2011 Oli Mazi Newsletter

Transcription

issue 2
FEBRuary 2011
Photo by: Kostas Petrakos
A Brief History…35 Years of FDF.
February 17, 2011
X Saint Theodore of Tyre, Great Martyr
Beloved in the Lord,
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if
any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness
and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same
love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
Philippians 2:1-2
It brings me great joy to greet you on the occasion of the 35th Annual
Folk Dance and Choral Festival for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of
San Francisco. The theme for this year’s event is “United”, which not only
represents the unity and fellowship amongst the dancers, but the unity we
share as Orthodox Christians as the Body of Christ.
This weekend is a special gathering for FDF as we celebrate 35 years
of history, culture, and family. Many of you remember those early years,
with just a small number of dance groups participating, and you have remained faithful and been a part of the tremendous growth of this dynamic
ministry. You have been witnesses to the fellowship, the Christian love,
and the cultural pride that have become the trademarks of the Folk Dance
and Choral Festival.
Every person, young and old, who comes to FDF this weekend, will
have an experience that is a feast for the senses. The elaborate costumes,
the ancient music and the thunderous applause from family and friends
will ignite in each person the flame of passion for our Orthodox faith and
Hellenic heritage.
I am grateful to Father Gary Kyriacou and the leadership of the FDF
Board of Trustees and the Management Team for their tireless and unselfish efforts to lead this ministry to new and greater heights. As we reflect
back over the past 35 years, there are many people who served this ministry with dedication and love, and to each them I express the profound
appreciation of the Metropolis.
May we be united in Faith, Dance and Fellowship this weekend, and
may the Lord grant His blessings upon this gathering and throughout our
world.
With Love in Christ,
X Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
May his memory be eternal. Metropolitan Anthony of blessed memory. 1934 - 2004
The Greek Orthodox Folk
Dance and Choral Festival (FDF)
has become one of the most vibrant youth ministries within the
Metropolis of San Francisco. Not
only has it redefined Greek folk
dancing in America, it has become
the central meeting place for Orthodox Christians from all over
the West Coast. It has connected
thousands of Greeks and created
lifelong memories for everyone
that has danced, directed or simply
attended FDF in the last 35 years.
Initially conceived by Peter
Preovolos in the 70’s, a San Diego
businessman and parishioner of St.
Spyridon Church, FDF has grown
to what it is today – a four day
weekend that includes faith-based
workshops, Greek folk dance
competition, Glendi’s and special events that change year after
year. One of the first programs developed by the FDF management
team was a “variety” show which
included Greek dancing and it was
so successful that other groups
were invited to come and dance.
Just like any dance or sports competition, the idea of Greek Folk
Dance Competition was born.
A business plan was soon developed and the junior parish council of San Diego soon developed
collateral material and registration
packets to create a more organized
event. Heading the Western Diocese at that time was His Grace
Bishop Meletios who gave the
project his generous blessing and
thus the Greek Folk Dance and
Choral Festival was born.
Some early supporters of the
FDF program were local international dance teachers Don and El-
lie Hiatt who made up the panel
of judges for the competition. Invitations were mailed out to youth
groups in the Western Diocese
encouraging them to come and
participate. The first FDF comprised of five competing teams, 39
dancers in total, and was held in
the church hall, with judges positioned on the stage and surrounding audience on rented bleachers.
The results were astounding and
the FDF competition was held in
San Diego for three years in a row
after that. By 1980, FDF was transported to San Jose and had grown
to over 300 participants. These
milestones were recognized by the
Western Diocese as a way to bring
young Greek-Americans back to
the Church and further spread the
Orthodox message. The success of
the FDF festival encouraged more
young adults from Northern California to compete in the Festival
and ultimately develop what has
become a major Archdiocese program today referred to as the YAL
Conference. Newly appointed Bishop in
1980, His Grace Bishop Anthony
quickly realized the power and
potential of FDF and encouraged
the competition to include some
religious workshops in its fourday schedule. Over the years these
workshops have been integrated
into the annual Festival and the influence of Metropolitan Anthony
of blessed memory, who passed
away on Christmas Day in 2004,
has been the driving force behind
the festival and how it has evolved
over the years to be what it is today.
Over the last thirty five years,
FDF has progressed, involving
hosts of notable visitors and thousands of participants from the
Western Diocese, Greece, South
America and all over the United
States. The evolution and complexity of the dances has been impressive over the years thanks to the
resources of Greek dance troupes
like the Lykeion Ellinidon of Athens and the Dora Stratou Dance
Theatre, who over the years, have
put out a variety of recorded dance
history continued on page 2
sponsored by: Deree
A Generation of FDF: Rev. Fr. Gary Kyriacou
1976 was a magical
year! The United States
celebrated its Bicentennial, a new house cost an
average of $43,000 and
Nadia Comaneci scored
the first ever perfect score
in gymnastics on the balance beam. Steve Jobs and
Steve Wozniak started a
company called Apple; just
a year earlier Microsoft was
established. If you wanted
to send an email, sorry, you
couldn’t, but if you bought
a stamp it would have cost
you 13 cents. There were
no digital cameras and you
needed $28 to own a Polaroid. You could drive a
Chevy Corvette for about
$5,500, and a gallon of gas
cost 59 cents. If you were
on the St. Spyridon Junior
Parish Council in San Diego you were planning the
very first Greek Orthodox
Folk Dance and Choral
Festival!
A whole generation
later, having influenced the
lives of thousands, FDF is
still going strong. Showcasing over 100 groups
from the Western United States, some Eastern
States, and this year, Hawaii, FDF has grown into
the Western Hemisphere’s
premiere Orthodox youth
ministry program! This
splendid event’s success is
thanks to you, the participants; directors, dancers,
and parents alike! Without your commitment and
desire to continually research, study and develop
Greek Dance, FDF may
not have grown into what
it is today. Without your
combined countless hours
of dance rehearsal, videotape review (now probably
digital recording review)
and devotion to progress
we would all be sitting at
home watching the NBA
All-Star Game (despite my
love of sports, I’ve never
watched that game; I’ve always been at FDF!).
FDF has always provided a platform for Greek
Orthodox youth to meet
each other and interact.
These interactions have led
to many lifelong friendships and even some marriages! Most of you participating in this year’s FDF
were not born in 1976,
your parents not yet even
introduced to each other,
but FDF is still providing
the same opportunity now
as it did then; giving all
participants an opportunity to gather with young
people who share the same
heritage and faith.
FDF has introduced
us to exotic instruments,
musicians from Greece,
and experts in the field of
dance. We have learned
dance steps and seen costumes and choreography
we would never have experienced without this creatively rich, international
platform. A sound engineer confessed to me two
years ago that he had never
provided sound or even
seen some of the instruments featured at FDF. We
have met Orthodox faithful from Atlanta, Alaska,
Hawaii, New York, Argen-
history FROM PAGE 1
seminars taught by some of
FDF’s veteran judges.
material, often serving as
role models for the FDF
dance groups. Today, dedicated
young dancers and seasoned dance directors immerse themselves in the
Greek dance culture, taking field trips to Greek villages, watching countless
videos and attending dance
PAGE 2
A lot has happened
since 1976 and there are
thousands of FDF dancers
who have met through the
Festival, have gotten married and now have their
own children participating
in the competition. FDF
is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year and
tina, and different parts of
Greece (just to name a few)
all because of FDF. Currently, our Greek Orthodox
brothers and sisters in the
Metropolises of Atlanta,
New Jersey and Chicago
host similar Folk Dance
Festivals. Our Metropolis
of San Francisco Greek
Orthodox Folk Dance &
Choral Festival continues
to raise the bar and set the
standard!
In 1976, depending on
their ages, your parents
may have been thrilled to
own a Bugs Bunny Novelty
AM Radio, use the family
typewriter or watch Happy
Days on the one, 28” color television their parents
owned. Only the coolest
kids had a rotary dial phone
in their rooms. Things like
I-pods, laptops, Blue Ray,
social networking and cell
phones were unimaginable back then. Thirty five
years ago, we Greeks were
proud to watch Telly Savalas catch bad guys in the
hit television series Kojak.
We were also proud to be a
part of the first FDF.
Today, we are gratified
by the excitement generated by the cultural experience, competition and
fellowship of FDF. Together we have grown and
changed, but the spirit and
tradition of FDF is something that transcends age
and generation. The core
values of FDF remain the
same today as they were in
the beginning and we continue to enjoy this wonderful opportunity to share our
proud Greek heritage and
our magnificent Orthodox
Faith. I’m confident that
35 years from now we will
gather to celebrate the 70th
Annual Greek Orthodox
Folk Dance and Choral
Festival. We may not be
able to imagine what the
future holds, but one thing
will still be the same; FDF
will continue to provide
lasting memories for all of
us. X
the program is embracing
the success and priceless
impact it has made on the
Greek Orthodox Community over the years. FDF is
definitely here to stay and
looks forward to another
incredible 35 years! X
sponsored by
FDF Vision:
The Greek Orthodox
Folk Dance & Choral
Festival Ministry is dedicated, through Orthodox
Christian Fellowship and
committed leadership, to
promoting, encouraging
and perpetuating the Orthodox faith, Greek heritage and culture among
individuals, families and
communities by expressing it through folk dance,
folk art, music, education
and language.
FDF Goals:
To bring people together in Orthodox
Christian Fellowship and
love, creating greater
communion and stronger
ties through interaction
with fellow Orthodox
Christians.
Provide
leadership
skills to perpetuate the
Ministry through the
practice of acquired leadership skills in the administration of this organization.
Promote ethical and
moral standards befitting
the life of an Orthodox
Christian.
Promote, encourage
and perpetuate Greek heritage and culture through
outreach activities that inform others of the Ministry's events, opportunities
and commitment to its
purposes and goals.
Establish and maintain an administrative
body to achieve the purposes outlined in the mission statement. X
2011 Board of Trustees
His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, Executive Chairman
Father Gary Kyriacou, Chairman
Spiro Beckas, Vice-Chairman
Katia Boudouvas, Operations Officer
Michael Syrengelas, Director of Finance
John Boudouvas, Director of Marketing/PR
Kathy Loukatos Meck, Director of Choral Festival
George Demos, Director of Endowment
Christa Barbas, Judge Coordinator/Liaison
Eleni Beckas, Secretary
George Nickols, Judge Consultant
Anne Sirota, Judge Consultant
Vickie Demos, Scholarships Manager
John Buzas, Legal Consultant
Fr. John Hondros, Liturgical Coordinator
Fr. Peter Stratos, Diakonia Project Coordinator
Fr. Bob Fox, Symposiums and Program Coordinator
Deacon Niko Bekris, Metropolis Youth Director
Laurie Sahines, Parent’s Rep - North
Amalia Chryssopoulos-Skarzenski, Parent’s Rep – South
2011 Management Team:
Christine Alexopoulos
Eleni Beckas
Joanna Demos
Katherine Dikeakos
Vasili Dikeakos
Evangelia Gryparis
Anthony John
Zoe Kaplanis
Christine Karambelas
Voula Kolios
Nick Metrakos
George Mitsopoulos
Katina Mitsopoulos
George Plumis
Kristina Plumis
Manoli Rodarakis
Elizabeth Syrengelas
John Zoumberakis
Registration Team
Vendor Coordinator
Events Team (Opening Ceremonies)
Competition Team
Competition Team
Choral Competition
Competition Team
Events Team (Cultural Night)
Competition Team
Competition Team
Competition Team
Director of Security
Events Team (Banquet Coordinator)
Competition Team
Competition Team
Director of Logistics
Director of Registration
Logistics Team
EXECUTIVE BOARD / MANAGEMENT TEAM MENTORS
Christa Barbas
Spiro Beckas
John Boudouvas
Katia Boudouvas
Fr. Gary Kyriacou
Michael Syrengelas
Judge Coordinator
Vice Chairman
Director of Marketing/PR
Director of Operations
Chairman
Director of Finance
FDF
“My goal is that they may be
encouraged in heart and united in
love, so that they may have the full
riches of complete understanding,
in order that they may know the
mystery of God, namely, Christ…”
Colossians 2:2
Celebrating 35 years of unity through faith, dance and fellowship.
