Greek dance. Serra, Maharja and Sirtaki

In man, the desire to move to rhythms is inherent in nature. Everyone knows by themselves, after hearing the melody, we instinctively begin to perform dance steps.

The dances accompanied the primitive man in all his significant events, beginning with birth. Emotional impressions from the surrounding world poured out into movements that expressed a plea for rain, and did not dry out the crops, fertility, or the healing of the patient.

Rock paintings tell us that ritual dances were an integral part of the life of an ancient man. 4000 years ago in the East they used to make various sacrifices. Now Arab national dances, very plastic and beautiful, are widespread. Aboriginal women, graceful and graceful, they help maintain health.

Dance, as a rule, has its own national basis. Many hours of dancing under the loud clatter of drums with entering the trance in order to get rid of evil spirits - such rituals are still practiced in African countries.

In ancient Greece the dance had the function of medicine for a person, with its help corrected posture, relieved stress, improved digestion, increased appetite, normalized emotional and psychological state and even cardiovascular activity.

In those times immemorial, the dances were divided into sacred, military, stage and social. Tradition says that ritual and ritual dances to Greece were transferred by Orpheus, borrowing them from the Egyptians.

The military dances of the Pyrrhic played a significant role in fostering courage among the younger generation, teaching the youth patriotism. On the island of Crete, the tradition to hold festivals dedicated to the myths of ancient Greece has been preserved.

The Greek dance serra, or pyrihios, shows the movements of soldiers dressed in full ammunition, in battle. In ancient times it was performed in the Great and Small All-Athens Games.

Another military Greek dance is maharja, performed usually by two men. Here is a fight at the knives. This is a real performance about two rivals. Expressive facial expressions depict the morale of the soldiers.

The popular Greek sirtaki dance has an unusual history of origin. He appeared in 1964 with the filming of the movie "Greek Zorba." American actor Anthony Queen had to dance in this film, but he broke his leg and could not bounce. His leg could only drag along the sand. The actor did not lose his head, he invented convenient movements and convinced the director that the real sirtaki dance is what he is showing now. So the slow part of the action was removed, which later, thanks to the film, became famous throughout the world as the dance "Zorba".

Greek sirtaki dance is basically a version of the hashapiko - old dance of butchers. The Hasapiko dance until 1922 was popular in Constantinople and western Asia. It became the base for sirtaki, some movements, music, number of participants moved from it.

The world-famous Greek dance, written by composer Mikis Theodorakis, is now a symbol of Greece and a tourist attraction.