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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.

Values of Greek Dance
in Our Society Today

By Athan Karras

Athan Karras 1955

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The values in Greek folk dancing in our society today is that it contains ancient elements of group behavior, which were discovered then, and which persist to this very day.

The circle dance, which comes to us as a symbol of cosmic principles, such as the sun and the moon, have become part of our intrinsic values that we instinctively respond to. We do not always need to "know," or to literally "understand," but these symbolic expressions that have continued as part of our civilized culture may still be there for a specific reason, rather than just an accident.

Despite our industrial, technological revolutions, we still need to maintain communication with our fellow man. We still need to relate to each other through acts and processes that create a social intercourse.

Not all people are naturally articulate in the literate manner, and some have difficulty in expressing their views, but through folk dance they can exchange ideas, emotions, and feelings through music, song, and dance, and becomes part of the human process instead of feeling alienated from his fellow man. This kind of universal language can continue to bring together the fellowship that the arts were meant to offer to man, as did Prometheus who angered the gods because he felt that it was time that arts were shared by all humanity, and not by any elite group.


Used with permission of the author.