May the Lord abundantly bless the Folk Dance and Choral Festival and
may He, Who is the giver of all good things, continue to be the guiding light
of this ministry for many more years to come!
With Love in Christ,
fdf
Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
PAGE 3
Musician/Performer Bios:
The Glendi continues …
Pontian Musicians
from GreecE
Yianis Fotiadis
Lyra & Periklis Katsiotis
Daouli
Margarita from Fame Story and
the Greek Nite band
Margarita is often described as the “heart of the
party.” Born and raised to a GreekAmerican family in Northern California, she is just as local as she is
global. Margarita was just a teenager at Berkeley High School and
while most kids were listening to
the tunes of their generation, Margarita was drawn to the music of her
ancestors. She would sing Greek
songs on the guitar and eventually
join the Greek band Kymata, playing local festivals, parties and special events. During this time, she
also studied and received her degree
in music from San Francisco State
University where, during her recital,
she proved that opera, musical theatre, or even cabaret style could suit
her just fine. But, it was the Greek
music, however, that filled her heart
and soul. Her ambition took her to
Chicago for a stint headlining in a
local club in the heart of Chicago’s
Greek town. She later moved to Los
Angeles to tackle recording and performing her own music, but when
she learned that auditions for “Fame
Story” were taking place in New
York, off she went to try her luck.
Fame Story was the Greek response
to “American Idol” and “Big Brother” rolled into one where contestants
live in a house together and then
compete weekly, hoping to win a
grand prize that includes a recording
contract. She quickly landed a spot
in the hit series and soon enough,
her smiling image was already on
Greek TV. After an amazing three
year professional career in Greece,
Margarita has brought all her experience and talent back to California
to share. Her long overdue and anticipated Greek CD: “Margarita - Ta
agapimena mou tragoudia (my favorite songs)” was released in May
2005 and she is currently working
on several other projects along with
musician Doug Major.
ZIYIÁ
Traditional Music of Greece
www.ziyia.com
Ziyiá is a band of three musicians from San Francisco, one from
Boston, and one from Seattle, drawn
together in 1990 by a passion for
traditional Greek music.
The sounds of the ensemble
range from the heavy, passionate
dance tunes of mountainous Epiros
in northern Greece to the lithe melodies of the Aegean Islands. Several
traditions have been drawn upon
for Ziyiá’s repertoire, and many indigenous instruments are featured
such as the gaida (bagpipe), oud
& laouto (lutes), lyra and santouri
(bowed and hammered stringed instruments), doumbeleki and daouli
(regional percussion) as well as the
more commonly known clarinet,
violin, accordion and bouzouki.
As individuals, they have all
served on the staff of the annual
Balkan Music Dance Workshops
held on the East and West coasts
and have played countless concerts,
festivals, and dances. As Ziyiá, they
are recognized as one of the finest
exponents of traditional Greek music in the US and are invited to play
for festivals, workshops, weddings
and community events in Canada,
PAGE 4
Hawaii, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Boston - wherever people
love to dance and listen to Greek
music. Some of the musicians of
Ziyiá have been participating at
FDF since 1988, playing at the evening glendi’s and for many awardwinning groups for nearly 20 years.
Ziyiá has two recordings available
on CD
From the Mountains to the Islands Traditional Music of Greece
Travels with Karagiózis - Traditional Music of Greece
Christos Govetas – vocals, laouto,
clarinet, zurna
George Chittenden – clarinet, gaida,
zurna, saxophone
Beth Bahia Cohen – violin, lyra
Lise Liepman – santouri, accordion
Rumen Sali Shopov – daouli, defi,
doumbeleki
To contact Ziyiá:
George Chittenden & Lise Liepman
(510) 525-4342
FDF?
February 26, 2011
6pm- 12 midnight
Saint George Greek Orthodox Church
10830 Downey Ave, Downey, CA 90241
mezethes and no host bar
Looking
for more
info on
admission: $25
Hosted by the Saint Sophia Greek Folk Dance Program
Contact: Eleni Constantine @ 310-420-8374 or
[email protected]
Visit
yourfdf.org.
Endasi is a Greek music ensemble, comprised of Dimitri
Papadimitriou (Atlanta), Yianni
Themelis (New York) and Dimitrios
Dallas (Chicago). Hailing from folk
dance backgrounds, Endasi developed a deep love for the Greek music tradition. With years of musical
experience, Endasi has performed
all over the U.S. and has appeared
several times at FDF - playing for
groups of all ages. Contact them
today for your next baptism, wedding, Greek night, dance performance, private party or just to have
a great time. From traditional music
to more modern Greek stylings, Endasi has the right mix of music to
make your event a memorable one.
For more information, visit Endasi
at www.endasi.com or email: info@
endasi.com .
Olympians:
When one hears the soulful
sound of the bouzoukia, the beat of
the drums, the strum of the guitar,
and the powerful klarino, you know
you are listening to the Olympians
Band. This is a signal to dancers
that the celebration has started and
it is time to dance the night away to
the band’s vast repertoire of music
people love so much. The Olympians
first connection to FDF was in 1978 as
musicians when they provided entertainment for the Evening of Mediterranean Magic,’ a theatrical show
where all dancers performed. The
Olympians Band helped develop
and expand the integration of live
music with Greek folk dance performances. Groups were no longer
constrained by cassette recordings;
the Olympians were able to take
performances to a higher level, as
the musicians became an integral
part of the dances. Tragedy struck the band in
1986 when guitarist Steve Kidd was
fatally injured in an automobile accident. The band went without a
guitarist for a couple of years, but
saw the talent and energy of the
group’s present, Jerry Thermos. George, Jim, Peter, Jerry and Steve
make up the present members of the
band. They have been truly blessed
as the band members have played
for their own weddings and their
children’s baptisms. X California Produce proudly supports the FDF ministry and
wishes everyone the best in 2011!
FDF
As soon as I knew I wanted to study abroad,
I wanted to come to Greece. And out of all
the programs I looked at, this one seemed
to be the most accessible to study abroad
students, while still offering the most Greek
experience. I liked the idea of getting to
actually hang out with Greek people.”
Take it from Deborah: When
you study abroad at DEREE –
The American College
of Greece, you’ll have the
opportunity to experience
full cultural immersion.
Because over 90 percent
of our students are Greek,
you’ll get to know the
country and culture in a
personal, firsthand way.
DEREE offers a wide range of
courses—more than 1,000, in fact—
which are all taught in English. And
because we are U.S.-accredited, these
courses will easily transfer to your
home institution. Plus, one comprehensive fee covers your entire study
abroad experience: tuition, housing
and DEREE-sponsored excursions
to incredible sites throughout Greece
are all included. We’ll even greet you
at the airport and help get you settled.
Learn more about studying in Greece at www.acg.edu/study-abroad.
fdf
PAGE 5
FDF 2010 Dance & Choral Groups
PAGE 6
FDF
fdf
PAGE 7
PAGE 8
FDF
fdf
PAGE 9
FDF Offers Exciting Scholarship Opportunities!
FDF is dedicated to helping our young dancers further their education in
the Orthodox faith and Greek dance culture. Below is a list of scholarship
opportunities that FDF offers every year to its participants.
experience at the seminar for the OLI MAZI newspaper to be
included for the upcoming FDF festival (Note: This can be a joint article written by both attendees).
DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS IS ALWAYS
JANUARY 24 PRIOR TO THE FDF WEEKEND.
Musical Apprenticeship Scholarships
FDF offers participants the opportunity to learn a traditional Greek folk
instrument from qualified instructors.
If you would like to be considered for one of these scholarships, notify
your parish priest (or dance program advisor) and ask them to submit your
name to the following on or before the deadline above:
Vickie Demos, Scholarships Director
[email protected]
Memorial Scholarships
The FDF Memorial Scholarships are given to outstanding individuals that
are recommended by their parish priest. Each individual will be awarded
a US Savings Bonds in the amount of $1000.
Chosen from the many letters of recommendations submitted, scholarships are awarded to deserving FDF participants. We encourage all parishes to submit a letter of recommendation for outstanding individuals.
The six awards are:
• The Chris Papadimitrakis Scholarship (sponsored by the FDF)
• The Cynthia Anderson Scholarship (sponsored by the FDF)
• The Father Homer Demopoulos Scholarship
(sponsored by the FDF)
• The Katherine Velthoen Scholarship
(sponsored by the Modesto community)
• The Jim Papangellin Scholarship
(sponsored by the George Papangellin family)
• The Dean Philips Scholarship
(sponsored by the George Demos family)
Eligibility
High School senior through Junior year of College and must be attending
and participating in the current year’s FDF.
Ionian Village - Dance Scholarships to Greece
FDF offers dance directors the opportunity to learn well-researched traditional Greek folk music, song and dance from qualified professional
instructors in Greece.
Objectives
To give deserving FDF dance directors the opportunity to learn well-researched traditional Greek folk music, song and dance from qualified professional instructors in Greece. The following factors will be considered:
• Directors who have demonstrated outstanding Christian
fellowship in their communities.
• Directors who can make a long-term future commitment to
teaching folk dance groups within the Metropolis.
• The directors that are sent on this scholarship will also act as
ambassadors from the Metropolis of San Francisco and will help promote cooperation between the FDF and sister Greek folklore organizations.
Description
Two FDF dance scholarships will be awarded and will include airfare,
dance instruction and room and board in attending the seminar in Greece.
The recipient will need to do the following when awarded the scholarship:
• Take a video camera and record as much of the instruction as
possible.
• These recordings must be on good quality VHS (or DVD) format.
• The recipient must also obtain recordings of the music presented, records, cassette tape or CD.
• Upon return, each recipient will need to make copies of the video as well as the music and submit them to the FDF Scholarship
Director, Vickie Demos. Once the video tapes and music have been submitted to the FDF and the article submitted for the
OLI MAZI newsletter, the recipient will receive in turn, $250
to cover the miscellaneous expenses such as video tapes,
cassette tapes, etc.
Eligibility
All FDF dance directors that are a member in good standing in the Greek
Orthodox Church (or their parents) and that have participated in the FDF
are encouraged to apply.
• All recipients will be required to submit proof of health insurance that will coverthem in Greece for the duration of the seminar.
• All recipients will need to obtain/renew their passports.
• Also, each recipient is required to write an article of his/her
PAGE 10
Objectives
The purpose of the musical scholarship is to continue to preserve Greek
culture through learning and public playing of Greek folk music by giving
deserving FDF participants the opportunity to learn a traditional Greek
folk instrument from qualified musicians. The scholarship would not be
successful if a recipient learned the instrument but never played with a
band. The scholarship terms and conditions must stress group performance and public performance to ensure success of this scholarship.
The following factors will be considered:
• Applicants who have demonstrated outstanding Christian
fellowship in their communities.
• Applicants who have demonstrated their commitment to the
FDF program and who do not have either access to or the
resources to pay qualified musicians.
• Applicants who can make a long-term future commitment to
playing traditional Greek music for their community and for the greater FDF community.
Description
Two FDF Musical Apprenticeship scholarships will be awarded. Each applicant will identify the instrument of their choice and the Scholarship
Committee will identify candidate instructors.
• Applicants must own the instrument they wish to learn to play
before lessons begin. Investment in the instrument demonstrates that the applicant is serious about learning and later playing the
instrument.
• Applicants should have some prior knowledge in instrumental
music; such as school or private lessons, ability to read music, etc.
• The scholarship funds are to be used to offset either travel
expenses or teaching fees.
• Recipients will practice with instructor’s band (if applicable) on a regular basis during the period of the scholarship.
• Recipients will play the selections they have learned with
instructor’s band (if applicable) at the FDF annual event, the FDF Symposium and any other FDF-sponsored events where
instructor’s band plays during the period of the scholarship.
• Recipient will also play with instructor’s band at non-FDF events at the discretion of the band (if applicable).
• Recipients will play for FDF events or dance group performances gratis, only reimbursed for expenses for a period of 2 years after the scholarship apprenticeship period.
• The Scholarship Committee and the selected mentor will
determine distribution of scholarship funds.
• A cassette tape or DVD containing the music learned and played
by the recipient is required upon completion of the scholarship term, which is the next FDF Convention weekend.
• A final payment will be made to the recipient upon submittal of the cassette tape or DVD for any out-of-pocket expenses.
Important Disclaimer
The FDF Board of Trustees does not make any claims as to the quality or
value of the workshops, but feels that it is an appropriate seminar for an
FDF director to attend. Since there are many Greek folk dance seminars
offered in the summer, the selected seminar chosen by the FDF must be
critiqued by the recipients and submitted along with the videotapes and
cassettes. The recipients are required to attend the entire seminar. If the
recipient cannot attend the seminar, they DO NOT have the option of
sending someone else in their place. Applicants are required to sign the
enclosed waiver upon submittal of the application which holds the FDF
Board of Trustees, its officers and advisors, the Diocese and the Archdiocese harmless for any type of loss, injury, illness or expense arising from
the scholarship. Recipients who are under the age of 21 will be required to
have their parents sign the waiver as well. All FDF participants (or their
parents) that are members in good standing in the Greek Orthodox Church
and have participated in an FDF are eligible.
FDF
Past Humanitarian Award Recipients
Memorials:
2010 Athan Karras, Los Angeles, CA Dancer, Director & Educator
2010 Dennis Boxell, Anaheim, CA Dancer, Director & Choreographer
2010 Maria Kalmantis, Modesto, CA Dancer
2009 John Gianakopoulos Las Vegas, NV Dancer
2009 Dimitri Simvoulakis Modesto, CA Son of FDF Judge Irene Peros
2007 Father Efstathios Mylonas Pasadena , CA Priest
2006 Tasia Tsobanoudis Dancer
2006 Bebelekov Musician
2004 His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony San Francisco, CA
Metropolitan & Spiritual Father of FDF For 25 Years
2004 Anthony Forakis, Modesto, CA Dancer
2002 John Papadoupoulos Atlanta , GA Dancer, formerly with Dora Stratou Theatre
2001 Kathy Trapp Castro Valley, CA Choir Director
2000 Anna Efstathiou Oakland , CA Dancer, Director, Researcher
2000 Vilma Matchette Lynwood , WA Dancer, Director, Researcher, Costume Judge, Author
2000 Jim Papangellin San Jose , CA Dancer, Director
1999 Elizabeth Angelis Harper Seattle, WA Dancer, Mother of three
1999 Fisher Theodore Harper Seattle , WA Son of Elizabeth Harper
1999 Ian Joseph Harper Seattle , WA Son of Elizabeth Harper
1999 Katherine Velthoen Modesto , CA Dancer & Director
1998 John P. Angel Seattle, WA Dancer
1997 Kim Efstathiou Castro Valley , CA Dancer, Director, FDF Officer
1997 Paul Ginis Founder and Director of the Greek American Folklore Society, Choreographer
1994 Nick Varvitsiotis Pasadena , CA Dancer, Director, Choreographer
1994 Soula Kunelis Granada Hills, CA Mother of three FDF Dancers & Directors
1994 Chris Tsantilas Seattle , WA Dancer
1994 Manolis Abazis Redondo Beach , CA Dancer
1993 Jim Markus Sacramento , CA Dance enthusiast and supporter, Researcher, Director
1993 Chris Tasulis Los Angeles , CA Judge, Dancer, Director, Producer, Choreographer
1993 Father A. Homer Demopulos Seattle, WA Priest
1992 Spiro Pathos Pasadena , CA Dancer
1992 Katerina Perivoliotis San Jose , CA Dancer
1988 Bill Angeles Seattle , WA Dancer
1988 Ted Petrides Athens , Greece Judge, Dancer, Musician, Professor
1986 Dora Stratou Athens , Greece Dancer, Choreographer, Researcher
1980 Christos Papadimitrakis Bakersfield , CA Dancer
1979 Cynthia Anderson Castro Valley , CA Dancer
Judges Profiles
Dance Judges
Louise A. Bilman, LCSW (National
Diplomate) is a psychotherapist in private
practice and supervisor of a training program
for psychotherapists in the Pasadena area.
She was initially trained as a musician and
professional accompanist in her native Canada before moving to California.
Louise Bilman has pursued studies in Greek music since 1960. She taught
the dance portion of UCLA’s first course
in Greek, which was given by Dr. Sotirios
Chianis in 1966, and together they set up
the first formal course of dance instruction
in a Southern California Greek Orthodox
church, which was pioneered by St. Katherine Church of Redondo Beach.
In 1968 UCLA hired her to teach an
academic course on Greek dance, “Greek
Dance in its Cultural Context.” This attracted
some people from the film industry and was
popular enough to be continued for seven
years. At the same time, she began a series
of study tours to Greece, initially with Dr.
Chiannis and his family on an ethnomusicology course, subsequently each year independently. Her area of interest has taken her to
extended visits to Samothrace, Epirus, South
Western Greece and the Thracian-Bulgarian
and Thracian-Turkish borders.
In recent years she has focused her interest in Kalymnos and the central Dodecanese Islands. Because her study is not only
the forms of dance but also its social utilization as a representation of community values,
she is interested in the “raw material” - the
dances and songs of shepherds and sponge
fishermen of small villages - rather than the
performance group as a vehicle to perpetuate traditional values. She has also presented
seminars on this topic for the ITHACA Cultural Study Program in Greece, which is under the direction of Dr. Nikos Germanakos.
She has been serving as a judge since
1989 and was given the FDF Heritage Hall
of Fame award in 1999. Louise Bilman currently teaches dance classes at Kypseli Folk
Dance Center in Pasadena.
Renee Cleary has taught Greek Dance
at Fullerton College and was a member of a
performing Greek Dance Group for thirteen
years, seven as the director. She has traveled widely through Greece, collecting and
researching both costumes and dances. She
observed both professional and amateur
dance groups and village festivals. Renee
fdf
has been involved continuously for 35 years
with Greek dance workshops, festivals, consultations and as a teacher of Greek dancing.
She first participated in FDF in 1981 and has
been a costume or dance judge every year
since 1985.
Dr. Mary Coros has an extensive theoretical background in dance having earned
BA and MA degrees in Dance from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),
and a Ph.D. in Theory of (Dance) Education
from the University of Toronto, Ontario,
Canada. Her doctoral dissertation project was
considered to be cutting-edge work by a distinguished committee. Titled: “From Dance
Into Language”, she sought to learn the nonverbal knowledge a dancer has by recovering her own experience of dancing Sirtos
from Crete. She has been on dance faculty
at UCLA and California State University,
Long Beach; as well as guest lecturer at several other universities. She is published in
Oli Mazi, KPHTH, Laographia, Reflections:
Essays in Phenomenology; UCLA Journal
of Dance Ethnology; Dance Research (International Council for Traditional Music
Study Group on Ethnochoreology); Journal
of Modern Greek Studies and International
Encyclopedia of Dance. But as well, Mary has much practical
experience in the art of dancing especially
with the dance of Greece. She has been the
dance Director of troupes in California and
in Toronto where she has lived; and has been
guest consultant/teacher most especially for
Cretan dance and for key presentational
aspects of dancing and dance programs
for Greek/Cretan communities in California,
Salt Lake City, Denver, Pittsburg, Washington DC, Atlanta, Florida, New York, etc. She has been commissioned several times for
modern (art) dance works and also for Cretan
dance most notably “Odyssey ‘93” for the
Pan Cretan Organization of America (PAA)
which toured Greece/Crete. Mary has been an FDF (San Francisco
Diocese) judge since 1989 and an HDF (Atlanta Diocese) judge since its inception a few
years ago. Sofia Efstratiou has been dancing
from childhood and has directed several
dance troupes in her 25-year dance career.
She has been attending FDF since 1988 and
started her dance and director career at the St.
Nicholas parish in San Jose, CA. Sofia spent
5 years in Greece where she was a dance
member of the Lyngistes Dance Troupe led
by Yanni Konstantinou. During her years
abroad, she attended several dance seminars
and numerous cultural gatherings and events.
Through this dance journey, she developed a
deep understanding, true inspiration and passion for the Greek heritage through dance.
This experience gave her the opportunity to
obtain extensive knowledge in many dance
regions of Greece. Sofia has studied in great
detail the dance, music, customs, traditions
and dress of Western Macedonia giving emphasis to the region of Florina. Other regions
of research and interest and study include
Epirus and Eastern Macedonia. Her devotion and love for Greek dance continues to
encourage her study today.
Joseph Kaloyanides
Graziosi was born and raised in Boston of Italian and Greek parents and graduated cum laude from Brandeis University. He
has done extensive field research on Greek
dance both in Greece and among the Greek
immigrant communities in the United States.
He has taught at major folk dance camps
throughout the world. Joe was director of the
Greek Music Tour in 1982 sponsored by the
National Endowment for the Arts. Joe has
been involved in FDF since 1985 and is also
an HDF judge. Joe can be reached at [email protected].
