Syrtos

Where Dance Meets the Written Word: Exploring Greek Identity, Diaspora & Storytelling

What happens when the stories we carry, the dances we inherit, and the places we call home come together?

In this episode of Syrtos, we're joined by three incredible scholars and storytellers—Dr. Anastasia Panagakos, Dr. Panayotis (Paddy) League, and Dr. Joanna Eleftheriou—for a thought-provoking conversation about Greek identity, cultural belonging, and the power of telling our own stories.

From the dance floors of the Greek American diaspora to the writing workshops of Greece, we explore how traditions shape our identities, how communities keep culture alive, and how the stories we tell can challenge, deepen, and redefine what it means to be Greek.

Our guests share their personal journeys, their collaborative research into Greek American folk dance, and an exciting new initiative through Writing Workshops in Greece that invites members of the Greek diaspora to explore their experiences through creative writing.

Along the way, we talk about the magic of immersive learning, the connections forged through music and dance, and the transformative experience of finding your voice in the very place your ancestors once called home.

Because whether we express ourselves through movement, music, or the written word, our stories are part of the traditions we carry forward.

Interested in joining the experience?

Learn more about the Writing Workshops in Greeceprogram and its new diaspora initiative at an upcoming virtual information session.

Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM Eastern

Register for the Information Session

Meet Our Guests

Dr. Anastasia Panagakos

Faculty Profile | Instagram: @anastasia_panagakos

Contact: panagaa@crc.losrios.edu

Dr. Panayotis (Paddy) League

Website | Instagram: @paddyleague

Dr. Joanna Eleftheriou

Website | Instagram: @joannaessayist

Explore Ergon

In This Episode

• Greek identity, belonging, and the experiences of the diaspora
• The role of folk dance in preserving culture and building community
• Collaborative research exploring Greek American dance traditions
• Writing as a way to reconnect with heritage and explore identity
• Immersive cultural experiences through Writing Workshops in Greece
• A new opportunity for diaspora voices to tell their own stories

The dance doesn't end when the music stops. Sometimes, the story is just beginning.

Christina Tsardoulias was born in San Francisco, California. She began her studies in Greek folk dance at the Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont and attended her first Folk Dance Festival (FDF) in 1985.

Alongside her studies in Greek folk dance, Christina pursued extensive professional dance training and performance opportunities with the San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Oregon, Oregon Ethnic Dance Theatre, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, where she completed her master’s thesis, “Meraki: Revisiting the Paniyiri of Saint Pandeleimon in Kokkari, Samos.”

While studying in Southern California, Christina danced and taught at the Assumption Greek Dance and Cultural Arts School of Long Beach. In 2003, she founded the Samos School of Dance in Samos, Greece, which she directed until 2026. Christina has presented her work and research internationally at conferences and symposia, including the Congress on Research in Dance, Dance History Scholars, the Dance Studies Association, the National Dance Education Organization, and the Isadora Duncan International Symposium. She continues to collaborate with cultural organizations and academic institutions in Greece and abroad, including Democritus University of Thrace, the Vacchae Dancing Art Organization, the Goulandris Museum, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Loyola Marymount University.

Since 2017, Christina has served as a dance adjudicator at the annual Greek Orthodox Folk Dance and Choral Festival (FDF) of the Metropolis of San Francisco. She currently serves as a dance instructor and choreographer at the Lykeion Ellinidon of Samos, continuing her commitment to Greek cultural heritage, dance education, and artistic research.

There are two ways Greek people connect with themselves, each other, and their heritage. The first is food. The second is dance. When We Dance: The Thread Back Home explores how Greek folk dance keeps the diaspora connected to their identity and their heritage.

From Baltimore to Toronto, Director Athena Hiotis, a first-generation Greek-American, sits with dancers of all ages, instructors who dedicate their lives to this work, and the cultural researchers who study where these dances came from and how they’ve evolved.

When We Dance reveals a simple truth: it doesn't matter how much Greek you speak, where you were born, or what percentage Greek you are. When you dance, you are fully connected to what it means to be Greek.

Each story is different. The message is the same: when we dance, we come home.

Please use the links below to learn more about this amazing documentary, your engagement and support is immensely appreciated.

