Greek perspectives on the intangible cultural heritage of dance

According to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), performing arts, and social practices, rituals and festive events are included among the five ICH domains. The paper examines the Greek situation of these domains identifying what is done in terms of identification, record/inventory, conservation, preservation, dissemination, protection and international cooperation, and by who, looking at three perspectives, state policy, private sector and practice. It is shown that these perspectives are different to each other presenting low level or even absence of communication. Yet, from an inside point of view, the Greek perspectives reveal the "performance" of politics in Greece in terms of its dance, rituals and festive events intangible cultural heritage.