Santorini Art and Culture - Past and Present

Santorini has a very ancient folk dance tradition, which varies from village to village, while being different from other Aegean islands, with each dance being colourful, rhythmic, elegant and stylish. The following are among the most popular: “Ballos” and "Syrtos" are the most common dance in the Aegean sea and are better performed by young girls and boys dressed in the traditional black, red, white and silver embroidered kaftans who dance in circles while the spectators are applauding them. 

The special thing about these dances is that during the music plays the rhythms is getting faster and faster making the dancers to dance as fast as they can. Most of the situations the music is performed live by musicians playing local instruments. The traditional music instruments of the island is the local type violin and "lyra" which also belongs to the strings. Most of the cases you can see traditional folk dances almost every day during August organized by the municipality as you can also see them in most of the local restaurants performed by the local clients. Santorini's traditional music is been usually played to celebrate occasions such as weddings and religious feasts.

Traditional dances are also widely spread all over the island because of the passion and want of a traditional dance teacher whom through the last 20 years had more than 10.000 students. Under the leadership of that woman and other teachers Santorini folk dances have travelled almost all over the world, representing the island in many festivals and contests. Akrotiri and Mesaria have a strong tradition and history in folk dances, having established and still supporting very good dancing teams.


Traditional dances are also called "nisiotika" and are danced under the same called songs. Most of Santorini's dances are fast, and are danced up to very fast rhythms, following the speeding of the music and expressing the maximum of he passion of their dancers. Santorini's as well as all Aegean island dances are divided into two categories. Those that are danced with all the dancers together creating a big circle, and those danced in couples. Both styles are danced under the same circumstances. Unlike to dances from all over the country, Aegean island song and dances describe pleasing and enjoyable situations of the everyday living.

Folk music has developed gradually over the centuries and it is highly diversified with many different rhythms and themes. Musical archives contain thousands of folk songs of the Aegean islands and Santorini, rich in tradition and emotions. Local composers drew their inspiration from the local lifestyle, habits of the past and nowadays, their loves -desperate in some cases- their land but mostly by the sea. Those songs are called "nisiotika" which means the "island songs" and they are usually played by a violin, «lyra» and «laouto», all string instruments. 


Their lyrics describe the way of living by the sea, desperate loves between people of different walks, and scenes of their everyday living. Folk music plays a very important role to the lives of the islanders as those songs are very often sung and performed in  circumstances like weddings, engagements and many social events. Folk music is still famous as it is a way of expressing their feelings and socializing as long as it is a way of spreading the tradition to the young and presenting it to the visitors.

Folk music is still very famous among the young that continue the tradition and learn the play of the traditional instruments. 

Greek folk music still attains a high point of acceptance and appreciation by most of the Greeks, while most of the musicians are hight level players. Many youngs on the island learn how to play the traditional music instruments by the older musicians while the last years «tsabouna» which is a wind instrument with a history of 2.000 years has become very famous because of the interest of a young teacher to revive it. Many traditional music festivals have been organized with great success the last years to attract the young to learn how to play them. Generally, folk music continues to be professionally performed attracting large audiences, mostly during the summer time.

It is very important that after centuries, Greek folk and traditional songs and dances are still alive and very popular to the local people.
The island music called «nisiotika» are usually been sung by women, the lyrics describe the way of living by the sea and the instruments that are usually played by men are the local type violin, «lira» and «laouto».
Santorini also has a Byzantine chant consisting of many young and usually appears at the Cathedral.