Kyklos Hellenic Performing and Literary Arts Group - Home (original) (raw)

Check out the "Upcoming Events" page for our practice schedule and keep checking for our exciting upcoming performances and events! OPA!!

2024-2025 KYKLOS SEASON BEGINS

KYKLOS starts it new season on Wednesday, September 4th, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Community Centre, 10831-124 Street. New members are welcome to join. No previous dance experience required.

KYKLOS RETURNS FROM WALES A WINNER!!!

We are pleased to announce that KYKLOS once again placed 3rd at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod Festival in the catetory of traditional folk dance. This is the second time the group has performed at the festival. KYKLOS dancers were considered unique being a Greek folk dance group from Canada rather than Greece. Audiences were eager to take photographs with the dancers and the Wales S4C Television Network did a segment on KYKLOS as part of festival reporting.

SERBIAN FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE 2023!

Once again KYKLOS was invited by the Serbian Community of Edmonton to participate in its annual festival. This year KYKLOS presented a wonderful suite of dances from the island of Leros.

KYKLOS would like to thank our local corporate sponsors for supporting the first Edmonton installment of the Greek Internationl Film Festival Tour of Canada. See our sponsors in the "Our Corporate Sponsors" section.

GREEK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TOUR OF CANADA -COMES TO EDMONTON!

KYKLOS is proud to be one of the host city organizers of the Greek International Film Festival Tour of Canada (GIFFT). Edmonton is one of the nine Canadian cities hosting this new and exciting annual event. The Festival will be screeninig Greek feature films, documentaries and short films on September 30th to October 2nd, 2022.

As this is our first year organizing this event, KYKLOS will be presenting two feature film presentations at Landmark 8 Cinemas City Centre on Saturday October 1st at 6:45 p.m. and Sunday October 2nd at 1:30 p.m. The two films are "Smyrna - My Beloved" and "Echoes of the Past (Kalavryta 1943)". Tickets wil be $20. Tickets and other information is available on the festival website at www.gifft.ca. Tickets will be available very soon. Seating is limited, so buy your tickets early.

FIRST IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE POST PANDEMIC!

On Saturday June 18 KYKLOS performed for the annual Edmonton Serbian Festival. It was the first in-person performance in nearly three years. Both dancers and audiences were excited to gather together to celebrate the cultural richness of both the Serbian and Greek cultures. Hope to be back in 2023 for another performance.

BANFF PHOTOSHOOT 2022!

KYKLOS continued its documentation of it vast costume collection with another photo shoot in Canmore and Banff. At this photo sessions costumes included Thrace (Kavakli), Crete, and Kythnos. See more photographsin the photo section of the website.

WINTER WONDERLAND!!!

In early March 2022, KYKLOS had another photo shoot of Pointian costumes at Hawrelak Park. The fresh snow made the Pontian costumes colours pop with the white background. Although everyone looks nice an warm, many a frozen feet were experience. Even so, it was well worth it. See more photos in the 2022 photo section.

SPRING IS HERE AND KYKLOS IS WORKING ON NEW PROJECTS AND NEW DANCE MATERIAL!!!

KYKLOS has been busy all winter learning new dances from the Ionian Islands and Asia Minor.

With the important anniversaries coming soon regarding the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the cruel and painful population exchanges which followed, KYKLOS is focusing on new dance material from throughout Asia Minor in commemoration. In addition, new costumes from Asia Minor, Smyrna and Constantinopoli will open new avenues to present new dances from the coast and urban areas of Asia Minor more authentically. So KYKLOS fans look forward to a new look and new material coming soon!!!

NEW KYKLOS COSTUMES ARRIVED!!!

KYKLOS is pleased to announce the arrival of 24 new costumes (16 female and 8 male) from the Asia Minor area of Kato Panagia. This brings the number of KYKLOS costumes close to 300, representing various areas of Greece.

We would like to thank the Government of Alberta for their financial support in the purchase of these new costumes. The Government's continuous support and recognition of the hard work KYKLOS has done over the past four decades has been imperative to our continued success.

2019 FESTIVAL OF TREES PERFORMANCE

Once again KYKLOS performed at the Festival of Trees on December 1st, 2019. It always feels good to perform at such popular charity event. KYKLOS way to giving back to the Edmonton community!!!

OXI DAY CELEBRATION AT THE ALBERTA LEGISLATURE

KYKLOS joined other Hellenic organization from throughout Alberta in a special ceremony in front of the Alberta Legistlature in commemoration of OXI Day. The day commorates the rejection of Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on October 28th, 1940 to surrender Greece to the Axis Powers; the Hellenic counterattack against the invading Italian forces at the mountains of Pindus during the Greco-Italian War; and the Greek Resistance during the Axis Occupation of WW2.

