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Dancing in Rethymnon
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Traditional and Modern, Western and Eastern |
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For many tourists, if you mention ‘dancing on Crete’
the immediate images that might come to mind are of ‘Zorba’ on the
beach, or performances in traditional costume—possibly as part of a
‘Cretan Night’ excursion. Of course, there is nothing more enjoyable
than linking arms and dancing the night away to those well known
tunes in a local taverna or at a festival. And it goes without
saying that being a lively student town, the club scene is well
established. However, the Cretan love of dance extends much further.
Here in Rethymnon you have the opportunity to enjoy — as spectator,
participant or both—a huge range of dance forms spanning diverse
cultures and eras. For example, performances at the summer
Renaissance Festival have included Irish reels, traditional Indian
dance, Flamenco and Classical Ballet.
There are several places that offer dance lessons throughout the
year. However, those of us who are not conditioned at birth to the
climate here find that July and August are often too hot for more
than minimal activity. But now that the days are getting cooler, and
town is getting less hectic, it might be a good time to exercise
those ol’ bones again. Along with Cretan Dance, popular options are
salsa, tango, jazz and dance aerobics. Crete’s relationship with the
East has also been increasingly acknowledged through dance in recent
years, here we profile the work of Natalie Tsoura, an oriental dance
specialist based in Rethymnon.
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Natalie Tsoura: Oriental Dance Specialist
 Natalie
Tsoura was born in Athens in 1973. She is proficient in a wide range
of performance arts. She has studied classical and modern ballet,
drama, piano and classical singing. Her real love, though is of
ancient dance rituals, particularly those that have celebrated
womanhood. Along with her partner Odysseas, who we have previously
profiled in the Bugle, she is involved in a number of community
volunteering activities in the region. She also choreographs shows,
performs and gives oriental and belly dance lessons in Rethymnon.
Below, Natalie tells us about the history of Belly Dance, and how it
may contribute to a woman’s fundamental sense of well-being. |
History of Belly Dance
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“Belly dance is the oldest women’s dance still surviving today. It
derives from an era when fertility rites were carried out. The role of
fertility was very important in the ancient world, incarnated in the
face of the Great Goddess, who held different names from place to place:
for example, Isis, Parvati, Osiris, Cybele, Rhea, Aphrodite and Astarte
.The goddess was responsible for the functioning of Earth, the harvest,
the production of crops, the seasons of the year and she cared for the
perpetuation of mankind. In the Temples of the Great Goddess there were
priestesses who looked after the temple and adopted the ways and
behaviors of the Holy Goddess. In the rituals honouring the Goddess, the
priestesses always included a sacred dance, focused at the area of the
belly, which was considered the source of divine fertility. This dance
was the duty of every priestess, concerning only the women and forbidden
to be watched by men. The musical instruments accompanying this dance,
were mostly drums and cymbals.
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The cymbals, used throughout the ages, are small
metallic plates, worn through the first and the third finger and played
by the dancers themselves. Some of these instruments date back to the
times of the ancient Greeks - 3000 BC
In Arabia, and East Africa women danced around a woman giving birth.
 In
Egypt today, there is a custom of having a dancer in wedding and it is
considered to be good luck if the bride and groom touch the dancer’s
belly.
The Belly Dance is especially designed for the female body. It settles
the right flow of energy and most importantly it makes a woman love
herself and appreciate her part in life and creation.” |
Contacts
Natalie Tsoura, who is proficient in English gives Oriental dance lessons at the Ocean Gym—near the Municipal Swimming Pool. To find out more about classes, or to book a performance, you can contact her by emailing kyveli@bellydancecrete.com or by phoning 6937228671 (mobile) or 28310 23816 (Ocean Gym). She can also be contacted via Oysseas the Cyclist whose details are given on our ‘Community Page.
The Lykeion Ellinidon will be offering Cretan Dance lessons as part of its Autumn programme. These will be publicised in the local press (where you will also find advertisements for many of the other types of dance classes on offer here) and we will post information on the
www.rethymnon.biz website when it becomes available. As with many other activities in Rethymnon, it’s worth keeping an eye out for fly posters around town.
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