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SyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Efstathios Steve PilidisEfstathios 'Steve' Pilidis is the Director and Youth Advisor for the Pan Macedonian Youth Dance Group of Philadelphia. Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, former dance instructor for numerous GOYA dance groups as well as active participant with the Macedonians for over 20 years with the goal of preserving Hellenism and the Orthodox faith for future generations in our community.2025-07-0155 minSyrtosSyrtosCatching Up with Bobby GarofalisBobby Garofalis is the Director of the Hellenic Youth Dancers at Saints Constantine and Helen in Newport News, Virginia. With over 35 years of experience in Greek dance, he began as a dancer in 1990 and rose to become choreographer, director, and now lead administrator — overseeing 4–5 active youth and adult groups, including the award-winning troupe Enosis.Widely respected for his expertise in the dances of Pontos, Thrace, and the Dodecanese, Bobby’s deepest connection lies with the traditions of Crete — a passion first sparked in 1985 while studying at the Xirouhakis Dance Studio in Chania. Over the past decade, he has work...2025-06-2954 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor Getting to Know Andreas Seas Andreas Seas, is the co-director for the Koinonia dance group in Raleigh North Carolina. He was born in Akrotiri, Cyprus, to two dance teachers, and has been active as a dancer, researcher, and community organizer ever since. His goals as a dance instructor are to preserve Hellenic culture and simultaneously spark interest and curiosity in the next generation of dancers. When he isn’t dancing, Andreas is working to complete his MD and PhD with a focus in biomedical engineering and neurosurgery.Episode Music Credit: The Anemos Music Project 2025-05-1959 minSyrtosSyrtosGnosis 2025: Karpathos and CreteHarry Koutroumanis and Paul Calzada share about the 2025 Gnosis research trip through the Hellenic Performing Arts Foundation to Karpathos and Crete. Learn a bit about their work, and its connection to the Foundation's mission.For more information visit www.hellenicperformingarts.org or @hellenicperformingarts2025-05-0433 minScience FridayScience FridayAn Animal’s Size And Its Cancer Risk | Bastetodon, A 30 Million-Year-Old Apex PredatorA study finds that Peto’s Paradox, which states that larger animals are no more likely to get cancer than smaller ones, may not hold up. Also, a nearly complete predator skull was found in the Egyptian desert. Its lineage indicates that it was a top carnivore of the age. What Does An Animal’s Size Have To Do With Its Cancer Risk? If you throw a huge party, there’s more of a chance of problems than if you host a quiet get-together for a couple of friends. The logic is simple: Having more people...2025-03-0417 minanimalsanimalsAn Animal’s Size And Its Cancer Risk | Bastetodon, A 30 Million-Year-Old Apex PredatorA study finds that Peto’s Paradox, which states that larger animals are no more likely to get cancer than smaller ones, may not hold up. Also, a nearly complete predator skull was found in the Egyptian desert. Its lineage indicates that it was a top carnivore of the age.What Does An Animal’s Size Have To Do With Its Cancer Risk?If you throw a huge party, there’s more of a chance of problems than if you host a quiet get-together for a couple of friends. The logic is simple: Having more people...2025-03-0400 minScience FridayScience FridayAn Animal’s Size And Its Cancer Risk | Bastetodon, A 30 Million-Year-Old Apex PredatorA study finds that Peto’s Paradox, which states that larger animals are no more likely to get cancer than smaller ones, may not hold up. Also, a nearly complete predator skull was found in the Egyptian desert. Its lineage indicates that it was a top carnivore of the age.What Does An Animal’s Size Have To Do With Its Cancer Risk?If you throw a huge party, there’s more of a chance of problems than if you host a quiet get-together for a couple of friends. The logic is simple: Having more people...2025-03-0417 minMediterranean Intangible Heritage SoundscapeMediterranean Intangible Heritage SoundscapeLiving as a meraklis. The Cretan traditional musical practice in motion.The convivial meetings perfectly encapsulate the social dimension of the Cretan traditional music. Within these gatherings, the sound heritage of the Greek island is nurtured and passed on, as explored with Ioannis Papadatos in the previous episode “The social role of parea in the musical tradition of Crete”.As a natural continuation, this episode presents the testimonies of four distinguished Cretan musicians, corroborating the fundamental role of that sense of unity and belonging where different musical forms flow in harmony with the rhythms of traditional dances such as syrtos, pentozali, sousta, kastrinós. In these convivial spaces, aspiring musici...2025-03-0351 minFLASH DIARIO de El Siglo 21 es HoyFLASH DIARIO de El Siglo 21 es HoyEl depredador perdido de EgiptoDescubren en Egipto a Bastetodon, un gran depredador antiguo con dientes afilados y un fuerte mordisco Por Félix Riaño @LocutorCo En 2020, un equipo de científicos liderado por Hesham Sallam, un reconocido paleontólogo egipcio de la Universidad de Mansoura, encontró el cráneo de un depredador prehistórico en el desierto de Egipto. Sallam ha trabajado durante años en la región de Fayum, donde dirige excavaciones para descubrir fósiles de mamíferos antiguos y comprender mejor la evolución de los ecosistemas africanos. Este animal, llamado Bastetodon syrtos, vivió hace 30 millone...2025-02-1806 minFLASH DIARIO de El Siglo 21 es HoyFLASH DIARIO de El Siglo 21 es HoyEl depredador perdido de EgiptoDescubren en Egipto a Bastetodon, un gran depredador antiguo con dientes afilados y un fuerte mordisco Por Félix Riaño @LocutorCo En 2020, un equipo de científicos liderado por Hesham Sallam, un reconocido paleontólogo egipcio de la Universidad de Mansoura, encontró el cráneo de un depredador prehistórico en el desierto de Egipto. Sallam ha trabajado durante años en la región de Fayum, donde dirige excavaciones para descubrir fósiles de mamíferos antiguos y comprender mejor la evolución de los ecosistemas africanos. Este animal, llamado Bastetodon syrtos, vivió hace 30 