Music and Instruments
Syrtos dance is typically used in correlation with song and music. They dance to any traditional Greece music, nothing specific, however they generally are in 4/4 time. The instuments they use all fall into three catorgories, string, wind, and percussion instruments.These include:
Stringed instruments: lyra, violin, outi, santouri, bouzouki, and bass guitars
Wind instruments: pipiza, cornemuse, clarinet, aulo, gaida, karamoudza or zurn, and askamandoura
Percussion instruments: daouli, bells, triangles, defi, krotala, and kymbal
A common instrument used in the music is the Cretan Lyra. It is a pear shaped, three stringed bowed musical instrument, that originates from Crete, as does Syrtos dance. Chanting is also occasionally used in the Syrtos dance. As they are dancing, they sometimes yell out as a group.
It is a joyous and festive dance; its musical beat is 7/8, subdivided into of three parts of 3+2+2 beats, corresponding to 3 steps per bar. There are 12 steps in the dance corresponding to 4 bars of music. These steps include 10 steps counterclockwise ("forward") followed by 2 steps clockwise ("backwards"). Depending on the occasion and the dancers' proficiency, certain steps may be taken as jumps or squats. This varies and changes as most Syrtos dances are danced to music of choice.