Photo: Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos.
Last night, the Metropolis of San Francisco’s 48th Annual Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival concluded in Anaheim, California. With plenty of exuberance and emotion, attendees completed their final performances and accepted awards.
Throughout the event, attendees reflected on this year’s theme of “Embrace, Empower, Elevate,” from clergy, dancers, and directors to hierarchs, judges, musicians, and volunteers. Many stressed the word “embrace” in particular, and on this final day this emphasis was especially heartfelt as attendees began to say their goodbyes.
Sunday began with a celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, where His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America expressed that just as FDF performers embrace one another in dance, “The Lord is always finding ways to find us, to run to us, and to embrace us in His love and compassion.”
Danny Staveris, dance director at Oakland’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension and veritable titan of FDF, shared that for him, connecting with dancers from any parish is simple: “These are all my families…Anybody that does this stuff – I love them as people.”
For another Bay Area director, Eleni Taptelis, meeting other groups is also an opportunity to teach young dancers about teamwork. San Francisco’s Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, she says, emphasizes “camaraderie among all the churches…we try to emulate that and tell our children that the right way to compete is to make sure that everyone does well.”
This year’s dancers and musicians from abroad participated in the familial spirit of FDF as well. The Cretan Association of British Columbia’s Stelio Kasidoulis and Joanna Michantas, continuing the legacy of their parents’ generation who competed at FDF thirty years ago, shared that they loved being surrounded “so many Greek people in one spot” because “everyone’s so passionate over here.”
Traveling from Crete to provide directorial support to San Francisco teams, Nikos Rousakis was also struck with emotion, as he “didn’t expect to come here and see such a bright flame of traditional Greek culture in America.” Cretan musicians Dimitris Adam, Nikos Avgoustinakis, and Nikos Doxastakis shared that visiting the U.S. for the first time and seeing the passion of FDF performers likewise clarified for them the importance of Greek dance and music.
“When you have something next to you, you don’t realize how important it is, but here I’ve realized it – when it goes away, that’s when you embrace it,” expressed Adam. Affirming his bandmate’s statement and reflecting on their time playing at FDF together, Avgoustinakis concluded, “It’s all about love.”
