Information: John Lulias, teacher of Greek dance.

John Lulias was raised in Tarpon Springs, Florida (Greek Town, USA), and is a second generation Greek-American. He grew up with Greek dancing, absorbing the culture surrounding him.

In 1974, John moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became part of the Greek dance troupe, Terpsichoreans. It was there that he began to study and really learn the intricacies of Greek dance style.

Upon his return to Tarpon Springs in 1979, John formed the dance troupe Levendia and developed this group into one of the premier Greek folk dance troupes in the United States. He directed the group for more than 17 years. At times, there were over 200 dancers in the program, with the adult performing group numbering over 45. The group traveled throughout the United States and Canada, the Bahamas, and Greece, promoting, perpetuating, and preserving the Greek culture through song and dance. John, along with Steve Peppes and other members of the local Greek community, organized the Winter Dance Conference in Tarpon Springs.

John has studied with the Dora Stratou Theater, Ted Petrides, Mary Coros, Mary Vouras, and many other noted Greek dance teachers. He has organized dance seminars with Joe Graziosi, traveling throughout Greece and learning dances. John's expertise is island dancing, but he has knowledge of the folk dances throughout Greece and Asia Minor.

In January, 1986, John organized the Tarpon Springs Conference January 1986, from which was produced a video and an audio music cassette, available from Charlie Kyriacou. In the Fall of 1990, John taught a seminar along with famed Balkan Instructor Dennis Boxell. That seminar also was taped and the video and an audio music cassette are available from the FDF Resource Center.

John was co-curator of The Dodecanese Islands, an exhibit featuring artifacts, costumes, and recreated room settings from the Dodecanese Islands in Greece, at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center.

On October 3, 2003, John received a University of Florida (UF) award for his years of work teaching Greek dances. He has been on the Advisory Council of the Center for Greek Studies at UF.

Today, John does workshops throughout the United States, is a judge at the Greek Folk Dance Festival in California, and is director of the Winter Dance Conference. Among the venues at which John has taught is Mainwoods Dance Camp.

Dances John has taught include Adaman Palikari, Argo tis Frangias, Ballariston, Ballos Paros, Boudaris, Issios Kalymnos, Kritikos Syrtos, Len Irthe Mais, Malevyziotikos, Ola ta Melahrina, Piliortikos, Sousta, Sta Dio, Sta Tria, Syrto and Ballos from the Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands, Syrtos Amorgos, Syrto Samos, Tsamikos (15-step), Tsamikos (16-step), and Zervos.