SYRTAKI DANCE

Syrtaki ia a recent Greek dance, known all over the world. The name comes from the Greek word "syrtos" which means "drag (the dance)". 

It is an easy dance, because it is a mixture of the slow and the fast versions of another dance called "hasapiko".

The original dance was simplified for the needs of a movie. It was choreographed by Giorgos Provias for a 1964 movie entitled "Zorbas, the Greek," accompanied with music composed by Mikis Theodorakis.

 

On August 31, 2012, the Sirtaki Dance Guinness World Record was broken by 5,614 people dancing sirtaki for five minutes by the sea, starting from the port of the city of Volos in Greece. The Association for Social Impact and Culture to the Municipality of Magnisia organized the event on the main beach of the town of Volos under the light of the second full moon of the month.  The idea came from a Volos resident, Alexia Halvatzakou, who suggested it to the municipal services as an alternative way to promote the area.