Joanne Hadjidamianou from the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Northridge, California and Cathi Halfhill from the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church of San Bernadino, California were the recipients of the 1998 FDF Scholarship to Greece . They attended the MAZOXI Seminar in Crete which is hosted by Andreas & Kety Fragiadakis.

Videos from their trip are available (Video List) to FDF directors for the cost of a blank video tape and postage; the videos are also for sale to the general public. For a copy of the videos and for FDF directors who would like to apply for the 1999 FDF Scholarship to Greece, please contact Charlie Kyriacou ChKyriacou@aol.com

After dancing for St. Nicholas in Northridge for twelve years, and directing for three years, I came across the chance of a lifetime. I applied for the FDF scholarship to attend a Folk Dance Conference in Greece, and after several weeks, I agonized as to whether I had been selected or not. Every day I would tear through all of the junk mail in search of THE LETTER marked FDF. Each day when nothing arrived, I wanted to cry. One day, as I arrived home after school, the phone rang. On the line was Mr. George Nickols and my life suddenly changed. I began jumping up and down when I was informed that I, along with Cathi Halfhill, had received the Folk Dance Festival's Dance Scholarship to Greece.

In a couple of weeks, I would be off to the MAZOXI 1998 seminar hosted by Kety and Andreas Fragiadakis in Roustika Crete. I was beyond ecstatic. The next couple of weeks, I was caught in a whirlwind of decisions about what to take with me, travel arrangements, and all the equipment I would need while on my trip. While sitting on the plane heading to Athens, I was filled with a multitude of questions as to what the place would be like, who would be there, and who Cathi was. I hoped that Cathi and I would get along, seeing that we were going to be roommates for two weeks.

Cathi Halfhill, Andreas Fragiadakis, Kety Fragiadakis & Joanna Hadjidamianou

After three fun-filled days in Athens, I was on my way to Crete, and the questions returned. Within a two hours, I was in Roustika, a unique lonely village on top of a quiet and serene mountain. I was led to our hotel, and noticed it had a pool adjacent to an outdoor bar, and next to that, an outdoor taverna, all run by the same family that ran the hotel. I was shown to my room, and took a long nap. That evening I strolled outside towards the pool, and noticed a huge table at the taverna filled with people. I headed to the table, and a gentleman tapped me on my shoulder, and held out his hand. "You must be Joanna," he said, "I'm Andreas. I'm so glad you made it for dinner." He introduced me to everyone, and seated me next to a beautiful and elegant woman- his wife Kety. I was surprised to find out that Cathi and I were the only Greeks attending the seminar, and everyone else had arrived from all corners of the world- Europe, America, Japan, and New Zealand. I became the interpreter for our international group.

The next two weeks were incredible. Cathi and I got along great, and we learned over fifty dances from the regions of Epirus, Chios, Cappadokia, Asia Minor, Thessaly, and Crete. Cathi and I visited different villages, festivals, and attended an interesting vespers' service at the Arkadi Monastery. We enjoyed clubbing in Rethymnon that night, and the next day at the beach, we made the foolish mistake of misjudging the Cretan sun and ended up with sunburns. That night we returned to Roustika, and a famous dinner was waiting for us.

Joanna Hadjidamianou & Cathi Halfhill in Greek cosutmes.

One cannot say enough about the taste of the food in Crete. It was incredible. Even more extraordinary was the fact that I did not gain any weight though I ate massive amounts of food. The first night at dinner, we were served a plate of gigantes, or giant beans, that everyone ate together with home-baked bread, tzatziki, and a salad- a meal in itself. Little did we know that the main course had not been served yet! After everyone was fully satisfied, huge plates of pork chops and potatoes were placed in front of us. Everyone was astounded at all the food, and we just stared at the plates. Needless to say, nobody finished their food. Throughout our stay, we had the most tasteful Cretan cuisine. My favorite was pilafi tis nifis (rice of the bride) and koukouvayia (owl). Koukouvayia consisted of half a paximadi, or dried bread, drenched in olive oil and shredded tomato, and topped with Feta cheese. YUM!

