Pentozali :When Crete Dances, the Earth is Shaking!
The “Pentozali” dance is a traditional dance originating from the region of Crete. In the prefecture of Chania the dance is known as Pentozali, while in the prefecture of Rethymno it is found as Pentozalis or Pentazalis. It is a dance performed in a line or circle, with the dancers holding hands or shoulders.
Its tempo can be fast or moderate, depending on the performance of each piece of music. It is accompanied by a multitude of melodies, the well-known “contiles”. The word comes from the kontyla, the stem of the reed, with which the habiolia, i.e. the Cretan wind instruments, were made.
The dance usually begins with men and women caught in a circle around the organist. They sing to each other in a way that reminds us of the descriptions of the ancient hyorchima, a form of dramatic poetry cultivated and developed in Crete, which was associated with the worship of Zeus, Saturn, the Titans and the Shears. It was accompanied by imitations of movements, music and singing. The dancers were armed and sang to the beat of the guitarist on his guitar.
