In man, nature has a desire to move to rhythms. Everyone knows for himself, hearing a melody, we instinctively begin to perform dance steps.
Dances accompanied the primitive man in all his significant events, starting from birth. Emotional impressions of the surrounding world poured into movements, in which a prayer was expressed that rain would be shed, and crops were not dry, about fertility, about healing the patient.
The cave paintings tell that ritual dances were an integral part of the life of an ancient person. 4000 years ago in the East with their help they performed various sacrifices. Now Arab national dances, very flexible and beautiful, are widespread. Originally feminine, graceful and graceful, they help maintain health.
Dance, as a rule, has its own national basis. Hours of dancing to the loud knock of drums with a trance in order to get rid of evil spirits - such rituals are still practiced in African countries.
In ancient Greece, dance had the function of a medicine for a person, with its help they corrected posture, relieved stress, improved digestion, increased appetite, normalized the emotional and psychological state, and even cardiovascular activity.
In those immemorial times, dances were divided into sacred, military, stage, and public. Tradition says that ritual and ritual dances were transferred to Greece by Orpheus, borrowing them from the Egyptians.
Pyrrhic war dances played a significant role in the upbringing of courage among the young generation; they taught the young men patriotism. On the island of Crete, a tradition has been preserved to hold festivals dedicated to the myths of ancient Greece.
The Greek dance of the serra, or pyrihios, shows the movements of soldiers dressed in full ammunition in battle. In ancient times, it was performed at the Big and Small All-Athens Games.
Another military Greek dance is maherya, usually performed by two men. This shows a knife fight. This is a real performance about two rivals. Expressive facial expressions depict the fighting spirit of warriors.
The popular Greek Sirtaki dance has an unusual history of origin. He appeared in 1964 when filming the movie “Greek Zorba”. American actor Anthony Quinn was supposed to dance in this film, but he broke his leg and couldn't bounce. His leg could only drag along the sand. The actor was not at a loss, he came up with 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 filmed, which subsequently, thanks to the film, became famous throughout the world as the dance "Zorba".
The Greek sirtaki dance is basically a version of the hasapiko - the ancient dance of the butchers. Hasapiko dance until 1922 was popular in Constantinople and western Asia. It became the base for sirtaki, some movements, music, and the number of participants passed from it.
The world famous Greek dance, written by composer Mikis Theodorakis, is now a symbol of Greece and a tourist attraction.