CYPRUS CULTURAL FOLKLORIC SOCIETY ¨VASILITZIA¨ |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
| ABOUT US
After the Turkish invasion, in 1974 the Society had to give up its activities for a while. The Society was re-founded in 1977 in the town of Larnaca together with artists from Larnaca. There is an Directive Board, composed of 11 members which forms the administration of Society. ¨Vasilitzia¨ is actually divided in two sections. The musical section and the dancing section. Musical instruments like the violin, the lute, the accordion, the ¨tamboutchia¨ (a kind of drum) along with several singers form the musical part of the Society. This is where folklore, traditional music of Cyprus is recorded and presented. At the same time the people working here have the opportunity to present their own creations based on tradition. Both folklore music and new pieces are recorded and such records made their appearance twice in the past. There are about ten basic members of the music section, but there are also about as many trainees. They successfully perform all the folklore and new compositions staged by the Company. The section is led by a very gifted composer. There are forty dancers in the dancing section. They perform folklore dances, like:
Kartjilamades, men's face-to-face dances.
They used to be performed by two men placed competitively opposite each other. ¨Kartji¨ means opposite. This is where they get their original name. In reality, the dance was a rivalry between the two dancers. It was a contest of bravery, youthful vigor and artistic merit. The men's face-to-face dances are very lively. In the third ¨kartjilamas¨, known also as ¨tchiatisma¨ - which means improvised rhyming - the dancers get the opportunity to display both their dancing and singing skills. There is also a fifth men's face-to-face dance, or ¨balos¨ as it is called, which is combined with a trailing song, in oriental style and with an improvised melody. Since 1960 these dances have been performed synchronously by a group of dancers.
The women's face-to-face dances: 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th The young ladies dance while standing opposite to each other. In the 1st and 2nd dance they wave their hands in a way to imply that they are either embroidering or sewing. In the third dance they hold a diagonally folded handkerchief by its two edges, waving it rhythmically and gracefully while dancing. They are supposed to be showing to the spectator the product of their sewing or embroidery, which he witnessed in the two previous dances. This dance is also called the ¨handkerchief dance¨. This third dance is also the one performed by the bride and groom at the wedding reception in honour of their quests. The forth dance has the same meaning as the first one.
Spectacular solo dances
Drepani: This is also a skill dance. The movements represent the harvest. Glasses or Arabies: Like the previously mentioned dances, this is also a men's skill dance. In the old days it used to be performed with a single glass placed on the dancers head. Nowadays, several glasses are used and their number depends on the dancers skillfulness. Zeibekiko for both men and women - Stamna The name ¨zeibekiko¨ most probably comes from ¨zeibekies¨ - a tribe of Asia Minor. The mixed dance ¨stamna¨ which means clay water-pot, is performed by men and women. In those days it was unthinkable to have men and women dancing together. In this dance the young girls go to the water fountain to fill their clay jugs. The young men are hidden there waiting in order to see their beloved. The bravest of them all moves forward in order to exchange some words of love with his sweetheart. She, however, is taken by surprise and drops her clay pot, which of course, breaks into pieces. The girl then goes to tell her mother that she ¨had tripped and broken her jug¨. But her mother, who knows better, says: ¨It is not a stumble but a young mans embrace, which caused the breaking of the pot¨.
Zeibekikos Aivaliotikos (A specifically male dance) It is mostly based on improvised steps and movements.
Mandra dance This one is also exclusively performed by men. It symbolizes the activities in the life of a Cypriot shepherd.
Trailing dances
The trailing dance ¨Vasilitzia mou perkalli¨ is a creation of the Company, based on traditional melodies. It is a romantic dance. Its theme - a lovers meeting.
Tillirkotissa: A trailing dance, based on the ¨voice of Tillirkotissa¨. The ¨voices¨ are different melodies, known in the various areas of Cyprus, such as ¨Mesaritissa¨, ¨Karpasitissa¨, ¨Akathkiotissa¨, etc., depending on the area of origin. For instance ¨Mesaritissa¨ comes from the area of Mesaria and so on. ¨Tillirkotissa¨ applies a kind of code, so that only the people who are familiar with it can understand what is being said. Sousta is the Greek word for ¨spring¨. The sousta is a fast rhythmical dance, which was usually performed as the ¨farewell song¨ at wedding receptions or other feasts. The Peyiotisses fountain in other words The Peyia girls fountain is a Women's dance. Peyia is a village in the Paphos district which is famous for its fountain. This is where the young girls go to fill their clay jugs with water.
Descriptive rural dances The Cultural Society ¨Vasilitzia¨, based on the traditions of Cyprus have put on stage songs, choreographs, originating from the customs and moral behaviors of farmers, such as sowing, harvest, reeling.
