Hasapiko

Chasapiko, Hassapikos (Greek Χασάπικο ) or Makelarikos (Greek Μακελλάρικος ) is a Greek folk dance - originally the dance of the butchers guild. Chasapis (Greek: χασάπης - from the Turkish Kasap ) and Makelaris (Greek Μακελλάρης - from the Italian ) mean in Greek butcher.

The dance comes from Konstantin Opel (Istanbul), from the time of Byzantium, and was danced on special festivals of the butchers guild. He will be next to each other danced by one or more persons with shoulder socket in 4/4-Rhythmus. The dance is a free dance, which has no set sequence of steps, and is danced stationary. The musical phrase generally has 8 bars, with some songs a 6 -bar phrase is inserted. The step combinations of the dance phrase is strictly suitable to apply to the musical phrase. Although there is no prescribed step combinations, so-called basic step sequences and basic figures have emerged as the standard. These are then appropriately scheduled for a song in advance or improvised strung together.

Similar dances are popular under different names in all of Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean. For example, in Turkey as Kasap Havasi, Bulgaria and Serbia as Kasapsko or in the Arab world as Debke.

In Michael Cacoyannis ' film Zorba Anthony Quinn danced to the music of Mikis Theodorakis Sirtaki one, which thereby became the internationally -known form of the Greek dance. The Sirtaki created especially for the film and is an implementation of Chasapiko. In Sirtaki slow Chasapiko enters the fast Chasaposerviko. Because of its notoriety is the Sirtaki - so actually a Chasapiko - very common at parties and dance nights in the tourist area of Greece.

Variants of Chasapiko ever by location. For example Navtiko ( Navy ) or Koulouriotiko from Salamis.