What Is grdance.org?

Updated

grdance.org is the official website of the Dora Stratou Greek Dances Theatre (Θέατρο Ελληνικών Χορών "Δόρα Στράτου"), a nonprofit cultural organization in Athens dedicated to Greek traditional dance, music, and costume. It describes itself as "the living museum of Greek dance" and has operated since 1953. If you are looking for information on Greek folk dance performances in Athens, dance classes, or a large collection of traditional costumes, this is the organization's own site.

What the organization is

  • Name: Dora Stratou Greek Dances Theatre
  • Founded: 1953
  • Legal status: Nonprofit organization (κοινωφελής οργανισμός)
  • Funding: Subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT)
  • Auspices: Under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens
  • Self-description: "The living museum of Greek dance"

Main activities

The site presents the organization as several connected operations rather than a single theatre:

Area What it covers
Performances Daily shows at an 860-seat open-air garden theatre on Philopappos Hill
Performing company About 75 dancers, musicians, and singers
Dance school Classes for beginners, advanced students, and children; seminars and lectures for experienced dancers; teacher training; classes and seminars in English
Costume collection Around 2,000 museum costumes, jewelry, embroideries, and folk art objects, worn in performances
Special courses Traditional embroidery, rebetiko dances, dance therapy
Educational programs Visits for primary schools
Research Ethnography, history, and sociology of dance, with international collaborations; a study group on ancient Greek dance
Archive and library Recordings, films, photographs, and records
Publications Over 53 records, 15 cassettes, 7 video cassettes, 30 books in various languages, 8 CD-ROMs, 5 DVDs
Costume services Making or renting copies of costumes from the collection
Events Hosts the World Congress on Dance Research and the Anapali and Emmeleia festivals

Location and venue

The theatre is an 860-seat open-air garden theatre (Κηποθέατρο) on Philopappos Hill in Athens, with daily performances according to the site. This is the venue to check if you want to attend a live show.

Related resources

The organization also points to two external resources:

  • "Pandektis of Greek Dance" portal: www.dance-pandect.gr
  • International Dance Council (CID) of UNESCO: www.cid-portal.org — described as the highest organization for all forms of dance, with which the theatre collaborates

Who this site is useful for

  • Visitors to Athens looking for a traditional Greek dance performance
  • People wanting to learn Greek dance, from beginners to experienced dancers, including English-language classes
  • Researchers and students interested in Greek dance ethnography, history, or the archive
  • Schools arranging educational visits
  • Anyone needing traditional costume replicas for performance or study

The site itself does not state ticket prices, class fees, or booking requirements in the material available, so those details would need to be confirmed directly with the organization.