Sirtaki dance
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Sirtaki or syrtaki is a popular dance of Greek origin, choreographed by Giorgos Provias for the 1964 movie Zorba the Greek. It is not a traditional Greek folkdance, but a mixture of slow and fast versions of the hasapiko dance. The dance and the music (by Míkis Theodorakis) are also called Zorbá's dance, Zorbas, or "the dance of Zorba".
The name Sirtáki comes from the Greek word syrtos, a common name for a group of traditional Cretan dances of so-called "dragging" style, as opposed to pidikhtos, a hopping or leaping style. Despite that, Sirtaki incorporates both syrtos (in its slower part) and pidikhtós (in its faster part) elements.
Sirtáki is danced in a line or circle formation with hands held on neighbours' shoulders. Line formation is more traditional.
Meter is 4/4, tempo increasing, and often the signature is changed to 2/2 in the fastest part. Accordingly, the dance begins with slower, smoother actions, gradually transforming into faster, vivid ones, often including hops and leaps.
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