millone...2025-02-1806 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Vasilios AligiannisVasilios Aligiannis has an extensive and impressive resume within the Greek folk dance community. He is the founder and lead instructor of the Hellenic Lyceum Sydney. Below are excerpts from his remarkable CV. "My lifelong passion for Greek folk dance has led me on a remarkable journey of exploration and discovery throughout Greece. With over twenty five visits to this captivating country, I have immersed myself in its diverse regions, delving into the rich tapestry of its folk dance traditions. Through a meticulous blend of research and firsthand experience, my methodology encompasses a multifaceted approach aimed at...2024-12-301h 25SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Vasiliki MalamatosVasiliki Malamatos is the director of Epanastasi Dance Troupe at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Worth, Texas; and the founder & director of Rizes HDF. Epanastasi is a young-adult competitive dance troupe that she started back in January of 2024 and is an official ministry of the St. Demetrios parish in Fort Worth, Texas. Epanastasi will be hosting Rizes HDF on January 25: a parish level event encouraging dance groups within the Denver Metropolis & beyond to attend for a first ever HDF event in the area. Vasiliki grew up on the East Coast & has been dancing all of h...2024-12-0149 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Eleni KoubiEleni Koubi is a Greek fashion designer who founded her own brand in 2021.The philosophy behind the clothes is that the garment a person wears is not only meant to meet their physical needs and to highlight their beauty, but is an expression of their personality and cultural identity. The brand is promoting sustainability through garments that are not mass produced but instead a few pieces are launched in each collection that are created ethically and made mostly from natural materials, such as cotton, wool or silk, in order to minimize waste.Greek f...2024-11-1833 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Michelle Tsigaridas WellerMichelle is a member of the Greek American Folklore Society based in Astoria, Queens. Michelle was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Athens, with roots in Volos, then moved to San Diego at the age of eight. She proudly both Greek and Filipina but for the purposes of this podcast will focus on the Greek American experience. After moving to the US she found community in the St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church and first FDF was in Anaheim 1997 (?) and continued dancing while in grad school with the St Sophia GOC in Los Angeles. When she moved to New...2024-10-3052 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Harry KoutroumanisHaralambos (Harry) Koutroumanis was born and raised in Tampa, FL, and moved to Charlotte, NC, in 2023 after graduating from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Finance. His folk dance research primarily focuses on the island of Crete.Harry gained interest in Greek folk music and dance through the Cretan Sillogo of Clearwater in 2017, and also began dancing with the Hellas Dancers of Holy Trinity Clearwater. Despite having no Cretan origin, he fell in love with the sound and style of Crete. He attended his first HDF in 2018 with Hell...2024-10-281h 56SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Charlie KletoCharlie Kleto was born in Charlotte NC and is now living in Miami FL working as a physical therapist. He began dancing in Charlotte when he was in kindergarten and competed in his first HDF in 7th grade. Charlie began directing in 2011 and took his first group to compete at HDF 2012. While directing for Holy Trinity in Charlotte, he was also competing with Thrylos in the advanced senior category. Over 6 years ago Charlie moved to Miami for graduate school and very soon began directing the high school group at St George in Hollywood FL. 4 years ago, Charlie created Filiki...2024-09-2535 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Chloe SavvidesJersey born and SoFla raised, Chloe started folk dancing at the age of 15 with the Kamaria Dance Troupe at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL under the direction of Stephanie Balaskas and later, Emmy Louvaris, and competed at her first HDF Competition in 2007 in Clearwater, Fl. She continued on to direct her first festival group during her undergraduate years at Florida State University at the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church in Tallahassee, FL. In 2013, Chloe moved to Charlotte, NC where she joined the Thrylos Dance Troupe under the direction of Sarantos Kaperonis, c...2024-09-181h 03SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Michael ChambersMichael is a native of Knoxville, TN, a self-taught luthier and a lover of Crete. Join us as we chat about his experience and learn how he got to know and love Crete and its culture! You can find Michael on Instagram @mchambers_00Episode music: The Anemos Music Project 2024-09-1543 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Charissa GianosWe are thrilled to kick off season 7 of the Syrtos podcast with Charissa Gianos from Denver, CO! Thank you Charissa for your patience as we navigate a new recording set up for season 7!Don't miss the Kefi at Mile High Dance Workshop and Glendi, September 20-22, in Denver, CO!Also, be sure to listen to the entire episode to learn about some of the amazing CDs Charissa has recorded. Charissa Gianos is the Director of the Denver Dynamis Hellenic competition dance group, and Vice Chair of the Hellenic Dance Academy, a.k.a...2024-09-0831 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Niko HarringtonNiko, born and raised in the Kansas City area, his mom is an immigrant from Greece, and has always made Greek culture important to Niko and his sister. Niko plays Cretan lyra, and bouzouki. He works as a paramedic and firefighter. Episode music: The Anemos Music Project2024-08-0336 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to know the Metropolis of Boston Dance Group and the 2024 Kefi Dance ConferenceThe Metropolis of Boston Dance Group (MYDG) is a not-for-profit Greek folk dance group founded in 1989 by Niki Dimotaki-Sokolove under the auspices