| The
dance group under the Greek Community of Halifax
started, the way we know it today, in November 1985,
when Dr. Metalinos and his wife came from Montreal, for
a weekend seminar. With a lot of encouragement and help
from our community priest Fr. Charalambos Elles, the
group was formed. In the beginning there were 2 groups:
the Greek School and the University students who
performed for the very first time at the Greek Fest in
1986. Then, the following year, the youth of our
community known as G.O.Y.A., started to have regular
practices and became the third group.
 Since
then, a lot of students have become teachers and a lot
of people, who only dreamt of dancing in the group, have
joined in as dancers. What has brought everyone together
is the love for Greek dancing. There were more seminars
held by bringing teachers from Montreal (Taki and Tasia
Tzotzis and Popi Nanna) and the U.S. (Joe Graziosi),
while some of the teachers have developed professionally
by attending seminars in Greece and Canada. This way,
new material is brought back to keep the interest in our
heritage alive.
Until
2005, the dance group was referred to as St. George's
Greek Orthodox Dancers with a Junior and a Senior
division. Then in the fall of 2005, the group received
its official name: "Romiosyni." It encompasses
all dance groups (with the exception of the Greek
School): the junior, senior and women's division. In the
summer of 2004, the Dance Committee (made up of teachers
of all groups) put together a constitution that is
designed to administer all aspects of Greek dance within
the Greek Community. The constitution acts as the
backbone of Romiosyni as it outlines the goals and
objectives of this folklore organization. |
