| Everyone tells me that Greek dancing is so easy, but | | | | Shame on them, how are you ever going to visit our |
| I have never found it easy. When I was in twelve | | | | motherland?". I would just nod and smile and hoped |
| years old, my parents sent me to learn Greek | | | | she would not pick on me again when I missed one, |
| dances at the local Greek community center. They | | | | or two, of my dance steps. |
| told me that it was very important to preserve | | | | I continued taking the lessons and one day I even |
| Greek traditions in the family and that my not | | | | had the pleasure of performing at the Greek Festival |
| speaking Greek was already an embarrassment to | | | | in our town. I danced the night away and my dance |
| the rest of my family. I had never been to Greece | | | | teacher clapped loudly and I could see that she was |
| and did not have much experience with the culture | | | | finally approving. It felt like I was in Greece. As my |
| of Greece, though I was and still am, a Greek | | | | studies got harder, I decided to quit my Greek |
| American . | | | | dancing lessons. I picked them back up in high school, |
| On my first dance lesson, I realized that I would be | | | | this time with a local junior Greek organization. The |
| the only person under 45 there. Our dance teacher | | | | dance lessons were much more fun, I was not |
| was an ancient Greek lady, even more ancient that | | | | picked for not speaking Greek, but I did continue to |
| many of the oldest Greek monuments, and she | | | | miss many steps. |
| would yell loudly in Greek if any one of her students | | | | Now as an adult, I go to Greek American Festivals all |
| missed a step. She seemed to have a particular | | | | the time, but I do not take any more dance lessons. |
| dislike towards me, she would call me "Little Athena" | | | | Instead, whenever I hear a Greek tune I just begin |
| and at the beginning of every lesson she would | | | | to dance away and no longer care about missing a |
| approach me and say, "Little Athena, how come your | | | | step, but about feeling the music and dancing the |
| parents did not teach you how to speak Greek? | | | | night away. |