When We Dance Instagram

The 619 Creative

Film Website and Donation Pages

George Diamantopoulos is the Founder and Director of Anemos Greek Dance Group, which operates in partnership with the Messinian Brotherhood of British Columbia. With nearly 30 years of experience in Greek traditional dance, George has spent much of his life learning, performing, teaching, and sharing Greek dance and culture.

Since founding Anemos in 2017, George has helped grow the group from an adult performance group into a community that now includes children, teens, beginner adults, and performing adults. At the heart of his approach is a commitment to preserving Greek dance traditions while creating a welcoming space for people to connect with their heritage and with one another.

George is deeply involved in Vancouver’s Greek community. He currently serves as Vice President of the Messinian Brotherhood of British Columbia and President of the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC, and has played a significant role in major cultural initiatives including Greek Day on Broadway.

During the 2026–2027 season, George and Anemos are celebrating the group’s 10-year anniversary and hosting the Orizontes Hellenic Dance Conference in Vancouver, bringing together dancers, instructors, musicians, and community members for a weekend dedicated to Greek dance, music, culture, and connection.

John Lulias was raised in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and is a second generation Greek-American. John has been involved in the Greek community and Greek Folk Arts all of his life and learned Greek fluently as a child.

In 1974, after graduating from the University of Florida, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became part of the Greek dance troupe, Terpsichoreans. It was there that he began to study and really learn the intricacies of Greek dance style and love for anything Greek.

Upon his return to Tarpon Springs in 1979, John formed the dance troupe Levendia and developed this group into one of the premier Greek folk dance troupes in the United States. He directed the group for more than 20 years. The group traveled throughout the United States and Canada, the Bahamas, and Greece, promoting, perpetuating, and preserving the Greek culture through song and dance.

John was co-curator of The Dodecanese Islands, an exhibit featuring artifacts, costumes, and recreated room settings from the Dodecanese Islands in Greece, at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center. On October 3, 2003, John received a University of Florida (UF) award for his years of work teaching Greek dances. He has been on the Advisory Council of the Center for Greek Studies at UF.

John has done workshops throughout the United States, has been a judge at the Greek Folk Dance Festival in California, and was the founder of the Winter Dance Conference in Tarpon Springs. John was also on the first board that started the Hellenic Dance Festival for the Atlanta Metropolis. In 2014, John was awarded the Florida Folk Heritage Award for significant contributions to Florida's cultural heritage through his outstanding achievements as a lifelong advocate of traditional Greek dance.

Today John tries to keep Greece alive in the Tampa Bay area by helping with cultural exchanges, organizing events for the community, and bringing groups and travelers to Greece. The Greek roots instilled by his parents have played an important part in the lives of both John and his brother, Archbishop Nikitas of Great Britain and Thyateira.

Kristina from Yia.Mas and Maria sit down to talk about Kabanes, and more importantly the trivialization of folk culture.

We continued our conversation from the Ethos 2026 panel, with some new guests to try to connect to what research means in Greek folk dance, and how that research is presented on stage. Lots of discussion and laughs later, it's safe to say we need a part 3, 4, 5 to this. Thank you to our guests: Dean Avdalas, Dimitris Dallas, Bobby Garofalis, and Andonis Platis!

In collaboration with the Hellenic Performing Arts Foundation, the 2026 Ethos Conference panel discussion centered on bringing research to stage. This episode features the recorded panel. For more information on the Ethos virtual conference and to view other presentations please visit http://www.hellenicperformingarts.org

Panel Guests:

Charlie Kleto

Dean Avdalas

Bobby Garofalis

Moderated by: Paul Calzada

Bess Stathakis is an Atlanta native with a lifelong passion for Greek dance and culture. She serves as the Director of the Atlanta Greek dance program, instructs as well as dances with the Atlanta adult dance group, and is a member of the management team for the Hellenic Dance Festival. She is deeply committed to preserving and celebrating Hellenic heritage as she desires to continue to honor and pass down these traditions that helped shaped her own life.

Beyond the dance floor, she is a proud wife and soon-to-be mother of two, inspired by her family, faith, and the Greek community that surrounds her.

Episode Music: Kostas Mitsis

Ellie Falaris Ganelin is the director of the Kombos Collective, which she founded in 2011 under the name Greek Chamber Music Project (GCMP). She is a classically trained flutist who welcomes other traditions into the fold, including jazz, Latin, Balkan and klezmer music. She is active as a performer of chamber and orchestral music in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is committed to making classical music inviting and accessible for all as an ambassador and performer for the Awesöme Orchestra Collective.

Born and raised in the United States, Ellie is Greek and Croatian-American, whose father hails from Thessaloniki. She’s a proficient speaker and lifelong learner of Modern Greek. Her work with the Kombos Collective has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and deepen her Hellenic heritage.

Ellie received her B.A. in Music from the University of Maryland, where she also holds a B.A. in Journalism and a Minor in French. For many years, Ellie had a dual career in nonprofit communications, while simultaneously presenting GCMP concerts.

https://kombosmusic.com/

Episode Music: Kombos Collective, Kanari Mou Glyko, Vardari, Kombos Collective, 2025

Join Vaia and Michelle from GAFS to learn a little more about the 2026 βήματα Ελευθερίας event in Astoria, Queens! For more information, and group pricing, including a preferred hotel rate and registration discount visit the GAFS website:

https://www.greekamericanfolkloresociety.org/

Episode music: Kostas Mitsis

​Georgios Glynatsis is the director of the Afieroma dance troupe at St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker Greek Orthodox Church in Gainesville, Florida. This year marked his debut directing Afieroma on the HDF stage, where he presented suites from Kalymnos and Kremasti, Zarakas. A second-generation Greek-American, Georgios was raised in Tarpon Springs, Florida, deeply immersed in Kalymnian culture and traditions. Frequent summer trips to Kalymnos provided constant exposure to his heritage, dancing with his family at every opportunity. He is currently completing his undergraduate degree in Medical Physics at the University of Florida.

The conversation explores the Heritage Museum of Epirus, its collection, educational initiatives, and the personal connections to Greek culture and heritage. Maria Constantinides shares insights on the museum's mission, the significance of its artifacts, and the impact of educational programs.

Heritage Museum of Epirus

25-14 Broadway

Astoria, New York

website:

https://anagenesisny.org/heritage-museum-of-epirus/

Instagram:

@heritage_museum_of_epirus

epirusmuseumastoria@gmail.com

The museum is open by appointment for visits! Happy to host individuals or groups, to explore or for a guided visit.

Episode Music: Kostas Mitsis Κοντούλα Βλάχα - Τασιά

Anthe Mitrakos is a journalist, communications expert, and editor at Portes Magazine. A proud Greek-American at the helm of Portes for over a decade, she is recognized as an ambassador for Hellenic culture, history and art.

https://www.portesmagazine.com/

https://www.portesmagazine.com/aristonfoundation

Episode music: The Anemos Music Project

Duygu Gün is a Turkish-American creative producer, musician, and curator dedicated to preserving folk culture and fostering intercultural connections through arts and culture. Her work bridges tradition and contemporary practice, using music, film, and participatory experiences to build community across cultures. In 2019, she curated Sounds Like Home: Longing and Comfort Through Lullabies as a Curatorial Resident at SOMArts, exploring themes of memory, migration, and belonging through sound. In 2022, she co-founded the Anatolian Arts Institute to connect the Anatolian diaspora in the U.S. through music, storytelling, and interactive workshops. She received an SFAC Artist Grant in 2023 as the creative producer of Balkancisco, a documentary about the Bay Area’s Balkan music scene. Duygu performs Mediterranean folk music in multiple languages, with a focus on music shaped by migration, displacement, and Turkish Sufi traditions. She was awarded Turkey’s 10 Outstanding Young Persons Cultural Achievement prize in 2022.

Dimitri was first on the podcast during Season 4, we're excited to learn a bit more about how he has grown the Meraki Laographic Arts program over the past two plus years!

From Las Vegas to Athens: Getting to know Dr. Panagiote Tsolis

Dr. Panagiote Tsolis was raised with deep roots in the Greek American community of Long Beach, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, for Las Vegas served on the Parish Council and as Folk Dance Board President for St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. Passionate about his heritage and global business, he now serves as the Director of Business Programs and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Hellenic American University. Drawing on his years as an executive for Fortune 500 companies and multiple start-ups, he gives students real-world experience and guidance in their careers in Greece and abroad.

