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Home / Her Work / Song Catalogue / Sousta Dance
Σούστα
The sousta dance takes its name from the small leaping steps performed by the dancers while simultaneously swaying on the tips of their toes. It is a women’s collective dance with a cross-hand hold in the Dodecanese, while in Crete it is danced face-to-face by couples looking directly at each other.
The sousta presented on this record was recorded by Domna Samiou on 15 August 1964, in front of the Church of Panagia Portaitissa, during the local festival. It is performed with a violin and a four-stringed lute.
Based on Domna Samiou’s 1964 field recording of the tune, in Astypalea, Dodecanese.