The weekend of February 16 – 19, 2012 brought together nearly 4,000 dancers, singers, family, friends and spectators in Anaheim, California for the 36th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival sponsored by the Metropolis of San Francisco. Thirty-two parishes from the Metropolis were represented, forming 93 groups which participated in the festivities for the weekend. FDF is under the leadership of Metropolitan Gerasimos, Executive Chairman; and Rev. Fr. Gary Kyriacou, Chairman of the Board; with active participation from the Board of Trustees along with the support of the Management Team under the leadership of the 2012 Managing Director, Nicholas Metrakos.
The traditional Opening Ceremonies began with a parade of all the groups carrying the flags and banners for their parishes, followed by an Agiasmos service led by Metropolitan Gerasimos. At the conclusion of Opening Ceremonies, the FDF participants and their families were surprised with a Skype greeting from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Archbishop Demetrios of America arrived at FDF on Friday and enjoyed two full days of competition, watching attentively as the dancers from varying age groups performed to the very best of their ability. A variety of workshops were offered which the dancers attended throughout the weekend which provided FDF participants the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the Orthodox faith, discussing contemporary topics, learning about living an Orthodox Christian life amidst a secular society, and emphasizing this year’s FDF theme, “Believe”.
The second annual Greeks Got Talent competition was held on Friday evening and featured eight presentations which included guitar, violin and clarinet solos, vocal music ranging from musical theatre to opera, and hip hop dance. Among the judges panel were two distinguished guests from Greece: Yiorgos Lianos, Musician, TV Host, and Fame Story Contestant; and Vangelis Giannopoulos, Music Producer and Talent Manager. The winner for the evening was 18-year old Angelica Whaley from the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Sacramento, CA, who performed the Puccini aria “O Mio Babbino Caro”.
In addition to all the FDF festivities, the Metropolis Philoptochos Board and Metropolis Church Music Federation each held their Winter Board Meetings at which Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Gerasimos briefly participated. On Saturday evening, a gala dinner was sponsored in honor of the Archbishop by the Archons of the Metropolis of San Francisco with nearly 150 people in attendance. A special presentation on the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Religious Freedom initiatives of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle was offered by Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander.
At the Awards Ceremony, Archbishop Demetrios commented on how overwhelmed he was with the weekend, especially the enthusiasm, commitment and energy of the dancers, singers and their families. This was his Eminence’s third visit to FDF and each time he leaves with a renewed excitement for this ministry, and remarked that on several occasions he has used FDF as an example of a thriving youth ministry that needs our continued support and cultivation for the preservation of our faith and culture.
A full list of winners, along with photos and videos from FDF 2012 can be found online at: www.yourfdf.org.
