2020 Celebrates 44 Years
of Faith, Dance and Fellowship

The 44th Annual Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Folk Dance and Choral Festival was held February 13 – 16, 2020 in Anaheim, CA. The theme for the weekend was “FOCUS”, which provided the opportunity for the participants to contemplate the priorities in their lives and practice and appreciate them more earnestly.

A total of 112 dance and choral groups representing 32 parishes and seven states joined together to make FDF another resounding success. The Metropolis of San Francisco extended a special welcome to the Archangelos Neolea group from the Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington, NY, who received the Founder’s Special Achievement Award in the Advanced Intermediate Division. The excitement and enthusiasm were visible in every corridor, in every competition room, and in the workshops. Even the smallest empty corner turned into a place for an impromptu rehearsal, a place to gather with friends to dance or sing, or for musicians to practice their instruments. FDF was an immersive weekend, and one that created an exhilarating atmosphere of faith, dance and fellowship.

“The days started early and the nights ended late, but that did not diminish the joy of the weekend. I was energized by these youth and their commitment to this ministry,” stated His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco. “Through their participation in FDF, these youth are creating a beautiful tapestry for the future of our faith and culture.” He also encouraged them to use their involvement with FDF to become immersed on other aspects of parish ministry by stating, “Use this weekend as your motivation to expand your activities at the parish. Why not learn to chant or sing in the choir? How about teaching Sunday School? You can join the dynamic ministry of Philoptochos. The opportunities are endless and you are never too young to take a step forward and make a difference. All it takes is focus!”

While FDF focuses on Faith, Dance and Fellowship, the attendees are also committed to serving others. As everyone arrived on Thursday, they had the opportunity to participate in a community service project “Feeding Children Everywhere,” joining together with the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos to package 35,000 meals. World hunger is an ongoing struggle, and FDF continues to address this each year by providing nourishment for starving children throughout the world.

The Opening Ceremony on Thursday evening included a prayerful Agiasmos Service led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, along with His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, and His Excellency Metropolitan Ilia of Philomelion, along with over 30 clergy from throughout the Metropolis. This gathering set the tone for the weekend, which was filled with opportunities for worship, fellowship, education, and cultural enrichment. It was an honor to have Archbishop Elpidophoros of American enthusiastically participate in all aspects of FDF and interact with the participants throughout the weekend. A special video message from His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted the evening, where he stated, “As you have come together in the name of the Lord, He is undoubtedly blessing this gathering with His goodness, grace and love. I am very proud of the tremendous efforts you have put forth in preparation for this weekend of dancing, singing, worship and fellowship.” His All-Holiness continued on to say that, “It is my earnest prayer for you, my beloved children in the Lord, that you will always remain close to the Lord, focusing on Him, following His commandments, and proudly living out your faith as Orthodox Christians. And, as you dance and sing in these coming days, may every step you take and every word that comes forth from your mouths bring Glory to God!”

In addressing the FDF audience, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America stated, “We are not alone. We are brothers and sisters, and we are not alone in this world because we have a big, big spiritual father and we are not alone in this world, we have each other. We have our fathers. We have our mothers. We have our papou. We have our yiayia. Wherever you go in this world you will find someone like us. If we are aware of our identity, hold your hands together the whole of your lives and don’t leave your brothers and your sisters ever, help them and support them. Love one another. Dance together. Enjoy life together, because life is beautiful only if we share with others, only if we love each other, and only if we are together and not alone. Bring your children to FDF. This is the future we love and this is the future we envision and this is the vision we support.”

The dance and choral competition was featured for over two days, and from the youngest to the oldest participants, the joy emanating from the stage brought the crowd to its feet with resounding cheers of support for their performances. From the intricate dance steps to the elaborate costumes and beautiful music, these groups truly put forth their best effort for this spectacle of faith, dance and fellowship.

This year’s choral competition drew a record 13 groups whose level of expertise was exceptional, ranging from performances of byzantine chant, folk music, polyphonic choral music, and contemporary Christian songs.

A wide variety of workshops were presented by Metropolis Clergy and included discussions on silence and stillness, living a pure life that is pleasing to God, focusing on Christ in an age of technology, and defining who I am or who I should be as a Christian. The Metropolis Family Wellness Ministry also offered workshops on healthy relationships based on Orthodox Christian wisdom, and parenting children with emotional intelligence. The Metropolis Greek Language and Culture Ministry featured workshops on the value of learning a foreign language, and even offered a workshop “Learn Greek in 45 minutes.” In total, 22 workshops were offered on Friday and Saturday with nearly 1,400 participants.

The Archons from the Metropolis of San Francisco hosted a dinner to formally welcome His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to FDF. This event was attended by over 150 guests including Metropolis Clergy, Archon, Metropolis Council, Metropolis Philoptochos, and special guests. Archon Regional Commander Theofanis Economidis presented Archbishop Elpidophoros with a donation of $25,000 for the Saint Nicholas National Shrine. Metropolis Philoptochos President Jeannie Ranglas presented Archbishop Elpidophoros with a set of custom-embroidered vestments. A beautiful musical performance was offered by soprano Theodosia Roussos, which included classical music, folk music and an original composition from a Greek opera.

The Archieratical Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning brought the opportunity for thousands of people to gather in prayer and worship. The faithful generously contributed $10,000 at the conclusion of the Liturgy in support of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA.

There were 4,000 attendees during the FDF weekend, filling the competition rooms and showing their support for family, friends, and parishioners who were performing throughout the weekend. Beyond that, FDF reached a worldwide audience with thousands of views from 25 states and 12 countries through the live streaming of events throughout the weekend. This was first offered in 2017, and has garnered over 250,000 views in the past four years.

Sunday evening’s Awards Banquet was a festive gathering of 3,000 people, celebrating the fulfillment of the weekend and the accomplishments of every participant. In addition to the dance  and choral awards, FDF presented 11 academic scholarships totaling $11,000. An additional $10,000 academic scholarship and a $5,000 Ionian Village scholarship was offered by the Pantazis family in memory of Dimitrios Pantazis. The Metropolitan Anthony Humanitarian Award was presented to the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos. The Elios Award of Excellence was presented by the Elios Charitable Foundation to Joan Metaxas Dauria.

Top honors from FDF 2020 were awarded to:

• Division I Choral Sweepstakes: Philotimo – Saint Katherine, Redondo Beach, CA
• Division II Choral Sweepstakes: Effonia – Saint Nicholas, San Jose, CA
• Division I Dance Sweepstakes: Deos – Annunciation, Sacramento, CA
• Division II Dance Sweepstakes: Ta Angeloudakia – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Long Beach, CA

Without the exceptional leadership of the FDF Board of Trustees, FDF would not be possible. Special commendation is extended to FDF Chairman Father Gary Kyriacou, Vice-Chairman Spiro Beckas, and Director of Finance Michael Syrengelas. In addition, the leadership of Managing Director Anthony John was also vital to the success of FDF, as he organized a team of over 40 young professionals who comprised the Management Team and coordinated all aspects of this significant event, doing this with great skill while he and his wife welcomed their first child. Congratulations are also due to Danae Pappas Magoulias, recipient of the Metropolitan Anthony Leadership Award for her efforts on the Management Team as Director of Events. She coordinated the Opening Ceremony and Awards Banquet while planning her wedding which was just six weeks before FDF.

For more information, visit www.yourfdf.org. See you February 11 – 14, 2021 at FDF 45!

Photo Credit: GM Photography