Larry Halfhill has 19 years of FDF
experience as a dancer, director and choreographer, and became an FDF competition
dance judge in 2006. He wants to contribute
back to a vital youth program, and also bring
a different perspective to the judging process. Larry’s broad-based dance experience over a
period of 25 years spans regions and borders,
and he considers all Greek dances to be of
special interest and worthy of discovery, research and preservation. Larry’s Greek roots
derive on his mother’s side from Arcadia. He
was born in Marin County, California, and
has called many places home, including the
Pacific Northwest, Upstate New York, the
Netherlands, Germany, and finally Southern
California. Larry and his wife Bessie Nicolaou Halfhill, a former FDF dancer and director, live in Seal Beach with children Thanasi
and Maria. He is an active member of St.
John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in
Anaheim. Larry attended USC, where he
earned BS and MS degrees in aerospace engineering and an MBA in finance and marketing.
Louis Kades was born in Los Angeles to Greek immigrants from Arkadia in the
Peloponnese. Growing up he was exposed
to the traditional songs, dances and customs
from his parents’ homeland. An avid dance
enthusiast from an early age, he eventually became involved in the operations of the
1985 His Grace Bishop Anthony - San Francisco, CA
1986 Don and Ellie Hiatt - San Diego, CA
1987 His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos - New York, NY
1988 William Korinthias - San Francisco, CA
1989 Litsa Preovolos - San Diego, CA
1990 Sydney McIntyre - Tacoma, WA
1991 John Haretakis - Anaheim, CA
1992 Andrea Kyprianides - Los Angeles, CA
1993 Angelo Tsakopoulos - Sacramento, CA
1994 George Kokalis - Phoenix, AZ
Dena Stamos - Modesto, CA
1995 Christine Peratis - Long Beach, CA
1996 Nicholas Petris - Piedmont, CA
1997 Panos and Bertha Angels - Northridge, CA
1998 Helen Lambros - San Marino, CA
1999 Anna Efstathiou - Oakland, CA
2000 George M. Marcus - Palo Alto, CA
2001 Athan Karras - Tarzana, CA
2002 Loula C. Anaston - Belmont, CA
2003 Fanis Economidis - Los Altos, CA
Evanthea N. Condakes - Boston, MA
2004 Mark Arapostathis - San Diego, CA
2005 His Grace Bishop Anthimos of Olympos
2006 Frosene Phillips Maniatis - Orinda, CA
2007 Reverend Father Thomas J. Paris - Oakland, CA
2008 Nikolaos Stefanidis, Ph.D - Los Angeles, CA
2009 Isidoros Garifalakis - Vancouver, WA
2010 Valerie Roumeliotes
FDF Host Cities 1976 – Present
1976 St. Spyridon, San Diego
1980 St. Nicholas, San Jose
1982 St. George, Fresno
1984 The Annunciation, Sacramento
1985 Resurrection, Castro Valley
1987 Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Long Beach
1988 The Annunciation, Sacramento
1989 Ascension, Oakland
1990 St. Demetrios, Seattle
1991 Folk Dance Festival Council – Los Angeles
1992 St. John’s, Anaheim
1993 Folk Dance Festival Council – Sacramento
1994 Folk Dance Festival Council – Phoenix
1995 Folk Dance Festival Council – Ontario
1996 Folk Dance Festival Council – San Francisco
1999 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – Ontario
2000 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – San Jose
2001 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – Pasadena
2002 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – Spokane
2003 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – Anaheim
2006 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – San Diego
2010 Folk Dance Festival Board of Trustees – San Jose
Folk Dance Festival in 1990 and continued to
be on the FDF Board of Trustees until 2008.
Striving to expand his knowledge of dance
and culture beyond his parents’ villages he
has participated in various workshops and
seminars including helping to organize several workshops. Through these workshops he
has cultivated friendships with many instructors and villagers throughout Greece. One of
his key interests is in Greek folk music and
he loves to play the daouli and the doumbeleki. He met his wife Vicki (Apostolou) Kades
originally from Seattle, WA through FDF and
from 2003-2006 they co-directed the award
winning Pyrkagia. Over the years he has
consulted and assisted various directors with
their groups. He became a judge in 2010.
George Nickols is a native Los Angeleno, he holds a BA in Mathematics and is
currently retired from working for data networking and telecommunications corporations. His devotion to his ethnic Greek heritage in both dance and theatre has brought
him immense joy and pleasure. George has
been involved in Greek dance since 1963
and has participated in many Greek cultural
events, productions, international festivals,
TV and films. George has been a member
of the FDF Board of Trustees since 1990 and
has been a judge since 1986.
George Papangellin began dancing in
1974 with the Ionian Dancers, at St. Nicholas
parish in San Jose. He helped start the Parnassos Dancers for Holy Cross parish, Belmont in 1981. In 1983, he directed the Epirus
Dancers at St. Nicholas in San Jose. After
moving to Fresno, he joined and directed the
Kefi Dancers, for St. George.
During his time in both Frenso and San
Jose, he stage directed various Greek variety
(music, dance, skit) performances in San
Jose, San Francisco, Phoenix, Fresno and
Seattle. In Fresno, he choreographed “Zorba,
the musical” for The Good Company Players.
He continues to either direct or work
with various dance groups in Fresno’s St.
George Greek Community, and teach Greek
see Judges on page 12
PAGE 11
Metropolitan Anthony Elios Award –
Humanitarian Award John Gumas
love with the heart and soul and parea of
Greek dance and music at the Intersection,
the folk dance café opened by Athan Karras
in the 1960s. She performed with the Intersection Greek Dancers and was an original
member of the Panegiri Dancers, directed by
Nikos Varvitsiotis and co-directed by George
Nichols, performing at festivals in Pasadena
and Redondo Beach long before those communities were sending dance groups to FDF. Robbi directed dance groups at St. Katherine’s in Redondo Beach for eight years and
has judged the competition at FDF on and off
since 1998. She has travelled to Greece and
has participated in workshops with a special
interest in the regions of Pontos, Thrace and
Macedonia, along with Kalymnos, thanks to
Louise Bilman. Robbi has continued to teach
Greek dance at Kypseli Dance Center and at
Café Asteria Greek Dance Club in West Los
Angeles where, along with Anne Sirota, she
is actively involved in perpetuating interest
in Greek dance and culture.
Anne Gani Sirota was born in the
Greek community in Alexandria, Egypt,
where her grandparents immigrated in the
early 20th century from Arta and Ioannina,
Epirus. Anne has studied, performed, and
taught Greek dance for over 40 years. She
was assistant director and lead dancer of the
Ellas Dance Theater, directed by Charlie
Kyriacou for four years, as well as a member of several other Los Angeles performing companies including the Intersection
Greek Dancers, Panegyri, directed by Nikos
Varvitsiotis, and O Pontos, directed by Nikos
Savvidis. Anne travels to Greece often and
has concentrated her studies of Greek dance
on Pontian and Macedonian villages in
Northern Greece, attending festivals, weddings, seminars, classes and performances
in Greece and the United States. She presented a paper on “A Wedding in Florina” at
the International Organization of Folk Arts
(IOFA) in 2000 and has written articles for
Oli Mazi. She consults frequently with dance
groups and has taught Greek dancing classes
at Kypseli Greek Dance Center in Pasadena
as well as Pierce and Santa Monica Community Colleges. Anne is one of the founders
and leaders of the Café Asteria Greek Dance
Club in Los Angeles, preserving and disseminating traditional dance. Anne has been
an FDF judge continuously since 1988 and
was an HDF judge for several years. Anne
is currently a member of the FDF Board of
Trustees as a judge consultant.
Bessie Stavropoulos has been involved in FDF for over 20 years either as a
dancer, director or both. Born and raised in
Las Vegas, Nevada, she first attended FDF in
1987 as a dancer from St. John the Baptist.
In 1993, she began directing at the age of 15
and one year later, her group was the first primary group to ever win sweepstakes in FDF
history. She continued dancing and directing
well into her college years but stepped away
for a short period to complete her degree,
Bachelors of Science in Architecture. Upon
returning to the dance scene, she received the
Division I - Director’s Award in 2003. She
became the head director of her community
and was directing as many as four groups
at a time. Bessie has attended many seminars throughout the United States, Canada
and Greece. For four consecutive summers
from 2007-2010, she studied dance in Greece
which included attending seminars taught by
some of Greece’s finest instructors, touring
Thrace and Macedonia and learning the many
traditions and dances of her father’s region of
Preveza, Ipiros. With the help and support
of the St. John’s Dance Ministry, Bessie organized the Horepse Dance Seminar in Las
Vegas in 2007, 2008 and 2009 where they
featured top instructors and musicians from
all over Greece and the United States. They
hope to host more in the near future! She
Photo by: Kostas Petrakos
hood at Holy Trinity Greek
Orthodox Church in San
Francisco on August 15,
1955.
Father James has served
many parishes including:
Saint Alexios/Saint Barbara
in Ely and McGill, Nevada;
Holy Trinity Cathedral –
Salt Lake City, Utah; Holy
Transfiguration – Anchorage,
Alaska; Saint John the Baptist – Las Vegas, Nevada; and
Nativity of Christ – Novato,
California. In 1984, Father
James was appointed by His
Grace Bishop Anthony as
Chancellor of the Diocese
of San Francisco, following
which he served as Dean of
Saint Sophia Cathedral in
Los Angeles until his retirement in 1995.
Taking to heart the
words invoked at his ordination, “You are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4).
Following his formal retirement, Father James continued
to unselfishly answer the call
of the Church and served several parishes in the Metropolis on an interim basis including: Saint Dionysios Church
– Pittsburg, CA; Greek Orthodox Mission – Maui, HI;
Saint Barbara Church – Santa
Barbara, CA; Assumption
Church – Long Beach, CA;
and Holy Trinity Church –
San Francisco, CA.
In December 2006, Father James was appointed as
Assistant Chancellor of the
Metropolis of San Francisco,
and assumed the full-time
duties of Chancellor in 2008.
He continues to hold this position and is an immeasurable
asset to the Metropolis of San
Francisco.
“Father James is a trusted
priest who has served thousands of faithful throughout
his long and distinguished
ministry. He has also been a
tremendous advocate for his
brother clergy, as well as providing valuable guidance and
support for the Metropolis,”
stated His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos. “His
example of lifelong service
and unselfish dedication is
worthy to be emulated by our
clergy.”
Father James and Presvytera Evelyn currently reside in Novato, California.
They are the proud parents
of William, Penelope and
Thomas; the loving grandparents of five grandchildren and
one great-granddaughter. X
V. Rev. Father James T. Adams
Father James Adams has
been a distinguished clergyman in the Metropolis of San
Francisco for over 55 years.
