Giknas dance is a traditional Greek folk dance performed mainly before a ‘wedding’. This Southeast European dance is supposed to have originated from a city called Orestiada located in the northeast of Greece. Apparently, this dance has been named after a ‘coloured nail polish’ used frequently by women in the country.
A. History/origin of Giknas dance:
According to the cultural history of northeast Greece, this dance was basically created to be performed before a marriage ceremony. Additionally, this dance has been named after a “nail polish” popularly used by females belonging to the northeast of Greece.
B. Costumes used in the Giknas dance:
The costumes worn by the performers vary according to the gender as follows:
1. For men:
The attire worn will include a white long sleeve shirt, a black trouser, a black overcoat, a black cap, and pair of shoes.
2. For women:
The attire worn will include a colourful dress that includes a long skirt, a pair of shoes, and a headgear.
C. Music involved in the Giknas 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 the technique involved in the Giknas dance:
This dance is essentially a “wedding” dance and is usually performed just prior to the commencement of the ceremony. It involves the guest dancing to the accompanying music and offering the bride and the bridegroom a gift generally in the form of money. As for training center/schools, there are none available around the world since this “folk” dance is performed mainly in Greece.