of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and is the only dance group in North America certified by the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre of Athens, Greece.The mission established by founder Niki Dimotaki-Sokolove and His Eminence was to instill the culture and tradition of Hellenism and the appreciation of this great heritage in the Greek Orthodox youth of the Boston Metropolis through fellowship, learning, folk dances, and songs. The program of instruction was designed by Kiria Νίκi to...2024-04-1549 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Kristina Headrick, Yia.Mas FounderYia Mas is founded by Greek American Kristina Maria Headrick. After witnessing the effects of Greece's devastating financial crisis on friends and family, Kristina felt compelled to share more about the country's culture and support Greece by bringing Greek wellness products to America. Yia Mas marries Kristina's Greek upbringing with her research on Greek philosophy, dance, design, and culture. Kristina's curiosity and appreciation for self-inquiry inspire her to share Greek folk remedies and ancient traditions and promote Greece beyond the usual diaspora narrative. Kristina holds a degree in history from the University of Virginia. She ha...2024-04-081h 09SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Kaeli McEnteerKaeli McEnteer was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and has been Greek dancing for 15 years. She has just begun directing, having just concluded her first year as director of the Raleigh adult dance troupe “Ischis”. She grew up heavily involved with her home parish of Holy Trinity where her passion for dance was unlocked. Over the years Kaeli has expanded her knowledge of traditional dance through her former directors, going to HDF, doing her own research, attending workshops, and getting involved with other parishes. Kaeli is extremely passionate about dances from the region of Thrace and also enjo...2024-04-0831 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Andonis PlatisAndonis Platis is the adult director for Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society based out of Chicago, IL. A seasoned cardiac medical device professional, he began his career as a perfusionist and researcher in the field of heart failure while also teaching for the community of Saint Demetrios in Tucson, AZ; his hometown. His “καταγωγή” is from the Axaia region near Aigio and Kalavryta. Since college, Andoni found Greek dance as a passionate hobby with on-going research and field studies with particular attention to the Aegean and Ionian islands.  His particular interests lie in the role of the female lead within song and dance as...2024-04-071h 35SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to Know Zaharoula ZogopoulosZaharoula Zogopoulos was born in New York City. She began her Greek folk dance studies while attending the St. Demetrios Day School of Astoria, NY where the love of Hellenic traditions was instilled in her from a young age. She began choreographing her highschool Greek Dance Team and performed with the Pan-Macedonian Association of New York. Parallel to her Greek folk dancing, she continued to train in classical dance in NYC. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Drama, Theater, Dance and Choreography from CUNY Queens College, where she was awarded the “Farah Marcellus Award for Ou...2023-12-3148 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to know Michael GiamalakisMichael grew up in Salt Lake City, UT and from the age of 8 is where he discovered his love and passion for Greek Dancing. Fast forward over 20 years later, Michael still has that passion. Michael has participated in the GOYA dance groups, Dionysios College aged dance group, and the Minotavros Cretan dance groups in Salt Lake City. After his time in the youth groups was complete, he has since became an instructor for the youth dance groups to pass on the traditions to younger generations and hopes to keep the tradition alive for many years to come! ...2023-12-2947 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Nektarios S. AntoniouNektarios S. Antoniou, is the new Principal Cantor of the Ascension Cathedral, Oakland, is a member of the American Academy of Composers, Authors and Publishers, writes & produces Music for PBS' "The Life of Loi". He is the Founding & Artistic Director of Schola Cantorum (which recorded the encyclopedic: “A Story of the City: Constantinople-Istanbul” with a Grammy Award winning and nominated cast). He produced, curated the Byzantine Music for the "Augmented Realities Series" for the Behrakis Galleries, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Arvo Pärt’s haunting O Holy Father Nicholas at the MET Museum (including being feature...2023-12-271h 01SyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor at HDF 2024Maria and Nikos sat down with Stacie and Stavros, competition and FIT chairs of the Hellenic Dance Festival to chat about HDF2024 and more! For more information please visit www.hellenicdancefestival.com and hdf_weekend on Instagram and Facebook.https://www.hellenicdancefestival.com2023-12-2627 minSyrtosSyrtos2023 South Florida Greek Film FestivalTo learn more about the South Florida Greek Film Festival, including sponsorship information and how to submit a film, visit: https://hellenicculturalsocietyofsouthflorida.orgSaturday October 14Savor Cinema: 503 SE 6th Street, Ft Lauderdale6:00pm red carpet6:45pm movie 123 minFollowed by reception sponsored by Souvlaki.gr (http://souvlaki.gr/) Eftihia: The story of songwriter Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou (1893-1972), who escaped the burning of Smyrna and journeyed to Athens, Greece, where she became a major figure in Greek popular music. Her lyrics have become some of the greatest and most timeless hits, such as "Perasmenes mou agapes", "Oniro...2023-09-2025 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Stephanos PelekanisΟ Στέφανος Πελεκανής, ο νεαρός καλλιτέχνης της Παράδοσης που ξεχώρισε και αγαπήθηκε για τις ιδιαίτερες ερμηνείες του αλλά και το ξεχωριστό ηχόχρωμά του είναι ένας νεαρός ερμηνευτής της παραδοσιακής και εκκλησιαστικής μουσικής, φιλόλογος και μουσικός που τιμά την παράδοση και έχει ήδη συνεργαστεί με σπουδαία ονόματα στο χώρο της παραδοσιακής μουσικής κάνοντας περιοδείες σε ολόκληρη την Κύπρο και έχει εμφανιστεί σε διάφορες τηλεοπτικές και ραδιοφωνικές εκπομπές σε Ελλάδα και Κύπρο.Γεννήθηκε στις 3 Φεβρουαρίου του 1987 και από πολύ μικρή ηλικία ασχολήθηκε με την μουσική κάνοντας μαθήματα πιάνου, σολφέζ, θεωρίας της μουσικής, αρμονίας και βυζαντινής μουσικής. Συμμετείχε σε διάφορες μουσικές εκδηλώσεις και χορωδίες και μόλις το 2020 αποφάσισε να ασχοληθεί επαγγελματικά με το τραγούδι.Τον Ιανουάριο του 2022 κυκλοφόρησε τον πρώτο του προσωπικό δίσκο «Τα ποιητάρικα – Η φωνή της Κύπρου» με συμμετοχές από τον χώρο της Παράδοσης, όπως Κυριακού Πελαγία, Μιχάλης Χατζημιχαήλ, Χαμπής Αχνιώτης κ.α. Έχει κυκλοφορήσει επίσης δύο digital albums με ζωντανές ηχογραφήσεις αγαπημένων παραδοσιακών τραγουδιών αλλά και επιλογή βυζαντινών ύμνων. Το 2023 κυκλοφόρησε επίσης δύο επανεκτελέσεις παραδοσιακών τραγουδιών με πειραματική προσέγγιση συνδυάζοντας είδη μουσικής. Βρίσκεται στα σκαριά η δεύτερη δισκογραφική του δουλειά με δικές του συνθέσεις σε στίχους του Μιχάλη Χατζημιχαήλ.Stephanos Pelekanis, a young artist, who honors tradition, renowned for his special interpretations, and distinctive vocal tones, is a performer of traditional and church music, philologist and musician. He has already collaborated with great names in the field of traditional music touring all over Cyprus, and has appeared on various television and radio shows in Greece and Cyprus.He was born on February 3, 1987. From a very young age, Stephanos was involved in music, taking lessons in piano, solfège, music theory, harmony and Byzantine music. He participated in various musical events and choirs, and it was only in 2020 that he decided to engage in singing professionally.In January 2022, he released his first personal album "Ta poitarika - The voice of Cyprus" with contributions from the field of Tradition, such as Kyriakou Pelagia, Michalis Hatzimihail, Hambis Achniotis, etc. He has also released two digital albums with live recordings of many favorite traditional songs, as well as a selection of Byzantine hymns. In 2023 he  released two remakes of traditional Cypriot songs with an experimental approach combining genres of music. His second record, with his own musical compositions to lyrics by Michalis Hatzimichail, is in the works.2023-08-0232 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Gabby and NikoGabriella Papatzimas, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, has always had a strong connection to her Greek heritage. Growing up in the Greek community at Holy Trinity in Phoenix, she embraced the language, culture, and traditions from an early age. As a first-generation Greek-American, Gabriella’s first language is Greek, and she takes immense pride in her roots.After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Arizona State, Gabriella embarked on a career in Real Estate Tech as a People Manager.She also dedicated her time as a Greek School teacher for 11 years, helping younger gene...2023-07-191h 10SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Katherine Papadimitriou LadikosKatherine Papadimitriou Ladikos was born and raised and still lives in Atlanta, GA. At the age of 4, she and her brother Dimitri were dragged from Saturday Morning Cartoons to meet with a woman named Eleni that would teach them Greek Dancing inside the dining room of a restaurant. Who knew from both sides that one simple dance of Kastorianos would take a full day to master and turn into a lifetime of love for Greek Folk Dancing.Katherine & Dimitri would perform their duet for a few years and started learning new dances with the older group that...2023-06-281h 01SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to Know Kostas MitsisKostas Mitsis was born in 1975, in Munich/Germany and moved to Preveza/Greece in 1976, where traditional dance and music held a significant role in his everyday life. He studied Agriculture at the Aristotle’s University of Thessaloniki and Greek Dance and Songs at Lykeion ton Ellinidon of Athens and several other institutions. He speaks Greek, English and German. Kostas has devoted his career to the rich musical and dance traditions of Greece. He is involved for 36 years in the traditional realm as a folk dancer as well a dance instructor, presenting his work on Greek music and da...2023-06-141h 14SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to Know Meredith PanayotopoulosMeredith Panayotopoulos was introduced to and fell in love with all things Greek dancing and culture in college when she met her husband George. She spent 10+ years dancing, directing and co-general directing in San Jose, California. She was blessed to be invited with her dance group to Florina in the summer of 2015, where her love and passion for passing on the beautiful traditions of Greek dance and customs was deepend immensly. From the start she had an affinity for costumes and all of their beautiful and intricate detail work and has been able to use skills learned from childhood...2023-06-1059 minSyrtosSyrtosSeason 4: The Lost Episode with Dimitri CarabasDimitri Carabas is a Composer currently living in Astoria, Queens. He attended The University of Nevada Las Vegas where he earned a Bachelors in Classical Music Composition. There, his writing focused on Post-Romantic and Minimalist styles. With a growing interest in merging Classical writing and Electronics he set his eyes on a Technology degree after his Undergrad. It was in Valencia, Spain where he would earn a Masters in Music Technology, Production, and Innovation from the Berklee College of Music. During this program he focused on Synthesis, Electronic Production, and Video Production. It is his intention as...2023-06-0153 minSyrtosSyrtosDance Etiquette: Ep1 "Don't Be a D on the Dance Floor"We sat down with dance giants to record the first installment of our dance etiquette series. Unofficially we like to call this 'don't be a D on the dance floor'. It's an episode where we bring the voices of many to table to discuss dance etiquette and how the culture in the United States may have influenced dance culture.A giant thank you to our panel guests:Stacie ZoumberakisAris YortzidisDimitrios DallasJoe GraziosiEpisode Music: Endasi2022-08-311h 13SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Maria and ChristosWe sat down for a great conversation with Maria Koulouris Glanz and Christos Pantieras of Ethos Greek Folklore Association based out of Ottawa, Canada. They shared with us their journeys in Greek dance, and how Ethos is supporting the preservation of Hellenic Folklore today. You can learn more about Ethos using the link below. Maria and Christos, we loved having you on, and can't wait to chat again about some of the deeper topics that did not fully make it into this episode.https://www.ethosgreekfolklore.org/aboutEpisode music provided by Endasi2022-08-281h 48SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Rania and MikeRania Samartzis- born in NYC, moved to Athens, Greece until I was 8 yo, then moved to Port Richey, FL and currently living in Palm Harbor,FL. My mom is from Kastoria (Macedonia) and my dad is Athenian (his mom from Smyrna & his dad from Thiva). 