Originally from Oakland,
California, Father James attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
in Brookline, Massachusetts
from 1948 – 1953. Following
his marriage to Evelyn Spallas, they moved to Greece
where he completed his theological education at the Rizarion Seminary in Athens,
Greece. Father James was
ordained into the Holy Diaconate on May 14, 1954 at
the Church of Saint George
in Athens, Greece, and was
ordained into the Holy PriestJudges from page 11
folk dance, traditions and costumes to Elder Hostel classes at St. Nicholas Ranch,
in Dunlap.
George has held several positions
within the governing and operational bodies of the Folk Dance and Choral Festival
(FDF) of the Metropolis of San Francisco. During the past 13 years, he served as
Dance Judge Coordinator, and most recently as a dance judge. He has also been a
dance judge at the HDF in Georgia, North
Carolina, and most recently at the inaugural AGDC (American Greek Dance Competition) in Chicago.
He has traveled throughout Greece
and, together with Dr. Mary Coros, prepared the Kamari Dance Group, St.
George, Fresno, to perform at various venues in Crete in the summer of 1999.
Nikos Savvidis was born in Chrysoupoulis near Kavala, in Macedonia,
Greece, where his parents settled after
leaving Pontos. His father played the Pontian lyra, and as a young boy, he learned
Pontian dances and folklore. At the age
of seven, he entered the Pontian Club and
participated in dance performances at festivals. Nikos moved to Athens, where he
danced in various Pontian organizations
and acted in Pontian theater. In Athens, he
became interested in dance from all parts
of Greece and was invited by Dora Stratou
to join the National Ensemble of Greece. With them, he toured Greece, Europe and
Asia. In the US, Nikos has given workshops and institutes and directed performing groups. He also makes and sells handcrafted Pontian lyras. Nikos has been an
FDF judge since 1985.
Robbi Shulman has been involved
in the world of Greek dance for over 35
years. She was introduced to and fell in
PAGE 12
John Gumas is the
Founder and President of
Gumas Advertising, a San
Francisco based branding,
advertising and interactive
marketing agency. A veteran
of the advertising and marketing industry, John founded
Gumas Advertising in 1984.
Today, the award-winning
firm serves a host of regional, national and international
clients and is consistently
named as one of the top marketing firms by the San Francisco Business Times.
John is very active in
our community and currently
sits on many Boards, including the San Francisco Giants
Community Fund, The San
Francisco Chamber of Commerce, The San Francisco
directed the Las Vegas groups through 2010.
Nikolaos Stefanidis was born in Chios,
Greece and though he did not dance that
much as a youngster, he did pay undivided
attention to the dances performed by elders
in his native island of Chios. His love of
dancing was not put into action until he saw a
performance by the Terpsichoreans in Philadelphia in 1976 celebrating the country’s
bicentennial. He remained an active dancer
until August of 1983 when he left the east
coast to pursue graduate studies in Los Angeles. He stumbled upon the Panygiri dance
group while they were performing at the
Greek festival in Arcadia that very summer,
and attended practices as time allowed. His
first involvement with FDF was when he was
invited to dance Chios dances for a memorial to Manoli Abazis in San Francisco. Nikos
is a psychologist in Los Angeles, working with homeless and troubled teens. He
was the recipient of the 2008 Humanitarian
Award. Nikos has taught dances from Chios
at Kypseli, and consults with various groups
in the Los Angeles area. Nikos has been an
FDF judge since 2006.
Stelios Zoumberakis has been participating in FDF for over 25 years through
dancing, directing, and organizing. He began his dancing career at St. George Parish
in Downey, California and later at Assumption in Long Beach, California. He started
directing 15 years ago at various churches
in the southland including St. Sophia, St.
George, and Assumption, and has gained
a vast amount of experience with many regions throughout Greece. He has extensively
studied the dances and traditions of Rethimno, Crete, which is where his family originates, and has a broad knowledge of dances
and traditions from the Cyclades, Dodecanesa, Eptanisa, Macedonia, Thrace, and Pontos. He also has provided consultation with various dance directors throughout the southland.
Aris Yortzidis has been involved with
FDF for 24 years as a dancer, director, and
member of the FDF Board of Trustees. He
began dancing in his home parish of St.
George in Downey, CA in 1982 and also
performed with groups from the St. Anthony
parish in Pasadena, CA and the Assumption
parish in Long Beach, CA. In 1995 and until his departure from Southern California
in 2000, Aris directed groups at St. George,
Downey, CA; Sts. Constantine and Helen,
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA; and St. Katherine,
Redondo Beach, CA. In 1996, Aris received
an FDF Scholarship that provided him the
opportunity to research the dances of Serres;
the dances and traditions of his father’s village of Chrysochorafa (Gagauzika), Serres;
the dances of the Vlachs of Serres; and the
dances of Pontos in Serres, Katerini (where
his mother is from), and Thessaloniki.
Aris has continued his research and has
State University Foundation,
The Greater San Francisco
Advertising Federation, The
California
Geo-Tourism
Council and The Elios Society.
In addition, John has
been an adjunct professor of
advertising and marketing, a
regular columnist for numerous publications, a frequent
speaker and the author of
the popular book “Marketing
Smart.”
John holds a BA degree
in marketing and advertising from San Francisco State
University. He and his wife
Janice and their family reside
in the San Francisco area.
“John Gumas is a founding member and member of
the Board of Elios since its
inception 16 years ago. He
is an individual dedicated to
the preservation of Hellenism
and the principles of our Orthodox Faith. He has been
instrumental in the implementation and success of several programs always giving
more that he receives in recognition. The Elios society
is very proud to honor John
with this award of excellence
as a small token of appreciation,” stated Fanis Economidis, President Emeritus of the
Elios Society. X
obtained broad knowledge of the dances of
Thrace, Macedonia, the islands (Kyklades,
Dodekanisa, Eptanisa), and other regions of
Greece. He continues to present at seminars and serve as a consultant to groups
across the United States and Canada. He
has also served as a judge at several Greek
folk dance events and competitions in the
United States (Hellenic Dance Festival,
Metropolis of Atlanta; Americas Greek
Dance Competition, Chicago, IL) and in
South America (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and South America).
Costume Judges
Bertha Angels: My name is Bertha Angels and I am excited to be rejoining the cast of judges participating in this
years’ FDF. I first got involved in FDF in
1983 as an observer and my involvement
progressed over the years as my children
embraced Greek Folk dancing. Through
this involvement I developed a passion for
costumes that has led to years of continued
research and learning. As a result of my efforts, I have previously served as a costume
judge at FDF.
I’ve been fortunate to be part of several Communities in the Los Angeles area.
Currently, I’m an active member
of Saint Sophia Cathedral. Over the years
I’ve done extensive research and made costumes from every region of Greece in support of multiple communities. In the course
of researching costumes, I have gained
extensive exposure in materials, pattern
making, embroidery, crocheting trim and
detailed sewing in an effort to preserve the
rich authentic Greek traditions of costume
making. I hope to translate my experience
in critical support of the tremendous efforts
shared by all at FDF this year.
Julie Mamalis has been involved
in the folk dance movement for the last 28
years, where she has researched and created
Greek costumes for the Annunciation parish in Sacramento. She is instrumental in
presenting a “cultural exhibit” for the parish’s annual Greek festival, providing visitors a historical overview of ancient Greece
to the present, through the display of a vast
collection of photographs, authentic items
and clothing. She currently serves as a
member of Annunciation’s parish council,
and is a long-time member of the church
choir, where she was the organist for 25
years. Julie has retired from a long career
at the State Capitol where she worked as an
administrative assistant for a state assemblymember and senator. Julie is the mother
of two grown children, who both participated in FDF, and now enjoys watching three
grandchildren who are presently enthusiastic participants of FDF!
see Judges on page 15
FDF
Greek Dance Alive and Well in Hawaii
By Paraskevi Contos June
Who would ever believe that Greek dance
could thrive in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?
With so few Greeks and
limited resources, the Parish of Saints Constantine
and Helen has overcome
insurmountable obstacles
to assure us all that Greek
dance is alive and well in
Hawaii.
My family and I moved
to Hawaii a little over three
years ago and found a program with a determined
and passionate dance director, Dianna Graves,
and two very enthusiastic
groups: Nisiotes (for the
adults) and Nisiopoula (for
the children). The program
has a vibrant history, which
began in 1983 with participation at FDF in 1986,
1987, and 1989. Some of
Hawaii’s dance pioneers
and supporters include
Diane Sadlier, Stella and
Dave Weil, John Pappas,
Maryanthe Eddy, Presbytera Chrysanthe Bessinas,
and Symeon and Mary
Ellen Michaelidis. After
twenty-two years, Hawaii
will be making its appearance at FDF 2011!
The community consists of about sixty families
with an ethnically diverse
congregation.
Dancers’
participation varies from
year to year because the
parish is so transient. Parishioners are coming and
going due to military duty
and young people leave
to attend mainland colleges. Dancers are Greek,
half Greek, part Greek or
non-Greek, but all Orthodox Christians whose love
for Greek dance pulsates
strongly in their hearts. At
the helm of this remarkable
program is Dianna Graves
who inspires her dancers to
work hard, to improve, and
to express their love for
dance above all. Her husband, Barry, is the “silent”
pillar and technical wizard
who works hard behind the
scenes to make the profdf
gram shine.
Hawaii’s
program
makes an ongoing effort
in education and outreach.
Performances around the
island include the Annual
Greek Festival, private
celebrations, senior citizen
homes, the University of
Hawaii, Ala Moana Center,
and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, and so many
other venues.
Around
20,000 people attend the
parish’s two-day festival
in the month of August and
marvel at the beauty and
richness of Greek culture.
The dancers put in many
hours of practice to ensure
that every performance
they give is their best.
In addition to performances, they have a created a small, yet orderly,
costume library, with an
expanding
repertoire.
Even though wool, linens, brocades, and other
fabrics, typically used in
Greek costumes are virtually non-existent in Hawaii’s fabric stores, the
dancers have found ways
to perform in full costume
however they can. They
fundraise throughout the
year by hosting luncheons,
glendi’s, and coffee hours,
staffing an election poll
site, selling McDonald’s
coupon
booklets
and
Tupperware, just to name a
few. Ten fundraisers in all
for 2010.
In the months to come,
director training workshops will be held for those
interested in directing and
a younger group will be
created for the 5-7 year
olds. The future is looking very bright for Greek
dance in Hawaii.
Our milestones would
not be possible with the
help of many. We are
grateful to the FDF Ministry through the blessings
and generosity of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, Father Gary Kyriacou, Spiro Beckas, and to
the entire FDF Board of
Trustees for bringing us
into the heart of this amazing program once again.
Recently, the program
was very blessed to have
had a Pontian dance workshop by Kyriakos Moisidis
along with Yiannis Amarantidis, Giorgos Pirilis,
and Giorgos Melikis. We
are grateful for their outreach and expertise.
Our love and appreciation must be extended to
Father John Kheunle, the
Parish Council, the Philoptohos, and to the parishioners of the Saints Constantine and Helen community
who have given so charitably to the dance program.
