Thessaloniki now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous zeibekiko dance, as 830 people from Greece and abroad—including even from as far away as Beijing!—gathered today in Aristotelous Square to dance to the song “Mia Thessaloniki” by Konstantinos Argyros and, at the same time, to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, supporting the work of Alzheimer Hellas. The 830 dancers, who came from various regions of Greece as well as from Bulgaria, Romania, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Serbia, Poland, Turkey, Cyprus, China, and the U.S., managed with their coordinated movements to break the record previously held by Cyprus, with 754 participants.
“Some of the dancers are residents of Thessaloniki, while others came to the city from various regions of Greece and from abroad specifically to participate in the event,” dance instructor Themis Parastatidis, told APE-MPE, explaining that the idea for Thessaloniki to attempt the record—and for the dancers to simultaneously raise awareness about Alzheimer’s— came to him a year ago, when he realized how much people love the zeibekiko even abroad, and was implemented in collaboration with the Greek Alzheimer’s Association. Although the Guinness World Record does not come with a cash prize, the moral satisfaction of achieving it is great, he notes, as the fact that so many people gathered in one place for this purpose confirms that dance unites and helps. The Friends of the Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (EENASD) is also participating in the initiative.
How dancing helps
Themis Parastatidis has been teaching dance classes to seniors with Alzheimer’s for several years. How does dance help them? “Dancing isn’t just exercise; it’s so much more. It exercises the memory, as dancers must remember the dance steps and have good coordination. Furthermore, it improves mental well-being, because dancing gives them the opportunity to participate in a group activity, to interact with other people, and to meet new people. “There are many positive aspects to dance,” he explains. It should be noted that to set the current record, on June 12 and 13, participants had the opportunity to attend classes, learn the choreography for the official attempt, and prepare for the “big day.” The title was awarded by a representative of the Guinness organization, who noted that a very strict process is followed for the awards, from counting participants to the performance, and that the participants in Thessaloniki “did a fantastic job.” The awards ceremony took place to the sounds of Queen’s iconic song “We Are the Champions.”
View this post on Instagram.
