Information: Dr. Mary Coros, teacher of Greek dance.

Dr. Mary Coros (Maria Kouromichelakis) co-directed the Hellenic Dancers of Los Angeles, California, with Charlie Kyriacou.

She is an expert in Greek Dance with a specialty in staging and style of the dances of Crete. Her knowledge is gained from her experiences as a performing artist that began when she danced Syrtos from Crete. She has impressive educational credentials: BA and MA in dance from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Ph.D. in Cultural Dance from the University of Toronto.

As a result of her cutting-edge dissertation entitled, "From Dance Into Language," she became a recognized scholar of ethnic dance. Among her published credits are books and articles in such international publications as Oli Mazi, KPHTH, Journal of Dance Ethnology, and Dance Research for the International Council for Traditional Music Study Group on Ethnochoreology.

As a professional choreographer, she created a Cretan suite for the famous AMAN Folk Ensemble (aka, AMAN International Music and Dance Company). She was the choreographer and artistic director of Odyssey '93, a Cretan troupe sponsored by the PanCretan Association of America that toured Greece performing traditional dance, music, and songs from Crete.

Mary has taught many workshops and seminars in North America, including the FDF Symposium and Island Dance Workshop in Modesto, California; Winter Dance Conference in Boca Raton, Florida; and The PanCretan Association at San Francisco State University.

Dr. Coros has choreographed dance suites for Dionysos of the Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto (CGMT). She lives in Florida and teaches workshops for Greek dance organizations and Greek dance groups all over the country.

Among Dr. Coros' publications is

• "From Dance Into Language."
• "The 'forgotten' dances of Crete: dilemma for an American Cretan dancer, choreographer, teacher, researcher."
• "The Practice of and the Responsibility for Retention of Culture."
• "What traditional dances do Cretans know?"

Dances Dr. Coros has taught include Malevisiotiko, Pentozalis and Sytrtos.