This Island Life: Katerini Dance Group #1

This Island Life, examines aspects of life on the Aegean island of Ikaria. On Saturday, June 14, 2008, a Festival of Greek Dance was held in the village of Rahes, and this film is one of several showing a dance group from Katerini (on mainland Greece), performing at the festival. The festival took place on the village baskball court, under lights that attracted hundreds of moths and other airborne insects which fell constantly onto the heads of the audience below. This probably explains why only half the lights were turned on during the performances. Unfortunately, this also made it extremely difficult to get good, well lit footage of the dances.Audience chatter and the constant movement of children and adults across the 'stage' seems to be part and parcel of any event of this type, given the location, and the hot summer night. In the end, it all goes towards creating yet another unforgettable and unique Greek island experience.Musical accompaniment is provided throughout the dance by a percussionist and a man playing a 'tsampouna', a traditional instrument with obvious links to the Scottish bagpipe and the gaida. The body, or bag of the tsampouna is made out of sheep skin.In the opening dialogue, the shepard kneeling on the ground is approached by a friend asking the way to a paniyiri, a festival celebrating Greek saints of the Orthodox Church. The shepard gives his friend complicated and elaborate directions to the festival which elicits laughs from the audience. Their dialogue finishes with both men arranging to meet later at the festival where much dancing and merriment is sure to take place.======================== =========Jim Lesses was born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, where he has lived for most of his life. Born to Greek migrant parents, and one of eight children, Jim has traveled extensively - most recently to the birth island of both his parents, Ikaria.Jim is a singer songwriter, film buff and now, amateur film maker. He made these short films while staying on Ikaria during May-August, 2008.Jim has recorded and released two albums of original music, and has his own website at http://www.jimlesses.com from where you can hear his music, read full lyrics to his songs, and learn much more than you ever wanted to know about Jim and his career.You may also like to visit Jim's other YouTube site here: http://www.youtube.com/ikarian... Two of Jim's sisters have returned to live on Ikaria, and Jim has filmed one of these sisters, Irene, in everyday situations as she goes about her daily life. You can see these films here under the category, "Irene's Kitchen".Irene has rooms for rent in the Ikarian village of Kampos. More information can be found by reading the notes that accompany the "Irene's Kitchen" videos.

Channel: Music
Uploaded: December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm
Author: jimlesses

Length: 04:26
Rating: 5.00
Views: 307

Tags: Aegean  bagpipes  culture  Folk  gaida  Gevezes  Greece  Ikaria  Irene  island  Jim  Kampos  Katerini  Lesses  life  Music  Sea  this  tsampouna  World  

Video Comments