Many of us were not around in 1976 when the first FDF was held and therefore have no knowledge of its humble begins. Like most of you, all I could do was picture it in my mind. That was until Mr. Peter Preovolos (Chairman Emeritus) leaned over to me at the judge’s table at the start of the 2nd annual Youth Folk Dance Festival (2º Festival Juvenil de Danzas Griegas in Spanish) hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and South America and said, “this was us 27 years ago.” I felt like the luckiest man on earth at that moment because I was living a moment that I wish I could have been a part 27 years earlier—the start of something big, really big. I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina and doing what I loved most—Greek dance—while representing our Metropolis along with Mr. Dennis Sourvanos and Ms. Ada Sourvanos of St Katherine in Redondo Beach, CA and Ms. Teresa Vorgias of St. Anthony in Pasadena, CA. 

Arcimhnia ki arcicronia!--New Year’s Eve and Day

We all thought we were simply lucky to be in Buenos Aires at the start of the New Year. It was not luck at all, but a blessing. We spent New Year’s Eve with His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios in what has to be the best celebration we have ever attended (no question about it). We ate, we drank, we sang, and of course, we danced (even in the streets—Greek dance and tango too!). In attendance at the Metropolitan’s celebration were the five of us in the US delegation, Mr. Lefteris Drandakis and Ms. Hara Deliyanni of the Lykion ton Ellinidon of Athens and Ms. Deliyanni’s son, Rafail, and His Eminence’s assistant Eleni Douka and Father Christo, a retired priest from the United States serving our church is South America.

Though it was New Year’s Eve and time for celebration, we wanted to gain insight from Metropolitan Tarasios on the challenges he faces and his hopes and dreams for this festival. Without going into great detail on the discussions we had, there is so much we can do to make his dreams become a reality. We (the young adult delegation) wondered why Mr. Preovolos was drawn and inspired by His Eminence and the South Americans. After this discussion, we understood why he was so passionate and we could not wait to help. In fact, we stayed up all night talking about it after we returned to the hotel (Peter—you can understand why we were so tired on Friday).

The following morning, we attended Divine Liturgy. Given that it was New Year’s Day and the feast day of Agios Vasilios, the cutting of the Vasilopita took place. His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios and the parish of the church we attended presented each of us as well as his guests from Greece with a piece of Vasilopita. Needless to say, Greeks are the same all over the world--filoxeni and full of filotimo. 

That evening, it was time to take in some Argentinean culture. What better way to end New Years Day than to experience Argentina than with an evening at a tango show. Thanks to Mr. Preovolos, we were treated to a dinner and a show at the Carlos Gardel Theater. Impressive to say the least! 

Opening Ceremonies

The next day, before the weekend’s festivities were set to begin, we took in some of Buenos Aires. Mr. Preovolos once again planned and hosted a day’s worth of activities, taking us to Argentina’s famous tourist attractions. It goes without saying that Buenos Aires is a wonderful place to visit. 

After taking in some of the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires, it was time to head back to the hotel and prepare for opening ceremonies. There was something familiar about what was happening when we arrived at the hotel. There were young people piled up in the lobby of the hotel, wearing their group shirts (it was summer so no one was wearing sweaters), lining up to register, and reuniting with old friends. Sound familiar? 

Opening ceremonies was amazing. Think about it—Greeks from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the United States under one roof. Verbal communication was not as easy as you might think with everyone but we did the best we would with Greek, English, Spanish, and even Portuguese. Language was not necessary though because our faith and dancing was all we needed to create the lasting bond between us. 

The evening was filled with the normal formalities. First, we started with the each country’s national anthems. The US delegation distinguished itself by having Ms. Vorgias sing the “Star Spangled Banner” to the more than 300 individuals in the room (to rousing reviews!). Following this, we received a warm welcome from His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios and the South American communities in attendance. The judging panel was then recognized, comprised of Mr. Lefteris Drandakis, Ms. Hara Deliyanni, Ms. Diana Theocaridis, modern dance teacher and director at the Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, Mr. Yioryos Dermitzakis, and myself, with Mr. Dennis Sourvanos serving commentator. Further, Ms. Sourvanos and Ms. Vorgias were recognized as part of the official festival delegation.

