• The Naoussa Dance Group
  

Tel:           +3022840 52971

FAX:        +30 22840 52971

Email:        info@paros-xon.gr

Website:    www.paros-xon.gr

In 1988 the Naoussa Dance Group was founded on Paros with the aim to preserve the traditional dances, music and folk arts of the island. Another incentive was the cultivation of acquaintances and friendships with the residents of other areas of Greece and abroad that have similar interests.

The Group’s activities and works include the following areas:

- Traditional dances with six individual levels.
- Traditional music with (string instruments) violin, laouto, Cretan lyre, (island bagpipes) tsampouna, (hand percussion) toubeleki, accordion and clarinet.
- Folk Arts, having published the books "Rizes and Diadromi" (Roots and Paths - 1994) and "Paizoume ena Paixnidi" (Let’s Play a Game – 1998)
- Theatre Games, introducing the children and youth of the island to the world of theatrical expression, they have performed eight works to date.

The Group is managed by a seven member board, elected by the members every two years. The group’s wardrobe holds more than 100 traditional costumes (copies of 16th century designs) from Crete, Cephallonia, Kalymnos, Kithera, Hematheia, Skiathos and Asia Minor.

The Group has participated and received distinctions in numerous Greek festivals and events (in Athens, Xanthi, Chios, Naxos, Ios, Thessaloniki, Lefkada, Karpathos, Skiathos, Trikala, Volos, Hematheia, Serres, Kilkis, Thassos, Argos, Koufonisia, and Crete), as well as internationally (Portugal, Holland, Austria, Denmark, Egypt, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Malta, Tunisia, Italy, Turkey and Cyprus). In 1989 they were awarded the 3rd International Prize at the Thracian Folk Art Festival in Xanthi, and in 1995 they were the official representatives of Greece in a series of events organised in Bonne and other cities throughout Germany by the Greek Embassy in Germany.

The Group has also organised two seminars, with the support of the EEU (the teaching of Greek traditional folk dances – 1994, "The Lyres of Greece and their Dances" – 1996). They also organised the 1st Pan-Cycladic Festival of Music and Dance Groups ("The Cyclades in the Circle of Tradition, Music and Dance" – 1998). In cooperation with the "Dora Stratou" Theatre they presented for the first time in the Cyclades a collection of authentic bridal costumes in a tribute to the Parian wedding ceremony and its customs ("A Tribute to the Wedding Dress" – 2000).

In parallel, via a systematic programme of cultural exchange, they have hosted on Paros to date 30 similar groups from various areas of Greece (Kilkis, Serres, Thessaloniki, Pelion, Trikala, Chios, Mykonos, Naxos, Karpathos, Crete and others). They have also hosted international groups: "Omonia" Aradhippos from Larnaca, Cyprus - 2001, "Zvanche" from Soumen Bulgaria - 1995, "Citta di Palagianello" from Taranta, Italy – 2001, and the University of Dokuz Eyful, from Smyrni, Turkey – 2002.

They have also appeared on traditional entertainment programs for the local broadcasters ET-1, NET, Antenna, Mega, Star, TV Macedonia.