Greek Folk Dance

Folk Dance & Choral Festival (FDF):

It is with great pleasure to announce to you that the 46th annual Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival (FDF) is here! This year it takes place in Phoenix, Arizona, February 16-19.

The Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival Ministry is dedicated to promoting, encouraging, and perpetuating the Orthodox faith, Greek heritage and culture among individuals, families, and communities, through folk dance, folk art, music, and language. The principal idea is not to get a gold medal but that all of us grow together in spirit and strength, holding high the banner of Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

This year we participate with 45 kids and 3 groups (Spartiates, Meraki and Vrohi) along with the director of the Dance program Nicole Ossey and their 9 instructors: Lena Brice, Vanda Makris, Christina McDonough, Peter Koukoumanos, Katerina Koukoumanos, Michael Koukoumanos, Demitra Mallos, Anthony Tzakis and Sophia Fraser.

Please find below the performance times of Holy Trinity’s groups; all the performances will be live streamed, and you can watch them here https://www.youtube.com/@FDFLIVE. The FDF 2023 Weekend and Competition Schedules can be found here.

We wish all of them good luck!

2022-2023 Greek Dance Updates

(updated 8/10/2022)

Welcome to a new year of Greek Dance! Please read all of the instructions carefully because some things have changed from previous years' registration process.

We will have 5 groups this year:

  • Kindergarten - 2nd grade
  • 3rd - 5th grade
  •  
  • 6th - 8th grade
  • 9th - 12th grade
  • Young Adults
Instructions:
  • Please only submit this form ONCE per family: https://forms.gle/Y5TmrwviSN9u2qWs6
  • Each dancer will have their own section within this form if you have more than one dancer
  • If you are under 18 a parent must complete this for
  • m with you or for you
Dance Fees & Discounts:

These will be our standard fees to participate in the 2022-23 dance program:

  • $75 - Kindergarten thru 2nd grade
  • $100 - 3rd thru 8th graders
  • $125 - 9th grade and older (including young adults)

We will be offering an early bird discount if you register and pay your dues by September 18th:

  • 1 child discount: $15 off total fee
  • 2 child discount: $25 off total fee
  • 3 child discount: $40 off total fee
  • 4 child discount: $60 off total fee

After September 18th, we will still offer the following discounts for families with more than one child participating in the Dance Program:

  • 1 child discount: none
  • 2 child discount: $15 off total fee
  • 3 child discount: $30 off total fee
  • 4 child discount: $50 off total fee

Your dance fees go towards your program t-shirt, costume use and cleaning, and any costs for educational materials needed to help our instructors.

If you need assistance with your dancer registration fees, please email Nicole at nicoleossey@gmail.com to discuss scholarship options.

Registration Payment Process:

Online payment

  • Visit goholytrinity.org and click "donate" in the upper right corner
  • You will need to log in or create a profile In the online donation box click "add transaction"
  • On the line that says "Greek Dance" enter the total amount you owe and fill out the name(s) you are making payment for
  • Donation frequency should be one time
  • Donation start date should be the date you are making the payment
  • There is no need to fill out a donation end date
  • Click "continue" and follow the rest of the instructions until payment is complete

Check payment

  • Make check payable to Holy Trinity
  • The check must include in the memo line "Dance Registration" and the name(s) of the participant(s)
  • You can mail or drop checks off at the church office or pay at the Greek Dance info table after church on Sundays starting August 28th to October 16th

***We will not be accepting cash as a form of payment***

Important Dates to Know:
  • Sunday, September 11th: Informational parent meeting following church
  • Sunday, September 18th: Deadline for early bird registration and discounted paid dues
  • Sunday, September 25th: To perform at the Greek Festival you must complete registration, pay your dues, and attend at least 1 practice by this date
  • Friday, September 30th - Sunday, October 2nd: Portland Greek Festival*
  • Sunday, October 16th: Final deadline for registration and dues paid\
  • Sunday, October 30th: Dance group coffee hour and performance

* The performance schedule will be announced 1-2 weeks leading up to the festival.

Participant and Parent Agreement

  1. Be respectful of the program and its directors, assistants, musicians, volunteers, fellow students, and parents as well as our spiritual leaders, Fr. Paul and Fr. Christos. Speak with respect, listen when being spoken to, and follow directions.