Our love and admiration for dancing would not
have been possible without
the wisdom and support of
Aris and Anna Yortzidis,
Aegean Dancers
St. Spyridon, San Diego, CA
Intermediate
The Aegina Dancers
St. Nectarios, Covina, CA
Junior
Aetoi
St. Demetrios, Tucson, AZ
Advanced Intermediate
Agape Dancers
St. Demetrios, Camarillo, CA
Advanced Primary
Aggelakia
St Katherine, Redondo Beach, CA
Division III
Aidhonia
St. Demetrios, Seattle, WA
Choral - Div I
Akritakia
St. Demetrios Seattle, WA
Primary
Akrites
St. Demetrios , Seattle, WA
Advanced Senior
Anatoli
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Portland,
OR
Advanced Primary
Anemos
Ascension Cathedral, Oakland,
CA,
Senior
Angeloudakia
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ
Primary
Antilali
Choral Group
St. Demetrios, Tucson, AZ
Choral - Div I
Armonia
Sts. Constantine and Helen
Cardiff, CA
Junior
Asterakia
St. Anthony, Pasadena, CA
Asteria
Assumption, Seattle, WA
Intermediate
Astraios
Holy Trinity, San Francisco, CA
Advanced Junior
Astrape
Ascension Cathedral, Oakland, CA
Intermediate
Astrapi
Senior
Athanatoi
Annunciation, Sacramento, CA
Advanced Senior
Atromiti
St. John the Baptist, Anaheim, CA
Primary
Avyerinos
St. George, Downey, CA
Advanced Junior
Bouboukakia
St. Anthony
Pasadena, CA
Division III
Chrisa Podia
Holy Cross, Belmont, CA
Primary
Chrysi Aeti
Advanced Senior
Chrysi Psyhi
St. Nicholas, Northridge, CA
Advanced Junior
Delfinia
St. John the Baptist, Las Vegas,
NV
Primary
Dio Deka
Advanced Senior
Anne Sirota, Sandy and
Niki Papadopoulos, Nikos
Savvides, Nikos Zournatzidis, Joe Graziosi, John
Lulias, Nikos Popas, and
Bessie Stavropoulos. We
are so thankful and truly blessed for Markella
Tsatsaronis and the dance
program of Modesto for
making and donating the
jewelry for the costumes.
Dr. Terpsi Tan, a former
Honolulu
parishioner,
donated the banner, and
so many other supporters from the Greek dance
community came forward
to help the Hawaii dancers
along this amazing journey.
Every step, every
dance, every lesson, every
performance, every encounter with a Greek dance
friend is a gift. Please take a
moment to greet and cheer
on the Nisiotes who have
come from so far away, yet
like all of you hold Greek
dance so close to their
hearts. The Nisiotes Dancers, Peter Dimitrion, Justin
and Linda Kyriannis, Lucian Saikevych, and Maria
Striebich, are thrilled and
honored to be here. They
epitomize FDF’s message
of faith, dance, and fellowship. God has blessed the
program with so many gifts
from all over the Greek
dance community.
Most unique and inspiring to me about this
program is that it takes the
best of Greek and Hawaiian cultures. Where you
find oikogenia, you will
find ohana. Where you find
Opa, you will find Aloha!
Efharisto and Mahalo! X
2011 Dance Group List
Dynami
Church of the Holy Cross, Belmont, CA
Junior
Dynami
Annunciation, Modesto, CA
Choral - Div II
Dynami
St. John the Baptist, Anaheim, CA
Advanced Primary
Ekrixi
Annunciation Cathedral
San Francisco, CA
Intermediate
Eliaktithes
St. Katherine, Chandler, AZ
Senior
Ellinika Asteria
St. Nickolas, Tacoma, WA
Junior
Elliniki Klironomia
St. Nicholas, San Jose, CA
Advanced Junior
Ellinopoula
Advanced Primary
Enomenoi
Advanced Senior
Epitihia
Filarakia
Advanced Primary
Filarakia
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Phoenix, AZ
Advanced Primary
Floyes
Primary
Foinikes
St. George,Fresno, CA
Advanced Junior
Fotisi
St. George,Fresno, CA
Choral - Div II
Fourtouna
St. Sophia, Los Angeles, CA
Senior
H Katastasi
Holy Trinity Cathedral &
St. John the Baptist
Charlotte, NC & Anaheim, CA
Advanced Senior
Hara
Annunciation
Sacramento, CA
Choral - Div I
Helidonia
Greek Orthodox Mission Church
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Advanced Primary
Hrisi Thisavri
NV
Junior
I Parea
Advanced Primary
Ionian Dancers
Junior
Junior Olympians
Assumption, Long Beach, CA
Junior
Kardoules
Division III
Keravnos
Junior
Kleftopoula
Kyklonakia
St. Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles,
CA
Division III
Kyklones
St. George, Fresno, CA
Advanced Primary
Kymata
St. Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles,
CA
Intermediate
Levendopoula
Division III
Levendya
Assumption, Seattle, WA
Junior
Liondaria
NV
Division III
Little Minoans
Nativity of Christ, Marin County, CA
Division III
Mikra Asteria
Primary
Minoan Dancers I
Advanced Senior
Minoan Dancers II
Advanced Junior
Nea Ellas
Intermediate
Nea Genea
Holy Trinity, San Francisco, CA
Nea Zoe
Primary
Neo Kyma
Cardiff, CA
Primary
Neo Kyma
Senior
Nikiforos
Advanced Junior
Nisiotes
Cathedral
Honolulu, HI
Division IV
Olympian Dancers
Advanced Senior
Orama
Annunciation, Modesto, CA
Advanced Junior
Oreini and Methorios
Prophet Elias & Mission
Greek Orthodox Churches
San Bernardino, CA &
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Intermediate
Orpheus
St. Nicholas , Northridge, CA
Paleokastritsa
St. Andrew the Apostle
San Luis Obispo, CA
Division III
Paradosi
Holy Trinity , San Francisco, CA
Senior
Peloponnisos
St. Nicholas, San Jose, CA
Periyali
St. Katherine, Redondo Beach, CA
Intermediate
Philopatria
OR
Intermediate
Romiosini
OR
Senior
Rythmos
Advanced Junior
Seismos
Junior
Sinefakia
Primary
Sirines
Choral - Div I
Souliotes
Advanced
Intermediate
Spartiates
Advanced Junior
Spitha
Primary
Spithes
San Francisco, CA
Primary
St. Spyridon Youth Choir
Choral - Div II
Stavroforoi
NV
Ta Angeloudakia
Assumption , Long Beach,
CA
Advanced Primary
Ta Kanarinia
St. Nectarios Shrine, Covina,
CA
Choral - Div II
Ta Levendopeda
Annunciation, Sacramento,CA
Intermediate
Ta Patriotakia
Assumption, Long Beach,
CA
Division III
Ta Pedakia
Junior
Ta Xadelfakia
Holy Trinity, San Francisco,CA
Division III
Terpsichoreans
St. Anthony, Pasadena,
CA
Advanced Junior
Thisavri
San Francisco, CA
Division III
Thorivos
Annunciation, Modesto,
CA
Senior
Thysavros
Division III
To Thavma Tou Pnevmatos
St. Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Intermediate
Veryina
Senior
Zephyros
St. Nicholas, Tacoma, WA
Zoi
St. Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Advanced Primary
PAGE 13
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis
of San Francisco Church Music
Federation working with FDF!
The Federation is the
music ministry of the San
Francisco
Metropolis,
made up of church musicians who serve in all capacities—adult choir singers, youth choir singers,
directors, chanters, composers, organists, hierarchs
and clergy.
Our mission is as simple as do-re-mi: to harmoniously support the parishes in our Metropolis with
their church music needs
and perpetuate the rich
musical traditions of our
Church.
We offer assistance
and resources to build or
strengthen adult choirs,
form or improve youth
choirs and Sunday School
music programs, train choir
directors and chanters, develop congregational singing programs, and assist
our hierarchs and priests.
We do this through many
programs: annual Summer
Conferences for worship,
singing, education and fellowship, Church Music
Institutes to train church
musicians, publish The
In-Choir-ER newsletter,
organize choirs and youth
choirs for special Metropolis and regional functions
such as FDF, promote the
quality of music for the Orthodox Church for adults
and youth, provide resources and support to parishes, and recognize and
honor outstanding adult
and youth church musicians.
We recognize that if
we have been blessed with
musical talents (or any talents, for that matter), we
should be good stewards
and develop these talents, use them to help one
another, and offer them
back to the Lord.Singing
praises to God – from the
choir loft, chanter stand,
congregation, or altar -- is
truly a blessed ministry!
We thank the Lord for allowing us to serve Him as
church musicians, and we
pray for His help to carry
out our ministry.
Our Federation Board
along with our appointed
Music Committee has been
helping in developing a
strong Choral Competition
for FDF. The FDF Choral Competition has been
an integral part of this annual event for many years.
The goal of the Metropolis
Church Music Federation
and FDF is to enhance the
music ministry of the Metropolis through encouraging youth participation;
and, to promote the study
and performance of the
see Music on page 15
Greek Village Camp at Saint Nicholas Ranch
Back by Popular Demand
The Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of San Francisco is continuing the
successful Greek Village
Immersion Camp with its
Second Annual “Elliniko
Horio” from June 18 – 25,
2011 at St. Nicholas Ranch
and Retreat Center in Dunlap, CA.
The enormous success of last year’s camp
left the children begging
for more! Children happily
immersed themselves in a
fun program which bonded them to their ancestral
heritage. With the guidPAGE 14
ance of skilled instructors,
they connected themselves
with their language, customs, traditions and faith.
While having the opportunity to create new friendships and also bond with
each other, the children
attended classes in cooking, where among other
things they were excited to
make tzatziki and melamakarona. They learned music, and at night sang their
Greek folk songs while
roasting marshmallows by
the campfire. The children
took lessons in theatre, performing for their parents on
the final day of camp. They
studied geography and discovered on the map where
their ancestors were born.
The children also studied
Mythology and Greek history; they visited the origin
of the Olympic Games and
followed their studies with
their own participation in a
mock Olympic Competition at the camp. Campers
attended worship services
daily and also had an opportunity to observe the
monastic life at the Monastery of the Theotokos the
Life Giving Spring which
is adjacent to St. Nicholas Ranch. Arts and crafts,
swimming, basketball and
volleyball were also just a
few of the many extracurricular activities included
in the children’s’ daily
schedule.
“The Greek Village
Camp has become a signature program for the
Metropolis of San Fran-
cisco and I am grateful to
the families of Dr. James
and Virginia Kallins, Dr.
George and Bettina Kallins and Dr. David and
Barbara Kallins Matty for
their continued support of
this initiative,” stated His
Eminence
Metropolitan
Gerasimos of San Francisco. “The Elliniko Horio
is a creative and unique
way to immerse children
in the Greek language and
culture, providing a memorable learning experience
while forming deep friendships with other youth with
whom they share their religious and cultural heritage.”
The 230 acre Saint
Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center is nestled in
the foothills of the Sequoia
National Park. Its hiking
trails, apple orchards, historic barn and lake provide the atmosphere of a
traditional Greek Village
to further enhance a truly
cultural experience.
