Greece Culture: Dance: the Zeybekikos

Many believe the Zeybekikos to have come from the Turkish warriors known as zeybeks, who danced very slow, powerful dances while wearing elaborate costumes, with yards of fabrics, sashes, daggers, etc. Though always in a meter of 9/4 , the beats of the measure can be counted differently, and the variants given various names. The typical zeybekiko done in rembetika could be either fast or slow, but was done as a highly improvised solo dance for men (though women now dance it as well), involving a characteristic kind of stumbling movement. It was usually danced in a small area, with the dancer focusing on something in the center (a glass or bottle, etc.) and when slow, had a deeply introspective quality (something later lost as it became more and more commercial and showy, with restaurants selling stacks of plates so that customers could smash them, this, like the dance, formerly an expression of passion rather than exhibitionism.