Dr. Tsolis is a staunch supporter of the Greek community, having served on the management committee for the Metropolis of San Francisco’s Folk Dance Festival. In recognition of his dedication, he was selected for the Greek American Foundation’s Forty Under 40 class of 2024. Additionally, he welcomes students from top-tier universities to visit businesses and work on projects in Greece. He holds a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, with his dissertation focused on sustainable tourism in Greece.

Izaki Metropoulos is a Chicago-born, third-generation Greek American violinist-- and the first musician in his family. Nearly two decades ago, he began exploring Greece’s violin traditions, crossing genres from Nisiotika to Rebetika. His path has ranged from taking first place at age 10 in the Midwest Fiddle Championship to appearing as an operatic tenor soloist with the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra. He also performs repertoire from the wider Balkans and Ottoman classical music and is passionate about musical syncretism across the Mediterranean-- especially adaptations of makam (modal) systems and the meditative, evocative taksim that express them. He continues to perform and teach across North America, specializing in the beautiful and varied music of the Cyclades.

George Papadopoulos was born and raised in Anthousa, Kozanis, Greece, leaving and coming to America as a young adult. Missing his homeland and his love for the culture and traditions, he created the Sons & Daughters of Alexander the Great Dance Group in 1972 to continuously promote the Greek Culture, history, and traditions of dance. The Sons & Daughters of Alexander the Great is part of the youth Chapter of the Pan Macedonian Association of America.

The group first started with 8 members and quickly grew. Over the fifty years, the group has brought together more than a thousand members of the Hellenic community teaching them the music and dance traditions of their Hellenic ancestry.

Although George no longer dances with the group, he still attends weekly practices and remains very active as the director in the organization. George's dedication to our Greek heritage is truly admirable and we are immensely grateful to have such an impactful community leader as our founder.

Haralampos Stathopoulos:

For the past sixteen years, I have been a proud member of The Sons and Daughters of Alexander the Great, I began my journey as a dancer, but over time my role grew to include leadership positions on the board, serving as both Vice President and President, before ultimately stepping into the role of instructor—a responsibility I continue to hold with pride today. Beyond my work with the group, I have sought to deepen my knowledge by attending workshops to learn dances from across Greece, broadening both my skill set and appreciation for the country’s diverse traditions. Over the years, I have performed at countless Greek church festivals throughout the region and have had the privilege of traveling and performing in Greece multiple times with the group. While my love for Greek dance and tradition runs deep, I am equally passionate about fostering and sustaining this cultural legacy in my community and throughout New England, ensuring that these dances and customs continue to be shared and celebrated for generations to come.

Stefania Calogrias:

I was introduced to Greek dancing at the age of 7 by my mother and father, who taught me the dances from their villages of Politsani, Vorio Epirus and Xironomi, Viotia respectively. It was then my love for Greek Dancing was born. Throughout my youth I danced at my church's dance group until graduating from High School. I joined the Sons & Daughters of Alexander the Great Dance Group a little over 12 years ago as a dancer before being elected to the board where I held the roles of Vice President and Secretary, to my current role as "right hand to our director" George Papadopoulos, where I coordinate practices, performance scheduling and programs as well as being honored with the responsibility to teach a long side Haralampos at various times. We, the Sons & Daughters perform at many church festivals throughout the area, cultural events at local schools where we promote our Greek Culture, we often go to New York to participate in events with the Pan Macedonian Association as well as performing in Greece. The Sons & Daughters also was the first ever Greek dance group to perform for the Boston Celtics Greek Heritage Night.

Any opportunity I can, I attend Greek dance conferences, or exhibits held in the area to enrich my knowledge not just of dance, the music, the instruments, and the Greek culture in general. My love for Greek dancing and continuing to promote Greek Culture as the diaspora here in the US, is not only shared with my fellow dancers and also with the youth of my church where I have been co-directing for the last 9 years.

We sat down with the man, Danny Staveris, for part one of what hopefully becomes a two part series. Enjoy!

This episode is marked explicit.