Sousta

The Sousta originated from ancient Greece, By dancing with large leaps, which was believed to influence growth in nature, the Sousta was seen as a dance for fertility. The Dodecanesian islands were amongst the last to be granted independence with Greece in 1947. The Sousta as a war dance was seen to shift the dancers close together, creating a human shield. Greeks in war combat followed the rhythm and patterns learnt for the Sousta dance, as an offensive and defensive strategy. As a wedding dance, performed most frequently on Sundays, the Sousta is associated with a level of courtship and love between the newlyweds, and also allows for other couples at a wedding to express their affection and honour for each other. The Sousta represents the interplay of gender roles within its performance. To initiate the dance, men would invite women discreetly to protect the female's identity. Any men who did not lead the dance often sung with the women. This is due to the lead dancer's position to control the flow and coordination of the performance and other dancers. Only a male could lead the dance, while performing around the female to ensure her privacy was upheld. This reflected a sense of honour that the male carries through the dance. As a result of the honour the male grants the female, women in the dance reveal a sense of privacy. More prominently in the twentieth century Greece, females carried with them the image of the family and home life, as well as religion. The Sousta involved socialisation between the youth, with older children often inviting the younger to play. While young women would learn the three steps to the basic dance, the men would spend time practising their own versions. To formally enter the dance as a recognised community event, young girls needed to be 14 years old, while young boys must have been at least 16 years old. The aim of the dance was for the males to socialise with the females, and eventually create serious relationships. This was necessary as the privacy or a young woman was upheld; males and females had no other form of socialisation outside of the dance. As of the late twentieth to twenty-first century, the villages and Dodecanese islands of Greece dance the Sousta less frequently. The Syrto, which is now the most common Greek folk dance, has overtaken the Sousta in its popularity. This is due to the Sousta not being taught in island or village school curriculum, whereas the Syrto has continued as a staple national dance. == Payment during the dance ==

As a sign of appreciation or recognition for the skill of a dancer, spectators could throw coins on the floor or towards the instrumentalists. This could be accompanied by the use of paper notes, being attached to instruments, belts or slapped on foreheads. The Sousta was danced with a bowl, in which viewers of the dance would throw money as a form of their appreciation for the lead dancer. As well, members of the village Church body would walk around with bottles or glasses of alcohol, often Ouzo, to offer the lead dancer when a donation was made. The money received from donations to the bowl during the dance would be delivered to the Church, funding construction, salaries of priests and public events. As a result, the level of improvised dance practised by the males outside of formal events was necessary to present talent and grace, which in turn attracted spectators to donate and praise the lead dancer. Women could praise dancers who were either her husband or son, but were forbidden against paying young, unmarried women, or requesting a song. == Regional variations ==

The Sousta exists with differing variations throughout Greece and the wider Balkans. However, there are officially acknowledged versions of the dance, which range from Crete, Rhodes, Halki, Leros, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kos, Tilos, Samos and Symi. There are some documented versions adapted to the mainland. These include the region of Thrace in north-east Greece, and Macedonia. == Common steps ==

The most common version of the Sousta is a three step dance with each dancers' hands linked. The dance is often observed to be energetic, with a constant 'hopping' motion. However, due to its form as a 'couple's dance', the Sousta allows room for improvisation. Cross-linked arms were formed as an expression of unity, as well as ensuring the jump-steps of the dance were performed in unison. A dancer's right arm held the left of the dancer proceeding, with the left arm holding the right of the dancer preceding across their waists. The criss-cross pattern formed has also been seen to symbolise connections with religion, and the image of the cross. In villages, young men would prepare for a significant amount of time to create their own version of the dance. By practising their version Sousta outside of school, they further socialised with other village people and prepared to be the lead dancer. Often, the couples would dance opposite each other. However, different forms of the dance have been observed, where the dancers from a single row with a leader, who was a male and was able to execute their improvised version of the dance. In the form of the couple's dancing, the male could approach the female with a spin, or the female could twirl and embrace the male. The fast-paced nature of the Sousta's jumps suited younger dancers, and the courtship they portrayed in young couples. The jump-steps performed in the Sousta resemble a recoiling spring after compression, of which the dance has its name. The linking of male and female partners in the dance, through holding a handkerchief and cross-linked arms, showed the Sousta as a dance for pairs. The handkerchief used was always white, as a symbol for purity between the couples and their love. == Common musical composition ==

The music to the Sousta dance is most commonly played using a lyre, violin, lauoto, and mandolin. However, women never played any musical instrument, with their participation regarding singing and dancing. The musical meter follows patterns of 7/8, 8/8, 2/4 as well as 3/4. On some occasions, the Sousta could be danced without music, and only singing. This approach was rarely seen at socially-recognised events, and occurred when dancers would participate informally. ==See also==