Πανηγύρι στη Βαλανιδούσσα

This is the festivity of Saint Marina in my village.

The festivity takes place every year at the 17th of July and has 3 main events: * The first one on the night of 16th of July,takes place in the center of the village, at the old school square.

• The second one takes place during the morning of the 17th, in the yard of the church of Santa Marina

• And the 3nd one, the night of the 17th, we get back to the old school square, for to dance once more untill the morning light.

This photo is taken during a very slow dance, "pogonisio" one of the major and characteristic categories of Ipirous music and dancing.

The dancers are of course local village people, and you can see how deep into their dancing they are, as if they are travelling to another world, through the sounds of "klarino" an adapted greek version of the western clarinet, with more heavy and full sound, used at folk and popular music.