Syrtos

The syrtos or Sirtos, Sirto is a Greek dance, in which the first dancer the other in a circle or in meander-like patterns leads over the dance floor. Syrtos Choros (Greek Συρτός χορός ) means " looped ", " towed " or " solid dance ". The dancers hold each other's hands, sometimes hold adjacent dancers also shared a handkerchief ( Mantíli ). Especially often this comes before between first and second dancer, because the former thus has a greater freedom in presenting his dancing skills by leaps, turns and special step combinations. This means that all similarities of dances, the " syrtos " in the name, discussed.

Most often, when speaking of syrtos, so one of the many variants of the Inselsyrtós meant. Almost every island (group) has its own syrtos, for example, the Cyclades, the islands of the Dodekanesgruppe, the syrtos of Skíros, the syrtos Silivrianós of Náxos or Chaniótikos ( syrtos of Chania, Crete ).

In addition, there are also on the mainland dances, such as the syrtos the Sarakatsani, syrtos THRAKIS, and others who wear the nickname " syrtos ", but have the Syrta above little in common.

The Inselsyrtos, which will be described later, is one of the most popular dances of Greece, its origin can be traced back to ancient times. He is a typical round dance and is danced in the basic form in an open circuit with an unlimited number of participants. The dancers hold each other as on the hands, the arms of both form a "W".

Dancing takes long-short- short- long-short- short with six steps to two 2/4-Takte in dance rhythm. The dance direction is right, that is directed against the clock and in its basic form to move the dancers with each step in the dance direction forward. Right and left foot change in the sequence of steps, starting with the right foot. Under no circumstance will syrtos similar danced with Nachstellschritten the Samba.

The information in long and short dance rhythm relate to the rate and not on the step length, this is the same size, namely small for each step.

Like most Greek dances of the islands is also the syrtos not danced on the soles but on the bale, and is marked by a characteristic high -low movement, which is called Sustárisma ( by susta = carriage spring).

The different Sirtos variants arise precisely through this each characteristic high -low - sequences, the variation of the line of dance, occasional cross behind a foot and change the body front.

• See also: Sirtaki

• European dance
• Culture ( Greece)
• Greek dancing