Sep 27, 2010

Nikos Deja Vu - The Pontian Dance Sera by Argonauts Komninoi [HQ]




A home video of the Pontian Dance group "Argonauts Komninoi" at "Pontiaki Estia" in Melbourne Australia

They dance the ancient "Pyrrhic" dance called "Sera". Made up of 2 sections. The slow start called "Atsiapat" (a name of a town in Pontos / Karadeniz - todays Turkey) and the "Tromakton" (meaning lively / scary) part.
The name "Sera" comes from a town next to Trapezounta - Trabzon in Pontos (modern Northern Turkey) were it was said the best dancers came from (and still do!)

Then 2 of the dancers break away to dance the knife dance.

It is mentioned also by Xenophon in his book "Anavasis" that 2 soldiers danced around the fire to entertain others, one pretends to be hit and is dragged off .....

This group has danced internationally all around the world, even seen at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

The first dancer is the dance teacher Christos Theodoridis (who also was the teacher at Dora Stratou dance academy).
Their names are Christos theodoridis, Leonidas, Dimitris Gourzoulidis, Panagiotis Apostolidis, Nikos Konstantinidis, Giouras Savinidis, Kostas Savinidis.

On the Ntaouli (drum) is Theodoros Kotidis who is now a well know lyra player
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THE PYRRHIC DANCE

Spartan soldiers dance the Pyrrichian dance

A warlike men's dance from Pontos. In the Odyssey, Odysseus travels along the Black Sea and Homer mentions a war dance, Pyrrihos. Because Pontics preserved many ancient Greek customs and linguistic features, many people think that this dance is the Pyrrihos. The modern name refers to a river near Trapezounda (English Trebizond, Turkish Trabzon, the major city of Pontos) were it is said that the best dances came from. The rhythm starts in 7/16 and becomes an even meter when the dance speeds up. Today Serra is usually a show dance performed by a small number of men who know the same variations. This dance should not be confused with Serenitsa, which is completely different.

The most famous war-dance of antiquity (ancient Greeks), received its name from Pyrrichos, a Dorian.
It was danced to the flute, and its time was very quick: the pyrriche or pyrrhic dance which was performed in armor.

"Ye have the Pyrrhic dance as often, Where is the Pyrrhic phalanx gone?" - Byron

The dancers imitated the actions of battle to the sound of a reed-pipe. The dance is named after its inventor, Pyrriche the Dorian, so there is no connection to the Pyrrhic of Pyrrhic victory. Julius Caesar introduced it into Rome. A relic of the pyrriche survives to this in day Greece, it is also known as Romeika..

Nikos Deja Vu
http://n1k0s.multiply.com/

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