Under the guidance
and direction of the Metropolis Committee on
Greek Education and Culture, “The Greek Village”
will again be led by a team
of highly qualified instructors, selected from various
Greek language schools in
the Metropolis. The program is open to all youth
ages 7 through 14. Activities will be divided based
on age-appropriateness to
facilitate learning and enhance the educational experience. Special discounts
are available for families
sending more than one
child or for parents who
wish to accompany their
child to camp. Enrollment
is limited so reserve your
space today!
For additional information
and registration forms please
go to www.ourgreekvillage.
com or www.stnicholasranch.
org. X
FDF
Metropolis Philoptochos Summer Camp 2011 at Saint Nicholas Ranch
athletics, canoeing, OrthoMeets During Fdf
dox Life discussion sessions,
vation. (Psalm 95: 1-2). X
Judges from page 12
Irene Peros is a native of Modesto,
California. She has been dancing since a very
young age. Her pride and love for her Greek
heritage have encouraged her to study Greek
dance, costumes, and to help teach and share
her knowledge and experience with people
of diverse backgrounds. Her formal involvement in Greek folklore began in 1984 when
she was instrumental in forming, dancing
and directing the Patriotes of Modesto. From
1984 to 1999, she directed, assisted or danced
in 10 different dance groups in Modesto.
She was also involved with the coordination, research and production of 11 awardwinning costumes. Irene also chaired 3 very
successful FDF Symposia held in Modesto.
Irene has served on the FDF Board of Trustees in several positions and has been involved with various aspects of FDF. Irene
has been a costume judge at FDF since 2001.
Dena Stamos has been involved in
Greek dance since her childhood in Chicago. She first performed at age seven. She
became involved in FDF eighteen years ago
as Executive Director of the Modesto dance
groups. During this time the Modesto representation grew from twelve dancers in two
groups to 140 dancers and seven groups.
Dena is respected and admired for the accomplishments of the Modesto groups at
FDF: 57 awards, including 6 Sweepstakes
fdf
Choral Judges
JIM HRONAS
Jim’s love of and involvement with
Greek demotic and liturgical music began
nearly five decades ago when he took many
of his cues as an altar boy from the hymns he
heard coming from the choir loft and psaltirion at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
in Northridge, California.
In the mid-sixties as a clarinetist in
middle school orchestra and marching band,
he organized a group with some fellow GOYAns to play Greek music at various parish
functions.
While pursuing his bachelor’s degree
in economics at UCLA, he obtained his first
bouzouki and began teaching himself how to
play in his spare time. Upon graduating, he
joined the Hellenic Sounds orchestra and had
the opportunity to play for some of the earliest FDF events when the folk dance ministry
was in its infancy.
With his musical performance days on
hold since 1986 to devote time to his fam-
•
S T. N I C H O L A S R A N C H L O D G E
...αἰνεῖτε Αὐτὸν
ἐν τυμπάνῳ καὶ χορῷ...
...praise Him with
timbrel and dance…
Psalm 150:4
•
sacred music of the Greek Orthodox
Church, and secular music of Hellenic
heritage
Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let
us shout joyfully to the Rock of our sal-
EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND
medals and 19 First Place medals. Her expertise in costuming is also evident in the 8
costume awards won by Modesto teams. She
did the research for those winning costumes,
and parents and dancers did the work with
her help. Dena has one of the largest private
collections of Greek Folk Costumes on the
West Coast and has done multiple exhibits
throughout the state. Dena has been involved
with FDF for 25 years, including serving on
the FDF Board of Trustees. She was a recipient of the FDF Humanitarian Award.
She was also honored by the California Arts
Council for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts
in 2002. Dena has been an FDF costume
judge since 1999 and is also a costume judge
for HDF.
CAMP AGAPE • BISHOP ANTHONY PHILOPTOCHOS STUDENT AID ENDOWMENT FUND
The
Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos
is proud to be a part of the
35th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival.
Wishing you many more years of successful fellowship
in celebration of our faith and heritage.
P E N N I E S A N D P R AY E R S • W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S • S O C I A L S E R V I C E S /
Music from page 14
KIDS ‘N’ CANCER
HELLENIC CROSS / HELLENIC COLLEGE ADOPT A STUDENT
chos Chapters in the Metropolis of San Francisco representing over 3,500 members
who have committed to
serving others and bringing
the Gospel of Jesus Christ
through good works in their
parishes, civic communities,
and the greater Metropolis.
“As our rich history indicates, we have made a difference in the lives of many.
Our seminarians are eternally
grateful for reducing their
debt when they graduate, our
cancer afflicted children and
their families see our works
as a gift from God, our philanthropy supports our missions worldwide and takes
our faith to the corners of our
world. We can do this together, by working as a dynamic
Board. With hope in the future, faith in our abilities and
love for God’s children we
can accomplish our mission,”
stated President Jeannie Ranglas. X
camp!
The dates for Summer
Camp 2011 are: Week 1 –
July 10-16, Week 2 – July
17-23, Week 3 – July 24-30,
Week 4 – July 31 – August 6
(High School Only). Age requirements for the first three
weeks are 8 years of age (or
entering the 3rd grade in
September 2011) to 17 years
of age (or Spring 2011 high
school graduates). Week 4 is
exclusively for High School
Students, grades 9-12, who
have at least completed their
9th grade year.
Summer Camp is a week
of fun, fellowship and faith.
Campers will have the opportunity to meet other youth
from throughout the Metropolis, while participating in the
following camp activities:
campfires, theater, music,
hiking, pool time, Olympics,
•
The Metropolis of San
Francisco
Philoptochos
Board will be meeting on
Saturday, February 19, 2011
during the 35th Annual Folk
Dance and Choral Festival.
With a long history of philanthropy, and programs and
ministries to help those in
need, the Metropolis Philoptochos has been a beacon of
Christ’s love through their
actions, and are an example
of true Christian stewardship.
Under the leadership of
President Jeannie Ranglas,
the Metropolis Philoptochos
coordinates programs including the Bishop Anthony
Philoptochos Student Aid
Endowment Fund, the Metropolis Spirit of Stewardship
Awards, Kid ‘n’ Cancer, Pennies and Prayers, Women’s
Health and Wellness, and
sponsors regional Philoptochos conferences and retreats
throughout the year.
There are 56 Philopto-
It’s time to start thinking
about summer plans for your
children, and there is no better place for them to spend
a week or two than Summer Camp at Saint Nicholas Ranch. Sponsored by the
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, Saint
Nicholas Ranch has provided
a fun and life-transforming
summer camp experience
for nearly 30 years and has
strengthened the faith of all
who have participated. The
staff at Saint Nicholas Ranch
believe that our Orthodox
Christian Faith is "caught,
not taught". In other words,
Christian friendship teaches
kids more about their faith
than any book or class. This
Christian friendship is an increasingly rare thing in the
world and becoming harder
to find, but easy to find at
ily and career with Johnson & Johnson, Jim
joined the choir at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church of Pasadena, California in
1999. He has been the choir director there
since 2007.
Christopher Yokas has been the organist at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral for the past 32 years. He succeeded
the late Xenia Anton Desby, who gave him
considerable encouragement and advice on
his craft. From 1978 through 1992, Chris
worked very closely with the late Frank Desby, D.M.A., whose steadfast teaching and
guidance were both inspiring and invaluable.
Aside from his many music activities
and responsibilities at Saint Sophia includ-
ing assistant director of music, Chris was the
organist for the 1986 Clergy laity Congress
in Dallas, Texas, the 1991 National GOYAL
Conference in Los Angeles, the 1995 MidEastern Choir Federation Conference in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, the 1997 Patriarchal
Divine Liturgy in Los Angeles, and several
San Francisco Metropolis Church Musician
Conferences from 1983 to present. He was
the principal organist for the three major services of the 2002 Clergy-Laity Congress held
in Los Angeles, California. He has worked
with many nationally known Greek Orthodox
composers and choral directors. In February
2009, he served as a choral judge at the 2009
Metropolis of San Francisco Folk Dance and
•
METROPOLIS OF SAN FRANCISCO PHILOPTOCHOS BOARD
Row 1 – Mary Lofton (Assistant Treasurer); Lisa Xanthos (Recording Secretary); Diana Jianas (Treasurer), Valerie Roumeliotes (Past-President), Jeannie Ranglas (President), Agatha
Felactu (1st Vice President), Mari Lou Diamond (Corresponding
Secretary); Michele Genetos (2nd Vice President).
Row 2 – Voula Dodd, Emilie John, Elaine Wright, Elaine Kanellos, Connie Ralph, Sophie Mastor, Dora Hart, Patricia Aleck, Mary
Peros, Genie Kontos, Kathy Gabriel, Judie Christopoulos, Gloria
Vincent, Presvytera Evelyn Adams.
Row 3 – Rev. Father James Adams, Chancellor; His Eminence
Metropolitan Gerasimos; Deacon Niko Bekris.
Not pictured: Frances Bissias, Tula Gallanes, Christine Peratis.
a tour of the Monastery of
the Life Giving Spring, and
much more. Camp is a wonderful opportunity to make
new friends and renew old
friendships. Camp is also
a time for young Orthodox
Christians to learn about their
faith, values and heritage in a
fun and relaxed atmosphere.
Saint Nicholas Ranch
is seeking enthusiastic and
committed Orthodox Christians to serve as counselors
for Summer Camp. Interested
candidates should be age 21
by July 1, 2011. Camp Counselors have the unique opportunity to serve as mentors
and role models for campers,
sharing their faith and talents
in a variety of creative ways.
Counselor-in-Training positions are also available for
young adults ages 19 – 20. In
this position, the Counselorsin-Training gain valuable
experience assisting counselors in daily supervision of
campers and various aspects
of program implementation.
In addition, medical personnel (medical doctors and
registered nurses) along with
certified lifeguards with first
aid credentials are needed
throughout the summer.
If you are interested in
finding out more about Saint
Nicholas Ranch Summer
Camp, or need a Camp Registration form or Staff Application, visit www.stnicholasranch.org. You may also
contact the Saint Nicholas
Ranch office at (559) 3382103 or e-mail [email protected]. X
Choral Festival.
Chris has written “Toward Achieving
an Orthodox Sound: A Practical Guide to
the Use of the Organ in the Greek Orthodox Church.” He has also lectured at several
workshops and conferences and served as an
organ and choir consultant for many Greek
Orthodox Churches. In February 1997, Chris
received the national Forum Patriarch Athenagoras I Award for Distinguished Service to
the Metropolis of San Francisco.
Chris resides in Burbank, California
with his wife, Eleni who directs the Saint
Sophia Sunday School, and children Frank
Christopher age 12 and Penelope Marigo age
9 who are both dancing at FDF.. X
PAGE 15
“Did you hear…?”
The common misconceptions of Competition
and FDF
-“I heard Judge X went
to help that group before
FDF”
-“Oh, that’s why they
won gold”
-“Yup”
-“How could they have
won? Their dances were
so easy! Ours were much
harder…”
-“We got fifth because
in the Judges comments
they said …”
Throughout my many years
of dancing and directing, these
are some of the things that I
have heard long after the dance
medals have been awarded and
the
anger/sadness/bitterness
has worn away (well, for most).