  2. Use well spoken, appropriate language. Swearing is not acceptable. Do not say inappropriate things that others would find offensive or hurtful.

  3. Be courteous of others' personal space and bodies. In particular for younger children: no kicking, hitting, spitting, slapping, pushing, or excessive squeezing when holding hands. If another student expresses that you are hurting them, correct the behavior immediately.

  4. Be honest.

  5. Arrive to class on time, ready to focus and work. Regarding performances, arrive on time prepared with costume items as required. Allow enough time to get dressed. Offer to help other dancers get ready.

  6. Turn off phones and all media devices when practice begins and give 100% of your attention to the director(s) and class. Cell phones are not permitted during practice.

  7. Encourage other dancers and make an effort to include them into the group. Be kind and thoughtful, and refrain from isolating anyone. Be supportive, positive, and enthusiastic. We are a team, so it is important to behave in a manner consistent with teamwork and sportsmanship.

  8. Do not gossip or speak badly about another dancer, group, director, or anyone else. Any concerns may be brought to the appropriate director or board member and will be dealt with promptly. Negativity related to a specific dancer/group/church on social media is strictly prohibited.

  9. Bullying (physical, verbal, emotional) will not be tolerated! Should the bullying behavior persist, the parents will be notified immediately and the dancer will be sent to Fr. Paul or Fr. Christos.

  10. Do not eat or drink anything other than water while in costume; do not smoke while in costume. Keep costumes clean and stored properly (hung, neatly folded in bags, jewelry in designated bags, etc.). Return costumes in a timely manner when finished and sort out items/hang as requested by costume coordinators.

  11. Parents are requested to stay near the church during practice and performances, if possible, and always reachable by phone in case of emergency.  Parents MUST pick up dancers on time from practice.

  12. Should a director need to speak with a parent about a dancer’s behavior, parents are expected to make themselves available immediately, to be attentive and open to hear the director’s concerns, and agree to work together to address the issue in question.

  13. At performances, conduct oneself with professionalism as a representative of Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the dance group.

  14. In general, conduct oneself consistent with the values and virtues of the Greek Orthodox church.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding the Greek Dance Program or have inquiries about volunteering, fundraisers, etc. please reach out to holytrinitydance@gmail.com.

Welcome to a new year of Greek folk dancing. We are delighted to have you and/or your child in the dance group program and look forward to an exciting year. Please read the following dance policies and procedures. We hope the terms outlined below will help all of you to understand the dance ministry and meet the expectations.

Mission Statement

Holy Trinity’s Greek Dance program seeks to strengthen and create lifetime bonds between the youth of our community through the treasure of folk dance. Encouraging youth to appreciate aspects of our rich Hellenic culture, our program is tailored to make learning and dance the very best experience for all who participate!

Dance Program

The Greek Folk Dance Program of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Portland, Oregon is an integral part of the ministry of our church. The primary purposes of this ministry are to bring our youth and their parents together in Greek Orthodox Christian fellowship; to help our youth develop strong moral, ethical, and leadership standards; and to promote and perpetuate Greek heritage and culture. Each and every ministry of the church is guided by a set of rules and standards that are intended to help us all live and grow in a standard befitting the ideas of Greek Orthodox Christianity under the guidance of our Proistemenos.

FDF – Faith, Dance, and Fellowship

The Greek Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival takes place in February (President’s weekend). The dance practices post-Greek Festival, in the fall and winter are dedicated to practicing for the two FDF performances. Dancer participation and the associated personal expenses of attending FDF are the responsibility of each dancer and parent. Refer to www.yourfdf.org for additional information on FDF.

FDF Fundraising

Fundraisers are a partnership between the dancers, parents and board members. The purpose is not only to raise money, but to develop fellowship and instill in our dancers a sense of ownership and responsibility by being active participants alongside their parents in raising the funds necessary to attend FDF.

Beyond FDF – Dancer Participation

All dancers and instructors are expected to participate at the Greek Festival (October) and occasional events at Holy Trinity or the community at large, throughout the year. These performances may include Oxi Day, Greek Independence Day, and any dance program fundraiser.

All dancers and instructors are also required to participate in the annual Diakonia project. This Diakonia project promotes the importance of service to the community by encouraging our youth to come together and give back to those in need.