Following the Metropolitan’s kind words, Mr. Preovolos delivered His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony’s message to Metropolitan Terasios and to the South Americans. This was followed by the presentation of a plaque from our young adult delegation to His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios and his community. Mr. Drandakis delivered a message on behalf of the Lykion ton Ellinidon of Athens, praising their efforts to keep their faith and culture and faith alive so far away from the Greece. 

Before the dancing could begin, we were treated to a special performance from the previous year’s first place winners from the South American dance festival, AKRITES from Antofagasta, Chile. 

After the formalities, everyone to danced the night away to live popular Greek music. We were able to get in some folk pieces into the mix from CDs we brought with us during some of the band’s breaks. We were all astonished to see everyone running to the stage to learn dances like Poushteno from Florina, Klouriastos from Asvestades, and the big hits of the night, Island and Pontian. Everyone was so eager to learn. They didn’t take anything for granted and even though we couldn’t talk to each other in one common language, when they danced next to each of us, we understood each other completely.

Let the dancing begin!

Saturday morning was competition time. The hotel was buzzing with dance groups putting in their final practices as well as the final touches on their costumes. The competition began with a keynote performance by the group representing the Metropolis of Boston. They performed traditional dances from Macedonia and Thrace wearing beautifully made authentic costumes (even some of our costumes because not all their luggage made it to Buenos Aires with their flight so we shared our costumes that we used later in the day for the exhibition we conducted). 

The first group from South America came out with a blast of energy that set the pace for the rest of the day. They put us on the edge of our seats. I quickly realized that these groups did not just dance; they put on productions! The rules of the competition require them to perform a traditional dance(s) and a popular piece(s). In both sets, you could see so much thought, preparation, and creativity by all the groups, not only in their steps, but in their costumes as well. 

After all the groups competed, it was time to narrow down our top five groups. I can say as a judge, it was tough to narrow down my top five. The groups were absolutely incredible. Thank God for Mr. Preovolos, who was our George Papangellin (judge coordinator) in South America, keeping us on track and focused. He assisted us in narrowing down the top five groups (based on the numbers) to perform again in the evening, their best traditional piece, for one final look before we set the placements, similar to what they do in pageants. Our top five groups included: Asociacion La Colectividad Helénica de Buenos Aires—Neolea, Sociedad Helénica Antofagasta SS.MM. of Chile—Akrites, Instituto Atenagoras I of Buenos Aires, Colectividad Helénica y Platon de Berisso of Argentina, and Colectividad Helénica Panelinion of Buenos Aires. In this set, we saw a wonderful mix of Pontian, Cretan, and Macedonian dancing. 

Following the competition, we conducted a costume exhibition with the help of Mr. Drandakis and Ms. Deliyanni. Our Metropolis brought six costumes to present, from our personal collections and from our various performing groups, modeled by dancers from various groups in South America. Ms. Sourvanos and Ms. Vorgias prepared our models and answered questions about the costumes from directors and dancers in the audience. It was a huge success thanks to their efforts.

It was then time for the judges to prepare the awards and certificates for the dancers behind close doors. Keep reading to find out who wins!

Divine Liturgy

On Sunday, we attended church at a camp of one of the local Greek communities out in Olympia, 30 minutes outside of Buenos Aires. Church was held in the tiny exoklisi on the camp. It was like being in Greece because there was standing room only. It was incredible to see so many of us try to squeeze into such a small space. What was even more astonishing was that not everyone their was Greek Orthodox, yet they participated in the service as much as they could. Some of these dancers at the event are not baptized in the church but wanted so bad to be members of our faith. I was touched when at one point, I did my cross and a young girl next to me did her cross like she had been taught in the Catholic Church. I could see out of the corner of my eye she was looking at me do my cross. When it came time to do our cross again, I noticed her looking at me trying to do her cross the correct way. She continued to practice her cross throughout the rest of the Divine Liturgy.

