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By Melanie Niarhos<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The University of Central Florida (UCF) has a diverse student population from not only around the United States but across the globe. Walking through the Student Union and through the Breezeway, students pass through booths representing the various clubs across campus, from political to cultural clubs to \u201cGreek life\u201d to academic organizations. However, there is another kind of Greek life on campus that is under-represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hellenic students (students whose bloodline comes from Greece) are one group among many in the cultural melting pot here at UCF. While there are religious clubs like the Orthodox Christian Fellowship that many young Greek adults are a part of, there is no other organization at UCF that allows Hellenic students to cultivate and spread their culture. Instead, these students turn to their church to learn about their culture through Hellenic dance programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Greeks, dancing can be a large part of their identity. You can\u2019t go to a Greek wedding, festival, party, or family gathering without traditional Greek music playing. Everyone, young and old, joins in to dance. Greek dancing is primarily done in a circle formation with hands held up together in a \u201cW\u2019 formation straight down or with arms linked straight out at shoulder level. Movements can range from jumping and skipping to slow, balanced steps. Arms are often swung or maneuvered to accent the footwork or rhythm. Many people are familiar with the Cretan style of dancing, with flashy jumps and kicks and quick steps. A lesser-known region, in contrast, is Epirus, with slow, syncopated movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The national dance of Greece, called the Kalamatiano, is known by virtually every Greek and is the staple at Greek weddings and festivals. It has twelve steps grouped into threes of \u201clong, short, short\u201d steps and is danced in a \u201cW\u201d handhold. Greeks and non-Greeks alike join together at festivals to attempt this dance, with varying degrees of success. But with enough ouzo, it doesn\u2019t matter what you look like, as long as you are enjoying yourself. As is the Greek way, everyone is always welcome on the dance floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this light-hearted version of dance is at the heart of all Greek dancing, formal dance groups take dance culture very seriously. When studying for a new suite of dances, they take a region and narrow it down as far as to a single village. From there, groups watch videos, study traditional song lyrics, and bring in instructors from Greece to teach the dances properly to fit the specific style of the region. Whether a dance is flat-footed or on your toes, bouncy or smooth, serious or playful, the style depends on the specific area the dance comes from and the life experiences of the people who created it. One dance, called Mihanikos, is a men\u2019s dance from Kalymnos that depicts a man injured from sponge diving, the main source of income on the island. In the beginning of the dance, he stumbles and falls trying to move with his cane, but when the music picks up, he finds the strength to dance and skips across the dance floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jr. Hellenic Dance Troupe<\/strong> video<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n