If you love to celebrate and are interested in Cretan culture, attending a traditional festival in Crete is a great way to combine both. Throughout the year, many feasts called panigiri take place in local villages, and the experience is truly spectacular. But how are these Cretan dances related to the cultural local traditions throughout history?
Dancing has been strongly associated with the Cretan culture since ancient times. According to mythology, Rhea taught the Cretans the art of music to cover the crying of her newborn son, Zeus. Later, during the Minoan period, the Cretans performed circular dances around altars as a part of their sacrificial rituals to their gods. Today, traditional dances have undergone numerous variations, but they still retain their original form. They have become a symbol of courage and freedom.
The dancing tradition of Crete contains a lot of performances with traditional attire, but five became the most popular.
Pentozali
This dynamic dance is fast and bouncy, lively and enthusiastic. It is considered a martial dance and a symbol of freedom for the locals; the whole composition of this performance is a reminder of the Cretan emancipation from the Ottomans. Dancers form a circle with their arms stretched, holding each other’s shoulders. It is a vivid performance, a pleasure for the eyes, that you will surely enjoy!
Sousta
For this performance dancers form couples and dance face to face. This dance is the symbol of love and conquest, as the dancers narrate their love story through their bouncy moves. They engage in a dancing dialogue, where the man uses wide and masculine moves to invite his partner to join him. She, in turn, responds with gentle and elegant steps either accepting or rejecting his invitation. Enjoy a glass of wine and admire an unfolding romantic tale!
Malevizotis
This dance took its name from Malevizi, after a province in Rethymno. It is performed in a circle, with men and women holding hands and making fast, dynamic, and jumpy steps back and forth. The first dancer has the freedom to improvise and showcase their skills with vivid moves, jumps, turns, and seats, making for an impressive performance.
Sirtos
This dance is also called Chaniotikos, which means from Chania. For this performance dancers form a circle, hold hands, and modestly take slow, dragged steps to the right. It is considered a ritual and revolutionary dance, the most popular around the island. According to the Cretan traditions, during the war, when soldiers had a few moments to rest, they used to sing encouraging songs that helped them keep going. After the war, during a wedding, the instrumentalist was ordered to play these songs to perform a ritual of honor to these times. After a few variants through the years, Sirtos is an integral part of every Cretan feast.
Siganos
For this slow-moving performance, dancers form a circle, hold each other’s shoulders with their arms stretched, and dance to the sound of Lyra. Traditionally, the instrumentalist sits in the center of the circle for better acoustics, while the singer improvises a short, four-line verse, called mantinada; the verse is repeated by the dancers and the singer moves to the next one. Cretans are known for their ability to effortlessly improvise verses, often taking the opportunity to confess their love to their partner during a dance.
Cretan dances are a vivid impression of their cultural inheritance and locals surely know how to feast! With hosts serving local delicacies and abundant wine or raki, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the rich Cretan culture and hospitality. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of one of the liveliest and most authentic cultural experiences in the world!