Inspiration for The Merry Makers

The Glenzethes, which means the “Merry Makers,” is the youth dance group of the Pensacola Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. The church holds an annual Greek Festival on its property that Pensacolians attend in droves. Who can resist the allure of homemade gyros, dolmathes, tiropita, and baklava, just to name a few?! I also enjoy visiting the festival for a peek into Greek culture. The church opens it doors for short tours and the church members perform various dances in the main tent. The Glenzethes especially entertain the crowd with their fun, lively, interactive routines. Beautiful dresses swirl and colorful vests bow and jump to the quick tunes of the bouzouki, a traditional Greek stringed instrument. In The Merry Makers, I wanted to capture the life, colors, and energy of this festive young troupe!

Extra Insight into Pensacola’s Glenzethes

The youth of the Annunciation Parish have been performing folk dances for many years. Initially, The parish incorporated Greek dance lessons into its Greek language and culture classes. The formal youth dance program began in 1984 when the state of Florida provided a grant to promote cultural arts in the state. The first dance group had 16 high school students—some who are now parents and teachers of the current dancers.

The dancers practice weekly for three months to prepare for their festival performances. In addition to attending practices and learning the dances, each dancer has stewardship requirements. These include attending church services and Sunday School and participating in the youth program and associated service projects.

Each of the girls in the Glenzethes group has two costumes. One is a unique handmade costume which represents that region of Greece from where her family comes. The other is a blue velvet costume trimmed in gold that is worn by all the girls and comes from the Cyclades Islands.

The dancers learn twenty different dances and perform four or five dances per set during the festival. The girls alternate costumes between sets. Audience members participate by clapping hands and throwing money at the dancers. The old tradition of breaking dishes on the floor at Greek parties is no longer practiced, but audience members often shout “Opa!” and throw money on the floor to show their appreciation for, and pride in, the dancers.

After the dance troupe completes their set, audience members usually rush onto the dance floor to join in the fun. Beginners and experts can dance together, as the basic steps are fairly easy to learn.

More information about the Pensacola Greek Festival can be found on the festival’s website: www.pensacolagreekfestival.com.