POLITIKO SYRTO Greek
PRONUNCIATION:	poh-LEE-tee-koh seer-TOH
TRANSLATION:	The City leading-type dance
SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance in the 1970s from the late Mike Tsavaras who danced it in the Greek community of Los Angeles, California.
BACKGROUND:	Politiko Syrto is from the area of Konstantinoupolis (or Constantinople--now İstanbul) in Asia Minor. Constantinople was referred to as "the city" (or "POLI") because of its importance as a seat of culture and trade in the civilized world. Syrto (from the Greek word "syro" meaning to pull or, more accurately, to lead) is characterized by its slow-quick-quick rhythm within its 4/4 meter.
MUSIC:	KEFI Records (45 rpm) KER-101
FORMATION:	Lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held at shldr height comfortably back near the shldrs.
METER/RHYTHM:	4/4. The rhythm is slow-quick-quick (2+1+1 = 4).
STEPS/STYLE:	The dance has a soft rolling down-up nature similar to the Ballos and other Agean Island dances.
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
1-8	INTRODUCTION - No action.
	THE DANCE
1	Step L twd ctr, bending supporting knee slightly (ct 1); swing R slightly out and fwd as supporting knee straightens (ct 2); touch R heel fwd, bending supporting knee (ct 3); raise R slightly upward in front as supporting knee straightens (ct 4).
2	Repeat action of meas 1 to ctr with opp ftwk.
3-4	Repeat action of meas 1-2 moving bwd on ct 1 of each meas.
5	Step L across in back of R, bending supporting knee slightly (ct 1); straighten supporting knee (ct 2); step R swd, bending supporting knee slightly (ct 3); step L next to R, straightening knees (ct 4);
6	Step R swd, bending supporting knee slightly (ct 1); swing L slightly out and fwd as supporting knee straightens (ct 2); touch L heel fwd, bending supporting knee (ct 3); raise L slightly upward in front as supporting knee straightens (ct 4).
	Repeat entire dance from beg.
1	NOTE: Variations of the above description are possible but are usually only performed by the leader.
Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes