SAN DIEGO, CA – The 41st Folk Dance and Choral Festival (FDF 2017), a four-day celebration of Faith, Dance, and Fellowship of the Metropolis of San Francisco, culminated on February 19 with the Archieratical Divine Liturgy in the morning, the Finals of the Advance Senior Division and the Awards Ceremony, all taking place at Town and Country Resort Hotel in San Diego.

Archbishop Demetrios presided over the Divine Liturgy with more than 20 priests of the Metropolis concelebrating. Metropolitan Gerasimos and Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, the chancellor of the Metropolis, were attending in prayer. Also in attendance was the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, Gregory Karahalios.

The archbishop noted the record number of 30 altar boys serving during the Liturgy, and recognized all of them by name at the end of the service.

His Eminence asked the faithful to read carefully at home the Gospel reading of the day, Matthew, 25, which reads in part: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me….Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

Following the Divine Liturgy a memorial service was chanted for Metropolitan Anthony of blessed memory, departed clergy of the Metropolis and founders of FDF.

The Advanced Senior Finals took place in the afternoon. Seven finalist groups performed suites of dances around a theme, or a particular geographic region or village of Greece while singing simultaneously. The performances were judged on execution, authenticity, costumes, and choral and musical standards.

“FDF is a tapestry of all of you since the time it was created 41 years ago. It will be here through my time, your time and then some,” said Metropolitan Gerasimos to the 4,000 people attending the formal Awards Ceremony concluding the FDF weekend.

He spoke to the young participants on the meaning of “All for One” the theme of this year’s festival. “It is for one family, one body of Christ, one Greek Orthodox faith, it means one heritage as a most precious gift from all those who came before you,” he said and added that the weekend of FDF was “a display of unity, creativity and Christian love.”

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a video message to FDF conveyed his love and the care of the Mother Church of Constantinople for this important youth ministry.
“This was an explosion of youth activity that combined beauty, faith, method and dedication in a way that produced excellence,” said Demetrios, who attended all the events and competitions. “Nothing we have seen elsewhere, in terms of dancing of every kind, compares to what we experienced in FDF,” he added, noting that Folk Dance Festival is “a unique event of vitality, art, comradery, fellowship, faith, order and great joy.”

The Metropolis bestowed the Metropolitan Anthony Humanitarian Award 2017 upon Archon George Demos and his wife, Vickie, of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary in Long Beach. Also the 2017 Elios Award of Excellence was presented to Gary Vrionis of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity in San Francisco.

FDF, now in its 41st year has reached a new level of success under Gerasimos, who guides a tireless team of volunteers and a management team led by FDF’s Board chairman Fr. Gary Kyriacou.

A total of 4,000 people were in attendance, 2,500 of which were participants in the various groups and approximately another 1,500 people comprised of family members, friends and spectators from the various parishes of the Metropolis.

SAN DIEGO – Saturday Feb. 17, more than 2,500 young people are participating in the events of 2017 FDF. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios attended a full day of semi-final dance competitions and the choral competition, all taking place in the two large performance stages of the Town and Country Hotel Conference Center. Together with Archbishop Demetrios His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, Metropolis Philoptochos President Jeannie Ranglas, Archon Theofanis Economidis, and FDF Director Fr. Gary Kyriacou.

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Photo: © GOA/Dimitrios Panagos

More than eighty groups participated from more than forty parishes. It is the largest gathering of Greek-Orthodox young people in the United States and arguably the largest youth festival of traditional Greek dancing in the world.

The winners in the Advanced Senior Category as announced at the Awards Ceremony are: first place to Olympian Dancers of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Long Beach; second place to Seismos of the Ascension Cathedral, Oakland; third place to Oi Antartes of St. John the Baptist, Las Vegas, NV; fourth place to Panegeri of St. Anthony, Pasadena; Founders Special Achievement Award to Akrites of St. Demetrios, Seattle, WA, the choral award in this category was awarded to Oikogeneia of Holy Trinity, San Francisco; and the Costume Award to Olympian Dancers of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Long Beach.

The Sweepstakes awards (best overall) for Division I dance was awarded to Oikogeneia of Holy Trinity, San Francisco; for Division II dance was awarded to Sinefakia (advanced junior category) of St. Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles; and finally for the Choral competition, the Sweepstakes award went to Helios of Sts. Constantine and Helen, Cardiff by the Sea.