We transfer the request of the local authorities of Ikaria for the Inclusion of the Ikarian Dance in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
''Dear Madam
One unanimous request of the Ikarians who live on our island, in Athens, abroad, America, Austraila,Canada, in the whole of Europe and all over the world, is the inclusion of the ”musical yard” in UNESCO, the Ikarian Dance, as one and only traditional dance. A simillar case of another dance which is acknowledged by UNESCO is the dance of Andalucia, the Flamingo.
The Ikarian dance is a special dance, unique, local and team dance. it has a complex form, slow, fast and with complex steps and dragging steps.
In ancient times it incorporates in the twosound rhutyms and the ninesounds rhythms and in the outdorr dances (social type).
The Emeritus professor of Musicology of the Aristotle University, Mr Dimirios Themelis ,reports of the Ikarian Dance:
The Ikarian dance is the identity of the Ikarian people, it reflects in a direct manner the individuality not only of the people who experience it and recreate it but from their own island Nikaria.
Alex Poulianos writes characteristically that the Ikarian people are a moving reality
in all its exhibits, its customs, in its social behavior, its thoughts and its meditation and first of all in its speech. We find the eternal survival of the Greek tribe and that the Ikarian Dance from a musical point of view is defineltly a characeristic dance specifally, a physical dance of the slow dance of the island in 2/4 meter.
Also Mr Themelis mention that the Ikarian Dance belongs to the local tradition as much as music and dance , it is a creation and the expression of the people and it has all the characteristicts that come from the folklore and as a result with the holy music forming a framework of the vocal tradition, where the constant variation is the main ingredient of this music .Hwewer , it must be known that the Ikarian dance is aphysicla tune which is played with traditional folklore instruments, the lyra and the folklore violin.
In my request dear Madame al I attempted to give you a small description so as for you to know that the Ikarian dance must be acknowledged as property of the whole world. There have been mnay presentation, exhibitions, studies from respectful musical professors.
The Ikarian dance is a wealth of the whole world and an in extinquishable flame which has been preserved in our hearts, showing off this special dance whichhas been studied for thousnads of times in our tradtion, our identity and we request for you to examine the inclusion of this dance as part of the heritage of UNESCO. This way this dance will belong not only to the Ikarians or the Greeks but to belong to the whole world. Therefore we believe that your answer to our request will be postiive .
With the designation as a universal dance, its tune and steps of our islands traditions , our nations identity and civiliazation will travel as an asset to the ubiversal cultural presence . ''