There are a number of summer dance seminars and dance conferences that will be taking place in Greece this year. The following are ones that I am aware of at this time. If you know of anymore, please let me know.

MAZOXI '97

Keti and Andreas Fragiadakis will again be hosting "MAZOXI '97" this year in Crete from July 14 to 21. Keti and Andreas were guests of the FDF in Seattle in 1990. Keti was a lead dancer in the Dora Stratou Theatre for many years and the couple directed the Parthenon Dancers that toured for a number of years. The couple provide authentic costumes for dance groups in Greece and abroad and have been the source of many costumes for FDF dance groups. This year the seminar will feature leading experts from various provinces and islands of Greece and will be offering excursions to village festivals and excellent accommodations by the beach. Cost is $780 double occupancy(singles extra) The price is all inclusive of meals, parties and dancing. Contact the following:

SIDEROKASTRO, SERRES SEMINAR

Yvonne Hunt is again organizing a dance seminar from July 20-30 at the spa facilities called Loutra in the village of Siderokastro, Serres in the area of Macedonia. Siderokastro is 10 miles from the Greek-Bulgarian border and the thermal spa of Loutra is in a wooded area 3 miles from Siderokastro and is easily reached by taxi. There is a hotel at the spa facilities where the dance seminar will take place. The seminar includes 3-4 hours daily of dance instruction, lectures, slides and videos, visits to one or mire villages and dance parties with live music. Along with Yvonne, various local dance instructors will teach Pontian, Macedonian and Vlach dances. Visits to the neighboring villages where a glendi with live musicians will be planned. Price is $535 double occupancy. Registration deadline is May 1. For further information, please contact:

TRADITIONAL DANCE-MUSIC PROGRAM
The General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad as part of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Greece has sponsored in past years a traditional music and dance program especially structured towards members of the Greek diaspora. The program has taken place at an institute in Athens. Interested individuals must fill out an application and the Secretariat selects a few of the applicants for participation in the program. The program is free but participant's must pay there own travel expenses to and from Greece. One of our own FDF directors participated a few years ago, Eliana Eleftheriou from St. Anthony's parish in Pasadena. One of this year's guest from Greece, Lefteris Drandakis, has been one of the instructors as well as other well known instructors of the traditional arts. Application forms are available in April from the Greek Embassies.

HELLENIC CENTER OF FOLK STUDIES(ELLINIKO KENTRO LAOGRAFIKON MELETON)

The director of this organization, Vasilis Dimitropoulos, danced with the Likeion Ellinidon Athens for 14 years and received a PhD. in Ethnomusicology from France in 1987. His dance group has toured a number of countries including a 30-day tour to Mexico. He organizes dance seminars in Greece during the summer that is tailored towards Europeans, especially the French. For more information, please contract him directly:

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF FOLK ARTS(IOFA) CONFERENCE

The President of IOFA is also the president of the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre, Professor Alkis Raftis. Prof. Raftis was a guest of the FDF in Seattle in 1990. The theme of the 11th annual dance conference will be ³Dance around the Mediterranean.² The conference will take place in Sykies, Theesaloniki from July 9-13, 1997. There is no folk dance instruction at these conferences. Research papers as well as proposal for lectures, exhibitions or performances must be sent before May 31, 1997 for evaluation. Papers on various areas of Greek folk dancing are presented during the day and village groups dance at night. The village groups are not "dance performing groups' for the most part but are villagers from a particular village who dance their dances accompanied by their village musicians. It is the best way of seeing authentic village material in the shortest amount of time in Greece. For more information, write, FAX or call

FLORINA SEMINAR

Simos and Yiannis Constantinou have hosted a two-week summer folk dance seminar for the last 10 years in the village of Agios Germanos, just north of Florina, on the border with Yugoslavia overlooking Lake Prespa. The seminar features leading experts from various provinces and islands of Greece and offers excursions to village festivals. Last year's seminar cost was $680 double occupancy(singles extra) The price is all inclusive of meals, parties and dancing. For more information, contact the following:

EASTER DANCE SEMINAR WITH YIANNIS PRANTZIDIS

Yiannis Prantsides is the director of the Likeion Ellinidon Volos and hosts a 7-day seminar during the Easter recess break in Greece. For more information contact: