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Dora Stratou Dance Theatre: Μπάλος. Νάξος - Κινίδαρος. Κυκλάδες. 17 July 2025. · Anna Papas · Watch on YouTube(opens in a new tab)

Ballos

Μπάλος

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Rhythm
2/4 · Medium
Formation
In couples, facing each other; many couples dance at once, each with its own figures.

Character

Who dances it: Couples

The best-known couple dance of the Aegean islands, with variants on almost every Cycladic island, such as Naxos, Kythnos and Kea, and on Lemnos too. Man and woman dance facing each other and improvise figures that suggest courtship: approaching, drawing away, turning. On Naxos a feast opens with slow syrtos tunes and ends with the ballos, and the ballos often follows the syrtos directly as its lively close.

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Its story

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What they wear

Where it’s danced

In the Dora Stratou Theatre archive

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

Balos or Ballos: Dance in the islands and coastal areas. Also called: Xapolyto, Mola Out, Potamos (River). For particular entries in certain areas, see also: Mastiha (Mastic).

Balos or Ballos in Cephalonia: Dance in Cephalonia. See also: Thiniatikos, Pylarinos.

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Recordings 10

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Photos 32

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Texts 2

More videos (2)

Χορευτικό συλλόγου Κορωνίδας Νάξου στο Γαλάτσι, 7-9-2026, Μπάλος · ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΗΣ ΜΑΛΛΗΣ · Watch on YouTube(opens in a new tab)

Συρτός-Μπάλος-Πόλκα (Κυκλάδες) - Χορευτικό Δήμου Πατρέων @Ρωμαϊκό Ωδείο, 5/7/2017 · Vasileios Thomopoulos · Watch on YouTube(opens in a new tab)