Sowing This dance represents the procedure followed when sowing wheat or barley.
Harvest A dance about harvest.
Reeling When reeling, farmers had to separate the grains from the straws.
Songs and dances from the rituals of the Cypriot wedding
The bridal bed This involved sewing or filling the newly-weds, mattress. This procedure was, as a rule, entrusted to the women. First, they performed the ¨dowry dance¨. This meant that they placed the dowry in large flat baskets and danced while holding them. Then they would gather the dowry in a bundle and place it on the bed cover. In some villages they would then summon the bridegroom and have him dance while carrying all that. If the groom could not lift the load and dance, the women teased him by saying that he had no right to lie on it! After that seven women, who had only been married once would start sewing four crosses onto the four corners of the bed.
Resi Resi was made of wheat grains which was taken to the fountain to be cleaned, washed and drained by young men and young girls. On the next day, the day of the wedding, they used the wheat to prepare one of the main dishes served to the quests together with chicken or/and lamb meat.
Dressing up the bride There was music and singing while the bride was being dressed and adorned. Her mother would tie a red shawl around her waist, a sign of the brides virginity.
Shaving the groom The musicians, together with the young men of the village, would then go to the groom's house. There, with music and songs full of praise to the groom, the young men shaved and dressed the groom. It was time for the wedding procession to head for the church.
The newly-weds dance It is performed by the young couple in honour of their guests, but also to give them the chance to approach the couple while they were dancing and give them their gifts. During this dance the relatives and other friends used to ¨decorate¨ couple. This meant that they gave them gifts of money, which they put in plate, especially placed near them, or they pinned the banknote on the bride and groom's clothes. The Society also presents various complete shows and musicals. Some of them were: ¨Return to our roots¨, ¨My beautiful Varoshia¨, ¨Ditjimin¨ (a weight used in strength competitions) and ''The Saracenes at the wedding''. These plays were both original and vanguard.
Activities abroad and prizes Since 1986 ¨Vasilitzia¨ has every year, without fail, taken part in European and International Festivals and has won several prizes. The Society received a prize for ¨Best presentation of traditional programme¨ in 1987, in Seget Festival, in Hungary. In 1988 it received an ¨Honorary Distinction¨ in Nice, France. In 1993 at the World Festival in the Popular Republic of Korea an ¨Honorary Distinction¨ was awarded to the Society again. In 1994 at the BRAY - DUNES Festival in France ¨Vasilitzia¨ was pronounced ¨1st Folklore Company¨ of the Festival. The Company has visited a lot of countries: Hungary, France, Russia, People's Republic of Korea, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Sweden, Bellarussia, Ukraine, Greece, Finland, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania etc.. ¨Vasilitzia¨ is a member of the International Council for the Organization of Folklore Festivals (C.I.O.F.F.) of UNESCO and it is one of the founding members of C.I.O.F.F. Cyprus. It is also a member of I.O.V. (International Organisation of Folk Art) which is an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO. In Cyprus it is the most well-known and the most popular folklore group and it has on various occasions received several prizes from state, community and private organizations.
Other activities are: The school of dance The Society keeps a Dance School, where the main aim is to promote the love for dance and tradition in both children and adults. The results of the School are quite impressive. More than 200 people attend the School at present.
Educational and recreational work A number of lectures, seminars and discussions on a variety of subjects of general interest - cultural, social, health and others - are organized by the Society. At the same time various recreational events are often organized too. The Society is housed in its own facilities. The building has been renovated with the expense of thousands of pounds, contributed by the members, and is today a true ornament not only for the members and friends of the Society. There is a library with a large number of books in the house. A variety of material and instruments can also be found on exhibition. The aim is to get the younger generations acquainted with tradition. Artistic Manager: Antonis Lazarou
|
|
The Society was
founded in 1967 in the town of Famagusta.
There exist the 1st-2nd-3rd-4th men's kartjilamades.
Tatchia: Tatchia is a thin sieve used to sift flour. It
is a skill dance. A glass or several glasses are placed on the wall of the sieve and the
dancer has to dance with it without spilling any of the water in the glasses.
Most of the trailing dances are of Greek origin. They are
related to the ancient circular or chain dances. Although there is no great difference
between them, some are considered to be male dances, while others-female. A slight
difference can be observed in the air and rhythmic lead.
A traditional Cypriot wedding, as it used to be organized
before, is a true ritual. There were several stages to go through and it involved a
tempestuous procedure. Not all details will be mentioned. We will only describe the events
usually sung and danced by folklore groups.