Dikili and Lesbos meet through dance on World Peace Day

Dance became the shared language of peace when performers from Dikili and Lesbos met on the same stage for World Peace Day on Sept. 1.

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The Aegean Sea is not a border separating two peoples for us; for centuries, it has been a path of friendship bringing people together and cultures into contact.

Hosted in Lesbos, the Dikili-Lesbos Dance Festival brought together Dikili’s municipal dance ensemble and groups from the Greek island. The Dikili performers combined modern dance with traditional folk forms, while the Lesbos groups presented dances from their own region. The evening emphasized friendship, brotherhood and cultural ties between the two sides of the Aegean.

Dikili Mayor Adil Kırgöz said the event showed how dance, music and culture could bring together two peoples who had lived alongside each other for centuries. He said the Aegean should be seen not as a border separating them, but as a route of friendship connecting people and cultures. Kırgöz also performed the zeybek, a traditional Aegean dance, drawing prolonged applause from the audience.

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Peace is exactly this: understanding one another and being able to stand side by side on the same stage.

Lesbos Mayor Panagiotis Christofas said the relationship he and Kırgöz began the previous year had reached an important stage. He described dance, music and culture as a common language that did not require the same spoken language. The mayors also exchanged tiles made in Lesbos’ Agiasos area and by trainees from Dikili municipality courses, symbolizing the friendship between the two communities.

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Sometimes you do not need to know a language to communicate; dance, music and culture are actually our common language.