And the winners are…

Following Divine Liturgy, it was time to eat, soak up the great summer weather, and to proceed with the awards ceremony. Once again, we were treated to the filoxenia of our Argentinean hosts with a traditional meal of chorizo and beef. Over lunch, we had the opportunity to talk with our South American brothers and sisters and get to know each other a little more. We learned a great deal about their communities, the resources available to them, and what challenges they are trying to overcome. It made us all realize how fortunate we truly are in the United States. 

Before we proceeded with the awards, Mr. Sourvanos serenaded everyone with island tunes on his violin. He was accompanied by Ms. Vorgias on vocals, who sang a few folk songs. We demonstrated some dances from Kephalonia. In addition, Mr. Dermitzakis, one of the judges and his wife, presented a modern dance piece that incorporated Greek dance (Hasapiko) and the Argentine tango. 

It was now time for the awards. Everyone was anxious to get started, as was I because I was pressed for time since I had to leave early to catch a flight home. Mr. Drandakis and His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios did the honors of presenting the awards to everyone. 

• First Place: Asociacion La Colectividad Helénica de Buenos Aires—Neolea 
• Second Place: Sociedad Helénica Antofagasta SS.MM. of Chile—Akrites 
• Third Place: Instituto Atenagoras I of Buenos Aires 
• Special Achievement: Colectividad Helénica y Platon de Berisso of Argentina 
• Special Achievement: Colectividad Helénica Panelinion of Buenos Aires 

Participation Awards:

• Colectividad Helénica “Socrates” 
• Union Helenica Peloponense “O Guergos tou Moria”—Ta Paidia tou Moria 
• Colectividad Helénica do Grande ABCD—Brasil, San Pablo—Danzas Griegas Zorbas 
• Colectividad Helénica de Bahia Blanca, Argentina—Xios 
• Asociacion la Colectividad Helénica de Rosario, Argentina—Olympia 

CONGRATULATIONS to all of you!

At this point it was time for me to leave for the home. From what I heard, the festivities continued well into the evening. According to the rest of the team, following the awards ceremonies, the whole afternoon was given to the dancers. Many went swimming in the pool located on the camp, and others played soccer. His Eminence was playing soccer with the young children, while the older boys played on the field nearby. The Sourvanos siblings and Ms.Vorgias sat with several girls from Cordoba, Argentina. They discussed how their lives were at home, and how incorporating Greek culture into their South American culture was a particular challenge. It was see the same struggles. 

The day would not have been the same without dancing. The music began playing from the hall, and many of the participants stopped what they were doing to come and join in the fun. Ms. Sourvanos and Ms. Vorgias intermingled with the group, to show them the steps in the line, while Mr. Sourvanos dissected each dance before playing the music. Other regions were danced, and the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to having fun on the dance floor. The night was over and it was time for the festivities to end. From talking to everyone upon returning to the United States, it was difficult to part from Argentina. A piece of our hearts are and will always be there. 

I would be a liar if I told you I didn’t cry for Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. In fact, I cried the whole way to the airport. They were not tears of sadness (well, I was sad to be leaving these wonderful people and because I would be returning to the cold of Washington, DC), but tears of joy and hope. I could not believe how in four short days, His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios and the Greeks of South America changed me. They have so little, yet they do so much with it. 

The South American Greek Orthodox Heritage Ministry Program

The only thing that kept me from continuing to mope while on my flight back (besides exhaustion which forced me to sleep) was the fact that I knew our Metropolis was going to initiate the FDF South American Greek Orthodox Heritage Ministry Program. The aim of the program is to send several individuals (in groups of two) to serve various parishes in South America and teach them about our Greek Orthodox faith, Greek dance, and our culture. If there is one ministry that can accomplish this goal and assist His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios and our brothers and sisters in Christ of South America, it is ours given our accomplishments and strength as a Diaspora community. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is my belief our ministry has done the best job preserving our Greek Orthodox faith and Greek culture of any community outside of Greece. 

For more information on the program, please feel free to contact:
Mr. Aris Yortzidis, 
Director of Outreach and Public Relations, 
FDF Board of Trustees 
aristhegreek@hotmail.com