Athan Karras
Athan Karras | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 27, 1927 |
| Died | February 12, 2010 (aged 82) |
| Career | |
| Former groups | Greek National Theater Parthenon Dancers |
| Dances | Greek |
Athan Karras (September 27, 1927 – February 12, 2010) was a Greek-born American dancer, instructor and actor.[1]
Early life
[edit]Karras was born in Thessaloniki, Greece.[2] He came to the United States when he was about 12. He served in the United States Coast Guard.[3] After serving in the Coast Guard, he finished high school and studied theater and dance at New York University.[3] He eventually joined the National Theater of Greece[1] and the Parthenon Dancers, one of the premier Greek Folk Dance troops.[2]
Career
[edit]In the early 1960s, he founded the Intersection Folk Dance Center in Los Angeles.[4]
For 25 years, Karras taught Greek culture and dance at Loyola Marymount University.[1] He was the U.S. coordinator for Mazoxi, an annual Greek dance conference held on Crete.[4] He also appeared in about 20 films and television projects, staged a number of Greek-language plays in Los Angeles and produced folklore programs and events throughout North America.
Death
[edit]Karras died on February 12, 2010, at Providence Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, of complications from coronary artery bypass surgery.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "PASSINGS: Jim Bibby, 65; Athan Karras, 82". Los Angeles Times. February 18, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ a b IMDB Listing
- ^ a b "Maria Kotsafis, Interview with Athan Karras" published in The Charioteer: An Annual Review of Modern Greek Culture, Special Issue: The American Greek Experience, Pella Publishing Company, Inc., New York, New York, number 43, 2005, pages 29-39. ISSN 0577-5574
- ^ a b Anastasios Papapostolou (February 15, 2010). "Athan Karras Passes Away". Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
Sources
[edit]- "Athan Karras". Phantom Ranch.
- "Athan Karras". Hellenic Communication Service.
- "Dance pioneer was 'Zorba the Greek come to life'". Los Angeles Daily News.
External links
[edit]- Athan Karras at the Internet Broadway Database
- Athan Karras at IMDb
- Athan Karras papers, 1955-1963, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
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