Maria as a professional teacher and choreographer:
My name is Maria and I am a professional dance teacher with a lot of experience in all Greek dances. Looking back on time I was at the age of five (5) when I first started to dance at the festivals following the dance moves of the other dancers to the best of my dancing abilities as being only five years old. The kinds of dance I have been taught and their characteristics were purely authentic because I have been taught to dance by other dancers who had themselves been taught by other dancers etc. all coming from different areas of Kefalonia due to the fact that “dancers” tend to go to different dancing events and take part no matter where and when these events take place!
In 1994 I went to the city of Athens in order to study at the university the art of traditional dancing and see the “world of dance” from a scientific point of view. I wanted to enrich my knowledge with dances originating from greater Greece, but I also wanted to learn what was that that kept alive all these different kinds of dance in people’s memories. At the same time, I did my practice by attending courses of groups who specialized in traditional dances. Due to the fact that I wanted to acquire a spherical knowledge around all types of dance, I used to attend courses in different dancing groups. I have danced with the people from Pontos, Macedonia, Thrace, Crete, Epirus etc. While at university, during my studies in traditional dances, apart from the great variety of repertoire, I have also managed to learn many things of the beginning and the progress of a local research on dancing. I have also been taught a descriptive (I would say) recording of moves-steps in relation to time.
This feeling had been even more intense when I needed to do a local research for the completion of my studies in the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science of Athens in National and Capoditrian University of Athens. The current research was about the customs and dances during a wedding in the village Proti in Serres prefecture (Macedonia). Despite the fact that the information I have collected was enough, I was not content with the depth of the analysis I had done. However, I had already begun and I had felt the need to continue the traveling of dancing through time and space.
Almost right away I was hired to teach Greek traditional dances in various cultural associations as I was also occupied with other professional activities in Kefalonia island. Due to my inner quests and my character, while I was teaching in different social bodies (municipalities – cultural associations), I also started to collect material around anything related to the dancing activities in the island of Kefalonia. I had and I still have excellent relations with old dancers in the most villages of the island as I continue to attend the most of the dancing events that take place in the island. I have kept contact with any specialist in the field of research of traditional dances and I continued with a lot of encouragement, advice and help as well as a lot of love the hard task of research.
I believe that among all, I really should mention the most important facts in my relation to the dancing research. I interviewed, collected all the material I could find (music, dancing moves, traditional costumes) for some local dances. All these were achieved through a common effort of the villagers and me. Hence, I have realized that besides my interest of general and already known information of the dancing repertoire of the island of Kefalonia, I was more intrigued by the discovery of new findings that were in danger of disappearing in time. None the less, it is only wise and professional to try and confirm the information one discovers in order for the material to be set in a real time and space. I have taught traditional dances in almost every area of Kefalonia and I have tried not to transfer elements from one area to the other but to discover the special dancing repertoire of each area, keep it intact and during my teaching transfer it to my students as it is. Being a member of several dancing groups, I have taken part in many Panhellenic dancing festivals and, also, I was asked to express my point of view – research – in dancing in the local newspapers of Kefalonia.
Right after that, I was selected to teach traditional dances and folklore in American students that were studying in Kefalonia. I have collaborating with the following universities: Western Washington, Portland State, Oregon State. Denison University in Ohio state of America was my next important step that brought me to America where I have been interviewed and hired as a World dance Instructor. When I was living in America , at the same time, I taught and organized show dance events and I was also working on my article about the comparative study of two settlements in Kefalonia in order to be published, in the Dance Research Journal. I have completed and published my research in America that deals with “the relationship of American students with Greek traditional dances” aiming at the best way of organizing the lesson plan of Greek traditional dances.
Since 2014 I live and work as physical educator and dance teacher in upper secondary schools in Sweden. But the heart is steal back beats in familiar dance places and dance experiences welcome me back in Kefalonia, Argostoli and farsa.
With my wonderful husband and our three vibrant children enjoying the wonderful summers in Kefalonia and we support the local dance fests us a part of our vacation in Kefalonia.
“I always be an active and energetic spirit with a great passion and “meraki” for Greek dances. Don’t miss the chance to join us as a part of your adventures in Kefalonia island and have the opportunity to active explore the wonderful Kefalonia and the endless Greek dance repertoire”.
