Greece Culture: Music and Dance: The Imathias region

This is the area east of Naoussa and Veria that extends to Thessaloniki (though there are no firm boundaries between the areas mentioned here, and much overlapping of music and dance between them). Popular in this general area is the zournas and daouli, and especially in the region around Alexandria (also known as gida). Musicians who play these instruments are hiring for weddings, baptisms, and various community 'glendia' (celebrations with music and dance, and usually food too).

The best known dance in this area is called Tis Marias, which is a dance for women, which begins slowly and accelerates. The dance movements during the slow part, synchronized with the drum beats of the daoutli, have become rather too fixed by performing groups, whereas the older village women dance much more free style, following the individual interpretation of the lead dancer. The fast part that follows is a lively kalamatianos. The lead dancer (and sometimes the last dancer in line as well), punctuates her steps and the drum beats with a handkerchief held in the right hand, which is an integral part of the dance, and one requiring skill and sensitivity to the music. There are several other similar women's dances performed in this area, often known, like this one, by women's names in the genitive (Tis Marias, meaning 'of Maria', or 'Maria's dance).

Such dances were likely named for women who danced them well. Some men's dances in this area include one called Gaida, performed in local style, and the Geiko and Boemitsa. Included in the local repertoire are other dances found all over Macedonia: Baidouska, Eleno Mome, and a version of the Patrounino (with various local village names), as well as pan hellenic dances such as syrtos/kalamatianos, tsamikos and hasaposervikos. There are many more local dances performed in western Macedonia, more than can be gone into in the scope of this article.