Friends of the Basil Papantoniou Foundation, Dance Group

«Mirë se na erdhët, miq të dashur!»[Welcome, dear friends!]

Our love for the folk culture of the regions where Hellenism took root and flourished leads us to a special study every year. This year, our Dance Group retraces familiar steps, studying the musical and dance wealth of the Arvanites of South Evia, Attica, and Argolida-Korinthia. The Arvanites of these areas form a living part of the Greek cultural heritage. Inextricably linked to Greek history, they have preserved over the centuries a distinct tradition filled with pride, rhythm, and authenticity.

At the same time, the Dance Group of Nafplion KAPI (Senior Citizens Center) will present dances from the Peloponnese, highlighting that a unique musical and dance tradition was born from the centuries-long coexistence of Greek and Arvanite populations. Peloponnesian tunes creatively met Arvanitic elements, shaping a shared cultural idiom that maintains its vitality to this day.

For nearly 50 years, our long-standing activity and excellent cooperation with the Municipality of Nafplion culminate in an annual tribute to folk culture, during an evening of an urban folk event featuring remarkable local musicians.

Founded in 1977 by Ioanna Papantoniou, president of the then Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation, aimed to inspire children and young people with a love for traditional dance and song, while introducing elements of our folk culture to the wider public. In 2000, the dance group integrated into the Friends of the PFF Association. The dancers are all amateurs and receive no payment for their performances.

The group consistently supports the cultural events of the Municipality of Nafplion and the Regional Unit of Argolis, and has made numerous appearances both in Greece and abroad. Notable among these are its major participations in international festivals and events organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization. Its extensive work has been repeatedly broadcast on Greek television.

Since 1992, the group has been implementing a program of field research, familiarization, documentation, and experiential learning of dances and traditional customs (such as “Boules” and “Kageleftos”) directly in the village squares of the Greek countryside. Furthermore, it systematically organizes specialized seminars on local dances from various regions (Salamis, Karpathos, Macedonia, Asia Minor, and Pontus), actively contributing to the preservation of Greece’s cultural heritage.