Endeka Kozanis dance is a celebratory Greek folk dance from performed mainly during ‘weddings’. This “celebratory” dance is said to have originated from a town called Kozani located in north Greece. In addition, this dance style is said to have been introduced within the Greek culture by the Turks. Furthermore, this dance is performed to an 11-meter rhythm.
A. History/Origin of the Endeka Kozanis dance:
According to the cultural history of Greece, this dance was first created and introduced into the Greek culture by the Turks. Apparently, this dance is performed using exactly eleven steps, and hence has been aptly named “Endeka” which in Greek means eleven.
B. Costumes used in the Endeka Kozanis dance:
The costumes used in this dance style vary according to the gender as follows:
1. For men:
The attire worn includes a colourful dress, a cap and a pair of boots.
2. For women:
The attire worn includes a colourful dress with a long skirt, a pair of shoes, and a headgear.
C. Music involved in the Endeka Kozanis dance:
The musical instruments mainly involved in this dance style include a mixture of stringed instruments i.e. chordophones, wind instruments i.e. aerophones and drum instruments i.e. membranophones.
D. Training availability and technique involved in the Endeka Kozanis dance:
In terms of technique, this dance is performed by a couple i.e. usually a male and female. Furthermore, the performers position themselves “face-to-face”, and then dance to the rhythm of accompanying music using lively feet movements. As for training centers/schools, there are none available around the world since this “celebratory” dance is mainly performed in southern Greece.