Nikos Savvidis    Nikos Savvidis   Nikos Savvidis, a Pontian
Greek, is an organizer and instructor at the Greek Folk Dance
Seminar (Pontio Macedono Thrako Kritiko Dance Seminar) held at
the end of June in Komnina Xanthis, on the Nestos river, between
Kavala and Xanthis.  Nikos was born in Chrysoupolis, Macedonia,
where his parents settled after leaving Pontos. When he was
seven, he became a member of the Pontian perfoming club and
participated in performances at festivals in nearby towns.  In
1962, Nikos moved to Athens where he joined Pontian
organizations and played in Pontian folklore theatricals,
expounding the rich folklore of the Pontian people who had been
displaced from their homes in Pontos.  He expanded his knowledge
to include dances from all parts of Greece. Dora Stratou nvited
him to join the National Folklore Ensemble of Greece, and with
them he toured Asia, Europe, and Greece.  Nikos moved to the
United States and was on the staff at the Intersection Folk
Dance Center in Los Angeles.  He is ver