2019 SASKATOON FOLK FESTIVAL

KYKLOS was honoured to be invited to participate at the Greek Pavilion, organized by Koimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Community of Saskatoon, at the 2019 Saskatoon Folk Festival, August 15th to 17th. KYKLOS performed 11, 20 minute, performances over two days to thousands of festival goings. It was a fun and exciting experience our dancers will remember for years to come!

2019 EDMONTON HERITAGE DAYS FESTIVAL

Once again KYKLOS performed at the Greek Pavilion, organized by the Greek Orthodox Community of Edmonton and District, at the 2019 installment of the Edmonton Heritage Days Festival. Over the three days the troupe performed 18 - 20 minute performances featuring three different suites of dances (island, mainland and taverna). The weather cooperated nicely and audiences were large. KYKLOS would also like to thank Dionysos Hellenic Cultural Society from Calgary for coming up to perform on the Sunday. It is always an honor and a pleasure to have our friends from Calgary share the stage with us!

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BILINGUALISM PERFORMANCE!!!

KYKLOS had the pleasure to perform at the official dinner for the ISB 12 - International Symposium of Bilingualism at the Hotel MacDonald ballroom on Thursday June 27th. Audiences were treated to a suite of island dances.

ANOTHER WEEK ANOTHER PERFORMANCE!!!

KYKLOS has been busy this spring performing at various events around the city. On Saturday June 8 KYKLOS was pleased to perform for Heritage Day at the Agora in Sherwood Park. Audiences enjoyed a selection of dances from Thrace and Macedonia.

KYKLOS PERFORMS AT NORWOOD EXTENDED CARE CENTRE

KYKLOS performed at Norwood Extended Care Centre on Thursday May 16th, 2019. It was an honour to perform for sixty residents of the Norwood Extended Care Centre. This was especially meaningful because a few of the residents - Panagiota Michailides, Manolis and Roula Vamvakakis, and Nick Themelis - are cherished members of our Greek community. Check out the more images in our photo section.

KYKLOS ENDS ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR OF CELEBRATION WITH A BANG!!! - A THREE HOUR PERFORMANCE AT THE TIMMS CENTRE FOR THE ARTS! March 10th, 2019! WHAT A SUCCESS!

KYKLOS BACK FROM SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO EUROPE!!!

KYKLOS participated in the 2018 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales July 4-8. We are proud to announce that KYKLOS came in 3rd in the Competition C1 - Traditional Folk Dance Group with a winning prize of 250 BPD.

KYKLOS was also invited to open the main-stage evening International Celebration Concert on Thursday July 5. Other performances included three half hour performances at Llangollen's main square and the Lindop Toyota World Stage. The troupe also provided a one hour performance and workshop at the local school and participated in the festival parade. Enjoy our photographs below!

We couldn't have achieved this without our three fantastic musicians from the Greek Island of Leros - George Drakos on Laouto; Nikos Milas on Violin; and vocalist Stella Tsourounaki! And of course none of this would have been possible without our teacher, mentor and friend Antonis Ntalaris!

We would also like to thank the Alberta Government and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission for supporting KYKLOS on this initiative and their continued support of the arts and culture in Alberta!!!

"Most authentic group at the festival!"

Gabriel Frontera - Spain

"Great fit for this category, great material, great costumes, wonderful performance!"

Ahmet Luleci - Turkey/USA

"Very elegant with clean footwork and beautiful synchronized and subtle bounce."

Tamara Markus - Netherlands

KYKLOS SPENDS FOUR DAYS IN LEROS -PERFORMING AND LEARNING NEW DANCE MATERIAL.

From July 13-17 KYKLOS had the pleasure to visit the Island of Leros and participated in the three day "Gathering For Peace festival." The festival inclluding a concert by KYKLOS, Salonica Dance Association and the Artimis Society of Leros to over 500 guests on the Friday evening; opening of a photo exhibition and concert in memory of Imros on Saturday night; and a Rebetika Concert with a dance performance by Artimis on the Sunday evening. KYKLOS was also honoured with two days of workshops with Roula Hatzikonstantinou of Leros who taught the dancers new dances from the Dodecanese Islands and coastal Asia Minor.

IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!!

On Sunday May 6th KYKLOS officially opened its new KYKLOS Wardrobe and Workshop room with a special luncheon and dedication ceremony. Nearly 60 invited guests including Presidents and board members from all the Greek organizations in Edmonton, KYKLOS members, volunteers and supporters were present. The ceremony included a special presentation to Kathy Rigakis for her long term dedication to KYKLOS as our costume maker and past president. For nearly twenty years Kathy created some of our most beloved costumes including Trikeri, Desfina, Crete and Kalymnos. In addition, we had the pleasure of having Minister Sarah Hoffman, Minister for Health and Deputy Premier. She was kind enough to attend and bring a few words from the Government of Alberta. We again would like to thank Minister Hoffman and the Government of Alberta for supporting KYKLOS with a $15,000 grant to complete the room. Without their support this project would not have been able to become a reality. We would also like to thank Father Charalambos for blessing the room. Below are images from the event.