About KEFI at Mile High
Grounded by Faith, United in Dance, Alive in KEFI.
The mission of KEFI at Mile High is to ground youth and young adults in the Greek Orthodox Faith, empowering them to preserve, celebrate, and pass on their Hellenic heritage through Greek folk dance, cultural education, and lifelong fellowship.
Our dances are more than steps. They tell the story of who we are.
KEFI at Mile High brings youth, young adults, families, dance directors, and Greek folk dance enthusiasts together to learn, connect, and celebrate our shared Hellenic heritage through dance, music, education, and fellowship.
Created for the communities of the Mountain West and surrounding states, KEFI provides an opportunity for dancers from across the Denver Metropolis, including Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and beyond to experience high-quality Greek folk dance instruction closer to home.
At the heart of KEFI is a simple idea: our dances are more than steps. They are stories, traditions, and connections to the generations that came before us.
Through immersive workshops led by accomplished instructors, participants learn traditional dances from regions throughout Greece while gaining a deeper understanding of the music, history, customs, and culture that give those dances meaning.
And because KEFI is not a competition, the emphasis is on worship, learning, participation, friendship, and inspiration.
Learn. Connect. Celebrate.
KEFI at Mile High is designed to create an experience that goes beyond the dance floor.
Throughout the weekend, participants have opportunities to meet dancers from other communities, exchange ideas, build friendships, learn from respected instructors and cultural experts, and then come together at our Greek Glendi to put that kefi into action—with live Greek music, food, dancing, and fellowship.
Our hope is that dancers leave the weekend not only knowing more dances, but feeling a stronger connection to their Hellenic roots, their faith, their community, and one another.
KEFI Forum: Connecting Our Community to the Future of Greek Folk Dance
Education is an important part of the KEFI experience.
The KEFI Forum gives dancers, parents, directors, clergy, and community leaders an opportunity to learn about the growing Greek folk dance movement throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Participants will be introduced to the newly established National Greek Folk Dance and Cultural Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and learn about its vision for strengthening parish life and preserving Hellenic culture through faith-centered cultural expression. The national ministry is a new Archdiocesan initiative focused on helping communities establish, strengthen, and sustain Greek folk dance programs.
The Forum will also introduce families and dance directors to two of the country's established Greek Orthodox dance programs: the Hellenic Dance Festival (HDF) and Folk Dance & Choral Festival (FDF).
A Bridge to HDF & FDF
KEFI at Mile High complements the extraordinary work already being done through HDF and FDF.
Hellenic Dance Festival (HDF) brings Orthodox families together through dance, music, and fellowship, with a mission of developing appreciation for Orthodox tradition and Hellenic culture and inspiring youth and young adults. Its programming includes competition as well as educational workshops and its HDForum series.
Folk Dance & Choral Festival (FDF), a ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, similarly uses folk dance, music, language, fellowship, and service to promote and perpetuate Orthodox faith and Greek heritage.
Rizes HDF is a ministry of the Denver Metropolis which includes competition as well as educational workshops and fellowship in Fort Worth, TX.
KEFI offers something intentionally different.
There are no scores, trophies, or competition at KEFI at Mile High. Instead, KEFI gives dancers an opportunity to learn in a welcoming environment and gives communities access to resources, instructors, and relationships that can help strengthen their own local dance ministries.
For dancers and communities interested in taking the next step, KEFI can also provide the inspiration and connections to form competition groups and participate in HDF or FDF.
For everyone else, there is no next step required.
Come to learn. Come to dance. Come to make friends. Come to celebrate where we come from.
Why KEFI Matters
Every dance learned is another tradition carried forward.
Every friendship formed strengthens the bonds between our communities.
Every young person who becomes curious about the village, island, region, music, costume, or story behind a dance develops a deeper connection to his or her Hellenic heritage.
That is what KEFI at Mile High is about.
Learn the dances. Know the traditions. Build the friendships. Pass it on.
Dean Avdalas
Dean Avdalas has been a dancer and dance instructor in the Greek community of the Bay Area for over 30 years. His passion and love for Greek culture has led him to develop exemplary skills as a dancer, director, choreographer, and researcher. His main areas of research and interest include Epiros, Sarakatsan villages, and Megalo Monastiri (refugees residing in Neo Monastiri, Domokou, Thessalia).
Dean has presented groundbreaking work with the Albanian border villages of Northern Epiros and the customs of the Dodekaimerou in Neo Monastiri. He has amassed a vast collection of field research and music from all areas of Greece.
He served as judge at the Hellenic Dance Festival in the Metropolis of Atlanta since 2011 and at the Greek Orthodox dance festival FDF in the Metropolis of San Francisco (2013). His greatest source of inspiration and drive for Greek dance excellence and preservation are his mother and father (may their memories be eternal).
Dr. Christos Papakostas
Dr. Christos Papakostas is a Professor in the Department of Primary Education at the University of Ioannina, specializing in Folklore and Greek Traditional Dance. From 2014 to 2021, he served as Assistant Professor on the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he taught Greek Traditional Dance.
He holds a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science with a specialization in Greek Traditional Dance from Democritus University of Thrace and a PhD from the University of Thessaly. Alongside his academic work, he has extensive experience teaching Greek folk dance and traditional percussion in educational and community contexts and with numerous dance groups. Christos has served as a judge at the Metropolis of Atlanta’s Hellenic Dance Festival and the Metropolis of San Francisco’s Folk Dance Festival.
His research focuses on dance anthropology, music, folklore, and cultural identity. Among his publications, he co-edited Ethnochoreographies (with Rena Loutzaki, 2022, Disigma Publications) and Dancing Cultures: Globalization, Tourism and Identity in the Anthropology of Dance (with Nikos Poulakis, 2019).
Stacie Zambas Perloulas
Stacie Zambas Peroulas is a cultural educator who, for 20 years, led the Greek folk dance program in Charlotte, N.C., one of the largest outside of Greece. Having held various roles for the Hellenic Dance Festival since 2003, she has served as its Director of Competition since 2016. Stacie conceptualized the HDForum Series in 2020, an educational supplement to the HDF event weekend. Since then, she has developed and moderated over a dozen live and virtual seminars in collaboration with experts from both Greece and the U.S. Stacie continues to teach locally and in workshops across the country. She received the Metropolitan’s Choice Archangel Michael Award in 2024 for her dedication to the Hellenic Dance Festival Program. In 2025, she was invited to serve on the National Advisory Board for the newly established Greek Folk Dance and Cultural Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, for which she is currently developing educational resources and program support for organizations across the United States.
Stavros Karagiorgis
Stavros Karagiorgis is a Winston-Salem, NC native where he’s been actively involved in the local dance program and instrumental in its growth and success. Stavros has taught groups of all ages and continues to teach various Greek folk dance workshops throughout the US and Canada. He has served HDF in various capacities for more than 15 years and has served as chairman of the HDF Management Team since 2016. Stavros has been instrumental in expanding and planning the HDF Odyssey Travel Program and received the Metropolitan’s Choice Archangel Michael Award in 2024 for his dedication to the Hellenic Dance Festival Program.