I started dancing when i was in school in Greece as part of the school curriculum, then when we moved to Florida with my family, i joined the local church dance group with my brother. As my brother went into college, the group did not have a college dance group so he ventured out to...2022-07-061h 52SyrtosSyrtosMeet Us On the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Joe GraziosiJoe Kaloyanides Graziosi, from the Boston area, has done extensive research on regional dance in Greece and among Greek communities in the U.S. Drawn to Greek music and dance from a young age Joe was an enthusiastic participant in the Greek church dance and New England area community music scene and danced and taught in the Boston area amateur dance groups “Helios Dancers” and “Meraklides” in the latter 1970s after returning from a semester abroad program in Greece in 1975 where he did dance research under the guidance of the noted folklorist Ted Petrides, concentrating at the time on the danc...2022-05-051h 37SyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know 54ThirtyThe man who needs no introduction, 54Thirty himself, joined me on this week's podcast. We had a good time talking about Greek dance and 900 other things. Enjoy!2022-04-0752 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Anastacia and Stelios ZoumberakisWe had an absolutely amazing time with the Zoumberakis family! Don't miss some outtakes at the end of the episode!Check out Stacie's bio below:Anastacia (Stacie) Zoumberakis has been involved in The Metropolis of San Francisco’s Folk Dance Festival Ministry for over 30 years.  Starting her Greek dance career at 7 years old, she continued dancing for 20 years, ten of which were with the Olympian dancers. She has directed for over 20 years, including groups of all different ages, including adult groups with her husband, Stelios Zoumberakis, who has been a dance judge at FDF...2022-02-021h 36SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know John PeppesJohn Peppes was born in Athens, Greece, and came to America at a young age. He was raised in Tarpon Springs, Florida – a community populated largely by individuals of Greek descent, allowing him to be exposed to the Greek culture all throughout his youth. At the age of six, John started dancing with the St. Nicholas church dance group. Years later, this group would eventually become the Levendia Dance Troupe in Tarpon Springs, Florida under the direction of John Lulias.In the summer of 1983, something clicked and Greek dance quickly became a passion for him. Throughout the 1980s...2021-11-102h 02SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Caterina and Carolina of Greek Folk Dancing QatarCaterina Vasilaki was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She has been dancing ever since she can remember herself. At first following her yiayia and aunts at various panigiria in the Epirus region (homeland to her mother) during the summer vacations and then taking ballet classes in Athens. Then she got in touch with Latin dancing and how dance can be a part of everyday life in a trip she took in Latin America. As a kindergarten teacher employed by the Greek state she moved around different areas in Greece where she participated in local Greek dancing groups. A...2021-11-031h 18SyrtosSyrtosMeet Us on the Dance Floor: Panayotis League Part IIPanayotis (Paddy) League is a performer, composer, ethnomusicologist, and author specializing in the traditional music, oral poetry, and dance of the Greek Aegean islands (as well as Northeast Brazil, the West of Ireland, and the wide world of electric guitar music). He focuses in particular on the violin, laouto (steel-string lute), and tsambouna (goatskin bagpipe) music of Kalymnos and Western Crete, performing and recording throughout Greece and the diaspora and publishing widely in academic and popular journals and online spaces. His book Echoes of the Great Catastrophe: Re-Sounding Anatolian Greekness in Diaspora, recently published by University of Michigan Press...2021-10-2052 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the Dance Floor: Getting to Know Panayotis League, Part IPanayotis (Paddy) League is a performer, composer, ethnomusicologist, and author specializing in the traditional music, oral poetry, and dance of the Greek Aegean islands (as well as Northeast Brazil, the West of Ireland, and the wide world of electric guitar music). He focuses in particular on the violin, laouto (steel-string lute), and tsambouna (goatskin bagpipe) music of Kalymnos and Western Crete, performing and recording throughout Greece and the diaspora and publishing widely in academic and popular journals and online spaces. His book Echoes of the Great Catastrophe: Re-Sounding Anatolian Greekness in Diaspora, recently published by University of Michigan Press...2021-10-131h 17SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Akis TsirigotisWith over 35 years experience as a dancer and 20 years as a dance instructor, Aki’s passion and knowledge for Greek dance has been a large part of his life. His goal is to learn, teach, and preserve Hellenic dance and culture by passing on his knowledge to others. His philosophy entails a holistic approach to teaching and showcasing authentic Greek dances and traditions to all generations and audiences.He began his teaching career as secondary instructor for the Greek School and Romiosyni’s women’s division in 2003. In 2005, he became one of the senior division instructors of