User:Agapitou/Kalymniotikos (Dance of the Engineer)

The Kalymnian dance otherwise known as the Dance of the Mechanic is the most popular dance from Kalymnos.

The Dance of the Mechanic is often seen during festivities like weddings, baptisms, and traditional celebrations and remains a favourite among the Kalymnian people. It is a male-only dance since it captures the struggle of sponge divers, known as "mechanics". During the dance the mechanic appears to be partially paralyzed from decompression sickness, a common struggle of the islanders who in the start of the 20th century were unaware of the dangers and intricate techniques of deep sea diving.

The dance was first recorded 50 years ago, however it's route, the case of an old mechanic left paralyzed can be traced to the end of the previous century. It is then when the first cases of divers left paralyzed from decompression sickness were observed. Those first cases of paralyzed mechanics were also known as "the sore ones" as they were referred to by the islanders. In the story presented in the dance the old mechanic's feet and hands shake and he collapses succumbing to his symptoms. It is then that the music shifts to encapsulate the strength and persistence of the diving men and the rest of the dancers along with the mechanic who has now regained his strength dance.