Information: Demetris Tashie, teacher of Greek dance.

Demetris Tashie's love of Greek music and dance began at a very early age. As an adult, he developed a passion for the folk music, rituals, costumes, and crafts associated with the varied village cultures of rural Greece.

Dancing from an early age, his love of the Greek dances led him to explore the more esoteric dance traditions of Greece. He studied with Joe "Kaloyanides" Graziosi, and later went on to be a president and a lead dancer for the Greek American Folklore Society under the directorship of the late Paul Ginis.

His passion for folk music led him to find teachers both here and abroad. He has studied with Emmanuel "Bakses" Farangkoulitakis in Crete, with Kiril Ketev (gaida) in the United States and in Bulgaria, Tzamaros Larantzakis (laouto) in Kythnos, Christos Karakostas (zurna), Beth Bahia Cohen (yayli tanbur), and George Chitenden (gaida and zurna).

He currently plays regularly with Beth Bahia Cohen (music from the Islands, Western Pontos, Asia Minor, and more), with Jerry Kisslinger and Matt Moran (zurna and daouli), and with Abdul Rahim Saidita (classical music of İstanbul, Asia Minor, and Arabic lands).