Romiosy...2021-09-291h 26SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know DiesiDiesi  is  a  traditional  Greek  band  based  in  Montreal  and  consists  of  Panagiotis Bakalis  (Clarinet,  Flute, Tsambouna),  Harry  Karavitis  (Violin,  Vocals),  Panagiotis Bournakis (Laouto), and Chris Darsaklis (Percussion).The  members  of  Diesi  each  developed  an  appreciation  for  traditional  Greek  music from a young age due to their involvement in traditional Greek dance groups. Through performances and seminars, they developed a network of contacts, which includes many renowned figures of the Greek traditional dance and music scenes. Under the guidance of such individuals, Diesi began developing a musical repertoire spanning all of Greece while remaining attentive to the details of the local musical traditions and styles. On their v...2021-09-222h 28SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Paul CalzadaPaul Calzada was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL before moving to Hollywood, FL at a young age. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from University of Florida and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Engineering from there as well. He is a "Gruban" (Greek Cuban) American; His father is from Cuba and his mother's parents are from Greece, specifically Kremasti, Rhodes and Agrosikia, Pellas (Pontian roots). He began his dance journey in Hollywood, FL from a young age in elementary through high school under the direction of different instructors: first Anna Karan...2021-09-1549 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Peter BournakisPeter has been dancing since the age of 6 within various cultural associations in the Greater Montreal area. Since 2001, he has been dancing exclusively with the performing group, La Troupe Folklorique Grecque Syrtaki (Montreal). He began teaching within La Troupe Folklorique Grecque Syrtaki beginning in 2006 with dances from all regions of Greece. As of 2008, he began more extensively researching dances, ethnographic data and music related to our traditions and created a personal audio-visual library which has grown to over 650 seminars, hours of locally recorded documentation of villagers dancing and in excess of 10,000 traditional music albums spanning all musical repertoires of...2021-09-081h 28SyrtosSyrtosSeason 1 Wrap-Up Part IEvan and Maria sit down, in person, for the first time ever to record this episode of Syrtos. It's a little bit motivational, a little therapeutic, and a bit punch happy. Thank you all for your support for Season 1 of the Syrtos podcast!2021-06-1244 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Dimitrios PapadimitriouDimitri Papadimitriou is a native of Atlanta, GA. His dance and music journey began at the age of five. Under the direction of Eleni Apostolakos-Hopes, his knowledge and love for dance grew like wildfire. He and his sister were some of the first and youngest children in the community to perform with the adult dance group. Through the years, he has attended seminars around the US learning from instructors such as Joe Graziosi, Nikos Zournatzidis, Lazaros Hatzipanayiotou, Christos Papakostas, Kyriako Moissidis and many more. In his early twenties, he took on the role of director of the adult dance g...2021-05-261h 09SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Dimitrios DallasDimitrios Dallas began his musical career at age 10 when local Chicago legend Vasilis Gaitanos pulled him on stage to play bouzouki during one of his live performances. Since then, Dallas has learned to play the violin, laouto, klarino (clarinet) and tsabouna (Greek island bagpipe), among other instruments.He plays in several traveling bands throughout the United States, including Endasi, Zephyros Quartet, To Kreitikos Stavrodromi and Ormi Orchestra.He has also served as the Director of Perifania School of Hellenic Music and Dance since 2007.Episode Music: Endasi Live, Miami 20202021-05-1959 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know John ThemelisJohn grew up listening to Greek, Armenian, Turkish and Arabic music, and was interested in the sounds of the Balkans and Near East. Over the years, he has learned to perform on countless musical instruments from all parts of the Balkan/Near Eastern world. Of all of these instruments, the laouto, violin and tsampouna, have been his main focus, learning to recreate the strumming and playing style of the Cyclades, Dodekanese, Crete and the Mainland of Greece. He has performed throught the USA, Canada and Greece with the likes of Nikos Oikonomidis, Nikos Hatzopoulos, Nikos Sofos, Mavrothis Kontanis and...2021-05-121h 07SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Jordan ElrodJordan Elrod has been dancing since a young age, instructing for the past 20 years, and was the director at St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida for ten of those years. He has taught and participated in many workshops across the United States and Greece, as well as organized workshops in South Florida including The Winter Dance Conference in 2005. He served on the board for the Metropolis of Atlanta’s HDF where he has also been a judge for the past 3 years. He has performed with, and played music for multiple award winning groups at the Metropolis of...2021-05-051h 12SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Sarantos KaperonisMr. Sarantos N. Kaperonis was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, and graduated pharmacy school at South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy. His parents are from Karyes (Arachova), Lakonia, a village in southern Greece.He has been involved in Greek Folk dance from a very young age where he started dancing for his home parish, Holy Trinity, under the direction of Stacie Peroulas and Marina Photopoulos. They were the first people to introduce him to many important characteristics of Greek folk dance. As a member of their dance group, Sarantos competed at the Metropolis of Atlanta’s Hell...2021-04-2853 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Nikos AntonopoulosNikos Antonopoulos Greek Dance instructor, director, student and performer, originally from Seattle, WA now finds himself in the San Francisco Bay area. Over the years has lived between the USA and Greece participating with