Siganos

Rhythm

2/4 · Slow

Formation

Circle, mixed; the hold varies by area: on the shoulders, palms joined at shoulder height, or crossed.

Instruments

Cretan lyra, Laouto, Mandolin

Occasion

Wedding, Feast day

Character

• Solemn
• Proud

Who dances it: Everyone

A slow, restrained ("quiet") dance of central and eastern Crete, with local variants in hold and steps (for example 8 steps in Rethymno, 6 in Heraklion). It used to be mainly a women's dance and the bride's dance; today it often opens the pentozali. Tradition says musicians played it under Ottoman rule so that women would not slip on floors that Ottoman officials had smeared with oil.

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Its story

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What they wear

• Women’s festive costume Crete Women’s
• Men’s festive costume Crete Men’s

Where it’s danced

• Crete › Rethymno · origin
• Crete › Heraklion · origin
• Crete · also danced here

In the Dora Stratou Theatre archive

The Greek Dance Pandect records this dance. Each item opens on its own website.

Siganos (Quiet): Dances in various areas. For Dodecanese, see: Si(g)anos.

Si(g)anos (Quiet): Dance in Dodecanese. Also called: Siganos.

Places in the archive

• Kos
• Patmos
• Karpathos · Karpathos and Kasos
• ΝΗΣΙΑ
• Antimacheia · Kos

Videos 2

• Σιγανός Karpathos and Kasos · [VD0199] /B.B1
• Σιγανός χορός Karpathos · [VC00030] /C1

More videos (1)