Pentozali

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The Pentozali or Pentozalis is a dance from Crete. It takes its name from its five (pente) basic steps and its sprightly and ultimately very fast pace ("zalē" being the Greek word for "dizziness"). The name can thus be translated as "five-dizzy", its typically Greek wordplay implying that dancing it can make one dizzy five times over. The dance starts at a moderate pace and accelerates progressively. It is a war dance, vigorous, with high jumping movements and allows for much improvisation. It has often been suggested that this may be the descendant of a Minoan dance, perhaps that of the Kouretes, a mythical troupe of ancient warriors. There is a forgotten dance of the area of Psiloritis where the Kouretes lived, called Empyrrikios (from the ancient Pyrrichios), whose steps are very similar to Pentozalis.