Pontus

Pontus is the region on the southern coast of the Black Sea where Greek communities lived for centuries, from Sampsounta (Samsun) and Kerasounta (Giresun) to Trapezounta (Trabzon) and Argyroupoli (Gümüşhane); the Greeks of the Kars area share the same tradition. The kemenche (Pontic lyra), often played from the middle of the circle, along with daouli and zurna and the tulum bagpipe, accompanies more than ninety dances, each area with its own. They are usually danced in a closed circle with a tight hold, an upright body, small steps, shoulder tremors and meters such as 5/8, 7/16 and 9/8. After the 1923 population exchange Pontic Greeks settled mainly in Macedonia, Thrace and Attica, where their associations keep the dances alive.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Pontic Greek folk dance(opens in a new tab)
• Βικιπαίδεια: Ποντιακοί χοροί(opens in a new tab)
• Pontos World: Dances of Pontus by region(opens in a new tab)
• Wikipedia: Pontic Greeks(opens in a new tab)