the right foot and moves counter-clockwise. In the slower dances this change usually occurs with every step, as in the Kalamatianos, in which the dancer begins facing the center, turns his back to the line of dance and then faces it, when performing his first three steps. O ne of a variety of syrtoes. Syrto means dragging or pulling dance, and it is an ancient type of dance. The Kalamatiano was the popular syrto in the south and, because the south was liberated first, it became the national dance and spread elsewhere.