• info@stharalambos.com
  • 330-454-7278
  • Canton, Ohio

Hellenic Dancers

Hellenic Dancers

The St. Haralambos Hellenic Dancers is organized to reinforce the tie between the spiritual and cultural values of the Greek Orthodox Church. 

The group achieves this goal by educating those individuals who have a desire to learn about their cultural background through the expression of traditional Greek folk dance.   Membership in the group secures the bond between a dancer and their Hellenic community.

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History

The St. Haralambos Hellenic Dancers was founded in 1986 by Eleni Paxos. They began lessons in a small classroom where Eleni taught Greek School at St Haralambos for five years. There were 13 female dancers who made their first debut at the March 25th Independence Day celebration Greek School program.

Today there are approximately 70 active dancers amongst three groups. The senior group is considered the performing/traveling group. Over their 34 years in existence, the group has traveled all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida and Canada, attending workshops to enhance their dancing and entertaining many audiences with authentic Greek dancing. They have also made seven trips to the homeland of Greece, where they performed and attended workshops from the professional dance group of Greece – Dora Stratou Theater.

The group has learned over 150 dances from various regions and islands of Greece. These include: Thrace, Peloponese, Pontian, Asia Minor, Epiros, Mykonos, Chios, Crete, Naxos, Kefalonia, Kithira, Rhodes, Ikaria and Lefkada to name a few. They have 5 sets of authentic Greek costumes which include: Chiotika, Cretan, Ionian (Kefalonia), Peloponese & Thrace.

The St. Haralambos Hellenic Dancers are a true representation of the youth at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church, which exhibit pride in their heritage and who show love for one of the most authentic arts of Greece.