Danny Staveris

Greek Dance

Danny Staveris was born in Lodi, California, and began Greek dancing at the age of five. His first performance took place at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, where his mother made him a traditional foustanella. Although he initially protested wearing what he thought looked like a dress, the costume famously fell off during the performance. When his mother rushed to help him, Danny insisted on continuing the dance and proudly remained on stage—an early sign of his dedication to Greek folk dance.

As a young adult, Danny began researching traditional Greek dance more deeply, eventually attending a dance symposium in Greece that helped shape his lifelong commitment to the study and preservation of authentic village dance traditions.

Since the early 2000s, Danny has earned more than 70 medals, including four sweepstakes awards, through his work with Greek dance competitions and performances.

Danny attended his first Folk Dance Festival (FDF) in 1980 and began directing dance in 1991 under the mentorship of Paul Ginis. Over the decades, he has conducted extensive research focused on the dance traditions of Kefalonia, the Dodecanese Islands, Epirus, Sarakatsan communities, and many regions of mainland Greece.

Since 1991, he has taught Greek dance throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, Marin County, and San Francisco. Danny has collaborated with many respected dance scholars, instructors, and musicians from regions across Greece, always emphasizing authentic village style and the spirit of traditional panigyri dancing.

In addition to working with competitive dance groups, Danny has taught Greek dance to people of all ages—from elementary school students to adults and seniors—sharing his knowledge and passion for Greek culture with generations of dancers.

He continues to teach, research, and promote authentic Greek folk dance traditions today.