One afternoon, the local taxi driver, George, took Cathi and I, along with an American couple from California, on an excursion to the villages of Vrisses and Chania. He stopped at a pleasant taverna by a riverbank, and there we had a delicious snack of yogurt topped with honey and walnuts. After a brief stroll in Chania, we met at the old market place, and he insisted we visit his house. His mother, an energetic and friendly Cretan woman, welcomed us with open arms waving a bottle of raki. Within a few seconds, the table was set with snacks- homegrown pears, watermelon, and koulourakia. Needless to say, we returned to Roustika full to the brim, only to find another huge dinner waiting for us.

Every night, the villagers from Roustika delighted in coming to the taverna to teach us and watch us dance their Maleviziotiko, Chaniotiko, and Siganos. Some of Andreas' relatives together with some of the local young men charmed us with their musical talents on the lyra and laouto. The nights were endless as we danced away to the live music. The same local men mesmerized us with their musical talents at the paniyiri ( festival) of St. Elias, the patron saint of the village. We were fed incredible amounts of food, and learned the traditions behind the paniyiri in Crete. We danced the night away with all the villagers, and marveled at how the Greeks have enjoyed themselves throughout the ages.

Seminar participants danced with local villagers during the paniyiri of St. Elias.

Our first set of teachers, from Epirus, were Yianni, Niko, Dino, and Niko. They came equipped with beautiful voices, musical talents, and exquisite dancing. They chanted the well-known Epirote laments, and played music endlessly for the various dances we were taught. Nikki, an excellent dancer and a dance major at the University of Athens, honored us with her beautiful styling and briefed us with background information about Greek dancing and the traditions that still remain in tact today in various villages. Christos Theologos and Costas Soutos brought us the dances of Chios, Cappadokia, and Asia Minor. They also excelled at singing as well as dancing, and by the end of the seminary, they had all of us singing with them as we danced Detos from Chios. Mrs. Chrisoulla and Mrs. Triantafillia both possessed beautiful styling and voices while teaching us the dances of Thessaly.

Knife dance of Capadokia with teacher Christos Theologos on the left.

The highlight of the seminar came when the legendary Kety Karekla-Fragiadakis danced her trademark dance, Seitata, from Cappadokia. Kety had retired from dancing six years ago due to a tragedy in the family, but touched by the international visitors she consented to an impromptu dance of the Seitata and agreed to teach us the dance. Christos had previously tried to teach the dance, but failed to capture the subtlety and styling which Kety brought to the dance. As a young woman, Kety had danced this as a soloist of the Dora Stratou Folk Ensemble. She had been sent to a small village to help an elderly woman. In the process, Kety discovered a beautiful prayer called Seitata that she learned after many months of carefully studying the elderly woman, absorbing the feelings and each gesture. Kety eventually presented it to the Dora Stratou Ensemble.

Years later, Kety met and married Andreas Fragiadakis, and together they formed their own troupe, the Parthenon Dancers. They shared loved and devotion for Greek folk traditions and the valuable knowledge they have amassed is a treasure.

After leaving Crete, I went to the island of Cyprus for one month, and diligently looked for a dance instructor who would teach my brother and me the dances of Cyprus, but were unsuccessful in the beginning. Finally, the last night of the trip, a dance teacher entered my grandfather's store and volunteered his services. My family and I went to his house, and his wife and son helped us to learn the dances of Cyprus. Two hours later, we were on our way to the airport, and on our way home.

The whole trip was unbelievable. Along with the abundance of food, information, and hospitable people, I was able to capture a bit of the essence of Greece. The exposure to village life was a fantastic, and the cultural experience of my ancestors is something I will treasure all my life. In Roustika, Crete, I learned a lot more than just Greek dances. I discovered that Greek dancing is much more than just moving your feet and playing with fancy rhythms. It's an escape, and a truly creative art celebrating life to its fullest.

I would like to thank the FDF for choosing me to represent the dance directors of the FDF, and for granting me the opportunity to meet Andreas and Kety, two magnificent people. I encourage all the FDF directors to apply for the scholarship next year, and believe in themselves. All have an equal chance, and if I could do it, you can too! It was an unforgettable experience, and thanks once again.

Cathi Halfhill & Joanna Hadjidamianou