On Monday, March 10, the MANASIS School of Greek Dance and Culture will create another incredible milestone in its history, through its participation in the Moomba Festival Parade.
The unexplained void of any Greek representation in the parade has been decades-long (since 1994), and the opportunity to participate is credited to the MANASIS school’s commitment in reviving centuries-old traditions – namely the APOKRIES Carnival Season Processions, Ceremonial/Honorary Parades, and of course, Greek dance.
“We are humbled to have the privilege of representing the entire Greek Australian diaspora through our involvement, alongside countless other organisations, in what is planned to be a celebration of unity and cultural diversity,” MANASIS Director / Instructor, Dimosthenis Manasis, said.
The team will be led by a contingency of the mighty FROURA Hellenic Australian Honorary Guard – by MANASIS, followed by endless rows of dancers from the MANASIS School of Greek Dance and Culture in an exhibition of costumes, traditions, and dances.
Ultimately, the school has fused: 1) a customary traditional ‘parade’, complete with drummers and flag-bearers carrying all the representative regalia and insignias, 2) countless dancers in traditional costumes reflective of the various regions of Greece, and 3) the most traditional free-flowing ‘patinada’ (street/roving dance).
In addition to the parade, MANASIS will also be hosting an hour-long presentation at the ‘Dance Hub’ by the banks of the Yarra River for the Moomba Festival. This component will include countless performers showcasing dances from various regions of Greece, a workshop where participants will have the opportunity to learn steps to the famous Zorba, and a ‘glendi’ for all as the afterparty to the parade.
The festival is named after the belief that “moomba” is an Aboriginal word meaning “let’s get together and have fun.” The Moomba Parade in Melbourne has been held since 1955, attracts over 100,000 people annually, and the entire 2025 festival programme anticipates an estimated 1.4 million attendees.
For those unable to attend, the parade will be featured on Channels 9 and 9Now via delayed broadcast at 2:30pm.
“We anticipate a gleaming example of esoteric and exoteric unity. We hope to make everyone extremely proud and take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the City of Melbourne and the Moomba Festival Parade Creative team for their support and this honour,” Dimosthenis said.
Dimosthenis said he realises that through his school’s participation in the Moomba Parade, they are not simply representing their dance school, but have the high honour of representing the entire Greek Australian community. For this reason, Dimosthenis is extending the opportunity for participation to the wider Greek community. If interested, dancers, musicians and students from Melbourne’s various Greek language schools, cultural organisations, dance groups, and anyone else passionate about their culture is encouraged to contact the school at their earliest convenience.