dance groups, festivals, panigiria, and ethima (local holiday traditions) throughout all of Greece. Having attended seminars in Greece, the USA, and Canada, Niko continues to assist and share these experiences with his students. He is a participant and award winning director at FDF for over 20 years. His involvement in Greek dance continues is rooted in experiences through his travels to Greece and throughout va...2021-04-211h 03SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor at the Psyxi WeekenderWe sat down with Dimitris, the founder of the Psyxi Weekender to chat about the weekend's instructors, musicians, resort venue, and COVID-19 precautions. Tickets for the weekender are on sale now,we hope to see you there!www.psyxiweekend.com FB: Psyxi WeekenderIG: Psyxi.AZ2021-04-2013 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Dean AvdalasDean Avdalas has been a dancer and dance instructor in the Greek community of the Bay Area for over 30 years. His passion and love for Greek culture has led him to develop exemplary skills as a dancer, director, choreographer, and researcher. His main areas of research and interest include Epiros, Sarakatsan villages, and Megalo Monastiri (refugees residing in Neo Monastiri, Domokou, Thessalia). Dean has presented groundbreaking work with the Albanian border villages of Northern Epiros and the customs of the Dodekaimerou in Neo Monastiri. He has amassed a vast collection of field research and music from all...2021-04-142h 04SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Jimmy DebekosJimmy Debekos, native of Seattle, grew up between the States and Greece, specifically Arachova (Karyes Lakonia) When Jimmy returned to the States, he joined the local church dance troupe, in his late teens, early 20s, He found his love for dance washing dishes in his family’s restaurant to tape recordings. A natural performer, Jimmy shares with us his experiences with FDF, dance in Seattle, and his life on TikTok.2021-04-0743 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Lindsey Fostinis KivetosLindsey Fostinis Kivetos, from Sacramento California, is a lifelong lover (and student!) of Greek dancing. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, with formative years spent dancing and directing in the small but mighty community of Modesto, she currently is the director of the young adult group, Deos in the Annunciation parish. She has done extensive research in many regions, but her specialty and passion are the traditions, dances, and songs from Roumlouki, Macedonia (present day Alexandreia). As an attendee of over 33 FDF's, Lindsey has been fortunate to participate and in and instruct many award winning groups; most recently Deos as t...2021-03-311h 07SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Stacie and StavrosStacie is the board Chair of the Greek Folk Dance Program at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Charlotte, the largest program of its kind in the U.S. A native of Hampton, VA, Stacie was first exposed to Greek folk dance as a young child at her hometown church in Newport News, VA. Since moving to Charlotte in 2001, Stacie has overseen the growth of Holy Trinity’s program, including the development of a grade-level curriculum that serves almost 400 students. In addition to teaching classes and dancing with the Charlotte-based troupe, Thrylos, Stacie also serves as the Director of Comp...2021-03-241h 13SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Christopher C. KingChristopher C. King is a Grammy-winning producer, musicologist as well as a prominent 78 rpm collector. He has been profiled in the New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post, and has written for the Paris Review, the Oxford American and Airmail News.Christopher was born and raised in southwest Virginia and studied philosophy at Radford University. Over the course of the last ten years, he has researched the tradition of Greek demotika songs, especially in Epirus. In 2018, W.W. Norton published his book, Lament from Epirus: An Odyssey into Europe’s Oldest Surviving Folk Music, to wide cr...2021-03-2234 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Bobby GarofalisBobby Garofalis is the currently the director of the Hellenic Youth Dancers at Saints Constantine and Helen in Newport News. Bobby has been involved with Greek dance for over 35 years. He is well versed in the dances of many areas of Greece (Pontos, Dodecanese, Thraki) with a special emphasis on Crete.Bobby began as a dancer for the Hellenic Youth Dancers in 1990 and then became choreographer, director, and now lead Director/Administrator. He leads anywhere from 4-5 groups including the Adult Group Enosis who perform and compete in numerous events throughout the country. Bobby has been honored...2021-03-171h 07SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Anna and Aris YortzidisAris Yortzidis has been involved with Greek folk dancing for over 37 years in various capacities--as a dancer, director, and judge. He began dancing in his home parish of St. George in Downey, CA in 1982 and also performed with various groups in southern California. In 1995 and until his departure from Southern California in 2000, Aris directed groups at St. George, Downey, CA; Sts. Constantine and Helen, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA; and St. Katherine, Redondo Beach, CA. In 1996, Aris received an scholarship from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Folk Dance Festival that provided him the opportunity to research the dances of Serres; the dance...2021-03-101h 12SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Yvonne Hunt** As a clarification to the episode, Clean Monday, is March 15, 2021**Yvonne Hunt has been teaching and researching Greek dances for more than 30 years, working with Father Homer Dimopoulos to establish the dance program at Seattle’s St. Demetrios Church in 1974. During that time the “Paniyiri” dance group was formed under her direction and represented the Seattle Greek community at many functions throughout the state and British Columbia. Yvonne also taught Greek dances in the University of Washington dance department in 1975-76 and 1978-79, as well as Greek and other Balkan dances at the Experimental College there from 1972 to 197...2021-03-081h 17SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Michael SavasMike has been dancing Greek folk dances for over 35 years. His love and interest in Greek folk dancing have led him to participate in several dance conferences throughout the east coast and Canada, learning from the best, authentic Greek folk dance instructors in the world. As the Dance Director for the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon, he has performed throughout New England and the east coast with the troupe. Outside of Greek dancing, Mike teaches 8th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies at a middle school in Framingham, Massachusetts.For more information on the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon visit...2021-03-0356 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Nick VosinasNick Vosinas has been dancing and instructing with various groups throughout central New Jersey. He is the head GOYA dance instructor at St. Anna, Flemington (since 2013), Head GOYA dance instructor at St. George, Piscataway (since 2016), Artistic Director (since 2019) and Historian (since 2014) of the Hellenic Dancers of NJ. HDNJ contact info: hellenicdancersofnj.org@HDNJ1972 (Instagram)https://www.facebook.com/HellenicDancersOfNJhdnj1972@gmail.com2021-02-2458 minSyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Phil VoutsakisWe're back, with Phil Voutsakis, speaking about his dance experiences, his favorite regions and traditions. This Philly native also weighs in on the best place to get a cheesesteak, and you may be surprised with his answer. Phil Voutsakis has been a Greek folk dancer for 20+ years and was a founding member of the St. George Zephyros Seniors folk dance group in 2003, a GOYA aged (7th - 12th Graders) group. Phil was brought back to instruct the group in 2016. Under Phil's instruction, the Zephyros Seniors have taken first at the Metropolis of New Jersey's Folk Dance Festival...2021-02-191h 09SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: Getting to know Maria G, her dance story and the island of KalymnosMaria, a native of the Chicago-land area, sat down with us to share a bit about dance in the 1970s, her experiences as an instructor and her love for dances from Kalymnos. 2021-02-101h 12SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: getting to know Beba, her dance story and traditions of SkyrosToday we sat down with Beba to learn about how she got involved in Greek dancing, and the culture and traditions on the island of Skyros that she experienced. Interested in being a guest on the podcast, email us at SyrtosPodcast@gmail.com, follow us on IG at Syrtos_Podcast. Episode Notes Skyros https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgcHGviB6Oc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjHmKsT6dtI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTdJ2JU367Y https://www.youtube...2021-02-031h 16SyrtosSyrtosMeet us on the dance floor: getting to know Evan and MariaWelcome to the Syrtos podcast! Enjoy this episode getting to know Evan and Maria, and the intentions of this podcast. If you're interested in being on the show, please email us at SyrtosPodcast@gmail.com, find us on Instagram @syrtos_podcast, like subscribe and rate us today!  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app 2021-01-311h 22بیوگوبیوگواپیزود ٠۴ - سیاح مشرق زمینسیاح مشرق زمین اپیزود چهارم بیوگو به زندگی و سفرهای ابن‌بطوطه اختصاص دارد. مردی که هشت قرن پیش، حدود سی سال از عمر خود را در سفر گذراند و با تقسیمات جهان امروز، به ۳۵ کشور سفر کرد. مسیر ۱۱۷ هزار کیلومتری (معادل ۳ دور کره زمین) که او طی کرد، با همه داستان‌هایش از یاد رفته بود اگر نویسنده‌ای پیدا نمی‌کرد تا شرح سفرهایش را برایش ثبت کند. در ادامه این شماره، قرن‌ها را ورق زدیم تا رسیدیم به جهان‌گردی که بیست سال پیش سفرهایش را از مسیر جاده ابریشم شروع کرد و با موتورسیکلت از اروپا، آمریکا و آفریقا گذشت و حالا منتظر یک قدم عقب‌نشینی کووید۱۹ است تا کوله‌پشتی‌اش را بردارد و راهی شود. مصاحبه ما را با معصومه امیری‌مقدم خواهید شنید. این گفتگو شوخی‌ای است با آقای ابن‌بطوطه که از قدرت زنان در برخی کشورها حیرت و شکایت کرده! جاده‌ها و کتابخانه‌ها منتظر می‌مانند. راه‌ها منتظر مسافران و کتابخانه‌ها منتظر قصه‌های سفر. سفرنامه ثبت شوق رفتن است و راوی، تا جهان هست مسافر می‌ماند.   متن سفرنامه ابن‌بطوطه | سیاح مشرق زمین پادنامه: الهام انصاری، سعید مساحی تنظیم برای پادکست: الناز انصاری مصاحبه اختصاصی با خانم معصومه امیری‌مقدم (از دقیقه ۳۸:۵۰) ضبط گوینده و کارگردان: اشکان سهروردی ضبط و تدوین: آرش سهروردی سایر منابع عکس‌ها: Getty Images موسیقی‌ متن اپیزود ۰۴ را بشنوید: Spotify Soundtracks Misirlou – George Abdo Azizie Syrtos – East Mediterranean Musical Instruments: “Fiddles” (Egypt, Turkey, Greece) Blue Little Flower (Chinese Traditional) Hams ElLail – Mamdoh El Gibaley Helm – Mamdoh El Gibaley Masâr – Le Trio Joubran Happiness New Ceremony(Noaeen-e Sorud) The Ambush – Chinese Traditional Group Pure White Hada Scarf – Zhou Yu Temple Scene and Dance Practice – Ravi Shankar Persian Traditional Avaz-e Dashti – Traditional, Kayhan Kalhor Oud Taqasim 1 – Naser Omar You’r My Chocolate – Savages 10PM Studio SFX & Presets jQuery(function() { setTimeout(function(){ jQuery("#lbg_audio2_html5_4").audio2_html5({ skin:"blackControllers", playerWidth:750, responsive:true, initialVolume:1, autoPlay:false, loop:false, shuffle:false, playerBg:"#F8F8F8", bufferEmptyColor:"#999999", bufferFullColor:"#666666", seekbarColor:"#ceac17", volumeOffColor:"#999999", volumeOnColor:"#ceac17", timerColor:"#242224", songTitleColor:"#000000", songAuthorColor:"#222222", bordersDivColor:"#333333", googleTrakingOn:false, googleTrakingCode:"", showRewindBut:false, showShuffleBut:false, showDownloadBut:false, showBuyBut:false, showLyricsBut:false, buyButTitle:"Buy Now", lyricsButTitle:"Lyrics", buyButTarget:"_blank", lyricsButTarget:"_blank", showFacebookBut:false, facebookAppID:"", facebookShareTitle:"HTML5 Audio Player PRO", facebookShareDescription:"A top-notch responsive HTML5 Audio Player compatible with all major browsers and mobile devices.", showTwitterBut:false, showAuthor:true...2020-12-0849 minSyrtosSyrtosSyrtos: IntroductionWelcome to the Syrtos Podcast! Join us for episodes that center around Greek folk dance, culture and history. For more information, or to be a guest on the podcast, please email HellenicPerformingArts@gmail.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app 2020-03-2204 min