It’s very easy to assume when
you’re not familiar with some of
the intricacies involved in judging, dancing, and/or directing,
so I thought I’d take this opportunity to review some of the
common misconceptions that
I have heard (and at one point
believed) throughout the years.
So here’s my disclaimer: I don’t
consider myself an expert of
any sort, but my experience and
the acceptance of my ignorance
has allowed me to learn many
things about the inner-workings
of FDF.
Misconception #1:
Judges’ Comments
A few weeks after FDF,
the directors and dancers wait
patiently to receive their scores
and comments to see where
they placed and to read what the
judges said about their suites.
Many perceive these comments as “here are the reasons
your group placed where they
placed.”
Comments are made by the
judges while they are watching the suites. They may not
necessarily reflect the reason
why they are scoring you high/
low, but may be a suggestion
for improvement, or a compliment that made them react positively. The comment may not
have anything to do with your
score, but is there for advice
purposes. Unfortunately, due to
time restraints, they are not able
to write down everything that
they’d like to, so some quick tips
usually are what are written the
fastest.
Comments are supposed to
open discussion. Any director
that wants feedback from any
judge should not wait for their
comments, but rather contact
the judges individually to discuss their suites and to explore
where improvements can be
made. Discussions with the
judges can seem intimidating-believe me I was a new director once, and I dreaded asking
the judges about my suites; as a
matter of fact, I still do sometimes. It makes us vulnerable to
our work, but, as long as you are
PAGE 16
directing for the right reasons
(which I’m hoping stems from
the desire to teach our youth
about our faith and traditions) it
shouldn’t mat ter. At least that’s
what I’ve told myself…
Directing is a learning process and the more we learn, the
more we are able to improve our
work and expand our dancers’
knowledge. We must be willing
to never stop learning.
Misconception #2:
Consultations with Judges
I’ve heard the grumblings
at FDF about how many times
judges have come out to help
groups, to what extent, and
people’s reactions when those
groups win. It’s understandable
to think that a judge’s consultation is associated with an automatic higher score, but realistically, it doesn’t happen that way.
The judges are generally
consulted prior to FDF as a
“spot check.” These consultations can result in making
changes to a suite, whether minor (modifying the styling of a
dance, i.e. less bounce, smoothing the step out) or major (making sure the dance is done on the
correct beat). Yes, they are there
to help improve the suite, but it’s
up to the directors and dancers
to take that advice and actually
implement those changes. If the
changes aren’t implemented, or
are misunderstood and therefore
implemented incorrectly, this
can negatively affect a group
instead.
So, please don’t jump to
conclusions when you hear a
group rewarded and then find
out that Judge X came and
helped them. That group was
more than likely just as amazing
before that judge came out. The
bottom line to an amazing suite
is ensuring that the director
fully understands the material,
is able to translate it correctly,
and is able to correctly teach it
to their dancers.
Misconception #3:
Judges’ Scoring
I’m sure there have been
thousands of conversations
about the outcomes of the
awards and the scoring of
groups long after FDF is said
and done. I know I too have
spent countless hours discussing results with other directors,
dancers, judges, really, anyone
who would listen. But did you
ever think that the judges actually do this too?
What some people don’t
know about the judges is that
they actually LOVE Greek folk
dance and that they’re just as
passionate about it as many of
us are. They are just like us,
just like the die-hards that we
see in every community, watching videos whenever they get
a chance, talking about Greek
dance and/or FDF to any ear
that’s willing to listen.
Each one of them takes the
scoring very seriously. They
don’t want to mess things up
just as much as those dancers on
stage don’t want to mess up.
The scores are the scores.
The judges score each group individually and then turn in their
papers at the end of every category. The numbers are input by
two separate people into 2 sepa-
rate databases, cross-checked
for accuracy, and then checked,
and rechecked, before the totals
are calculated and the placements are set. It’s pretty simple.
There is no discussion amongst
the judges about whether these
placements are right, there is
no switching of placements, as
many believe, or any “recalculation” that is done. The numbers
say it all. Period.
There have been many
outcomes where the judges are
just as surprised as some of the
groups. Which then brings me
to the next question, have the
judges ever disagreed with the
rankings? Of course they have,
but a lot of times, those are individual opinions. The scoring
is set up to unify all opinions,
good or bad, so that all are represented. As a quality measure,
every year after FDF, the scores
are analyzed in depth to make
sure that there are no discrepancies with the scores and the outcomes. There have even been
times when the reviewers have
looked back upon the scores and
“omitted” one judge’s scores
to see if the rankings would
change. And guess what, they
never would. There are enough
scores given by each of the
judges that doesn’t allow for one
judge to “sway” the rankings.
The judges are people too; they
want to know if everything is legitimate just as much as you do.
Misconception #4:
Simple Dances vs.
Complex Dances
Many groups look at a
dance and think the simpler
the step, the simpler the dance
or the slower the melody, the
easier the dance. This is probably the biggest misconception
in Greek dance. Have you really listened to a good Epirotiko
Sta Dio? That dance is harder to
master stylistically than a Karpathian Panohoro. It’s slow, yes,
but within each beat there are
so many nuances in the body,
the feet, the arms, that have to
be achieved. A fellow director, whom I respect very much,
once told me, “You don’t dance
Epirotika with your feet, you
dance it with your soul.” How
do you master that? Well, there
are groups in our younger categories that have, and they were
rewarded for it.
This, of course, begs the
question: “So then what do they
look for in dances?“
I feel that every dance
has hallmarks that need to be
achieved. One general hallmark that is always looked at
is the styling of the dances in
your suite and whether they
are done the way the villagers would dance them. Within
each dance, there are individual
hallmarks. For example, some
dances have syncopations that
need to be shown, or certain
steps that need to be differentiated, a specific hop on a particular beat, or a generalized movement that the line must achieve.
These hallmarks are what your
directors keep reminding you of
over and over and over again. As
an example, Gaitani from Asvestades, has the following hallmarks: the line needs to achieve
a characteristic “breathing”
movement, the first 2 steps need
to be distinctly different than
the following 4 “koutso” type
steps, and there should be a hop
up step at beats 9 and 10. These
are just a few of the things that
the judges are looking at when
scoring a group. These are the
nuances that localize a dance to
that specific village/region.
So when you’re watching
groups, don’t look for generalities, really watch them and how
they dance. Styling is the key,
how is the dance done and is it
natural? Does the group take
you to that village? Do you feel
like you’re watching the villagers dancing?
There’s a lot more involved
than just steps and as many of
my dancers have heard me say
thousands of times, “I could
teach a monkey steps, but I can’t
teach him how to Greek dance.”
Misconception #5:
Live Music and/or
Props on Stage
Within the past 5 years I
have seen a huge surge in the
amount of props that are on a
stage during a performance and
in the number of groups using
live musicians. These are wonderful things that can accompany a suite, but don’t be fooled,
do not think that just because a
group has live music and a complete theatrical set on stage they
will win a medal. Do not feel
that in order to be a “contender”
you need to build a house.
This misconception has led
to many groups feeling forced to
use these additional “touches”
with results that are generally
not the same. Well that’s because the props and/or the live
music are not being used in the
same way…
First, let’s take a look at
live music. Many directors utilize live musicians to be able
to modify the music that they
are playing. For example, in
a Cretan suite, musicians can
play specific notes during solos to accentuate a step, a slap,
a turn, etc. The directors work
extensively with the musicians,
practicing to make sure these
notes are played at the exact
points in order to achieve the
desired effect. In an Epirotiko
suite, a director may utilize live
musicians because the music is
so complex that good recorded
music just isn’t found. Musicians can modify tempos, play
accompaniment while your
dancers are singing, or just help
set your scene. But be wary,
live music also comes with
disadvantages. Some dancers
are used to a specific melody,
tempo, beat; they may not feel
absolutely comfortable dancing
to live music, which can show
on stage, especially if the group
doesn’t rehearse with the band
until the last week. There are
inherent sound-system risks.
I’ve had many instances where
the music just wasn’t heard, or
the monitors were off and the
musicians couldn’t hear each
other playing, causing the whole
group to be off. There are risks
that will be taken, so before you
make a decision about live music, be aware of these risks and
plan accordingly.
So, my suggestion, take
it or leave it, is that if you are
planning on having live musi-
cians play music for you the exact same way as your recorded
music, then save a few thousand
dollars, and use a good piece of
recorded music. The judges will
not score you lower for it.
The same holds true for
props, why are they being used?
Don’t just plop a table and chairs
on stage just because the group
before you did. Look deeper at
the meaning of the props. Last
year, for example, there was a
group who brought out so many
different props. My first thought
was “really? Is that ALL really
necessary?” The thought that
followed was, “well, I know the
director, who’s pretty reputable,
so let’s see what they do.” When
the suite was done, I realized
that the group was completely
successful at utilizing their
props in such a way that it made
me, as an audience member, feel
like I had been in the village
with them for 12 minutes. It was
amazing and that’s when I truly
realized that yes, props can enhance, if done correctly. I also
thought “I wish I could do that,
good thing they’re not competing against my group,” but that’s
a different story.
Think about your suite.
Think about setting a scene. You
may not needs props to do it, just
be creative. If there is no purpose to those props, the judges
will see that, and that, in the end,
will hinder your group. So be
wary of the risk that you take.
So what wins?
I thought this would be a
nice ending, but I think after
reading this article hundreds of
times, I finally thought, does it
really matter? Is this really why
we’re here?
This weekend is, the most
amazing weekend of the year. It
is the only weekend that we can
walk around and feel like we are
in a museum showcasing Greek
costumes from hundreds of villages, the only weekend we can
dance to live music from all over
Greece all in one night, the only
weekend we can socialize with
long distance friends and catch
up. It is the one weekend that
we feel the most pride for being
Greek Orthodox Christians and
truly feel blessed that His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos
continues with the vision that
our beloved Metropolitan Anthony, of blessed memory, had
for our youth.
At the end of the day, the
medals are not the reason why
we gather. The memories that
I have of my friends, my dance
groups, my dancing, the stories
that I tell, and the feelings of euphoria that are felt when dancing
is what I hold close to my heart.
Please don’t lose sight of
that. We are very blessed to be
here and no matter what happens
on Sunday night, every single
dancer is a winner.
Good luck this weekend to
all of the groups!
Anastacia “Stacie”
Zoumberakis
Director/Director Mentor
Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Long Beach, CA
FDF

2011 Oli Mazi Newsletter

Transcription

Similar documents

View Promo - St. Michael`s Health Group

2009-2010 Facts

The History of Middle Eastern Dance, Part 1.

A Greek Grammar for Colleges

Dinner Dance Dinner Dance - Franciscan Sisters of Chicago

SWING CATS WORKSHOP and DANCE

Sahara

Luvabulls Dance - Bulls Blog- BULLS.com

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church