Abstract
In this chapter Shay discusses Zorba dancing that became popularized in Greece and other places by the film Zorba the Greek, starring Anthony Quinn. The author asserts that Zorba’s Dance or the syrtaki have had a place in the construction of modern Greek male identity. In order to pursue this assertion, Shay looks at what constitutes masculinity in Greece, and the West in general, to shed light on an under-theorized area in gender and sexuality studies. He contrasts masculinity and homosexuality, and attempts to unlink the connection between homosexuality and effeminacy. He then demonstrates that in performing Zorba’s dance, men dance for one another in a show of power and prestige. He concludes the chapter by provideing a detailed history of the dance’s origins.
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Shay, A. (2016). Chapter 2 “Breaking Plates on the Plaka”: Zorba Dancing. In: Ethno Identity Dance for Sex, Fun and Profit. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59318-4_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59318-4_3
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