NICK PAPAEFTHIMIOU, traditional Greek dance teacher and choreographer

Nick Papaefthimiou was born in Australia from parents who migrated post war from Northern Greece.

He was involved in folk dancing from a very young age.  He progressed to teaching and organising events in his teens.

He has been making regular trips to Greece to experience the traditions first hand from the primary source. He has been collecting authentic traditional original folk costumes and musical instruments in various regions of Greece  and learnt dance steps of various style, collecting old musical recordings for many years and making his own field recordings.

He is passionate to preserve  the rich Greek cultural heritage in Melbourne and Victoria and  to share it with other communities and mainstream public.   He encourages  freedom of expression and improvisation within a dance or musical performance,  as a key element of live Greek folk tradition in Victoria.