two men at her sides. The dance is named after the kalines, the bride's girlfriends, who do this dance as they escort her to the church. Performed in Western Thrace. Kouseftos: derived from kousevo (to run in the Ancient Thracian language), performed, not in a circle, but in the form of a labyrinth Kouseftos, with its characteristic quick running steps, takes its name from the word kousevo in Ancient Thrace which means 'to run''. It differs from other Thracian dances in that, instead of being danced in a circle, its dance progression takes the form of a labyrinth. Performed in Western Thrace. Mandilatos (Mandra): a couples dance performed at weddings. Mandilatos is a couples' dance which takes its name from the mandilia or handkerchiefs that the dancers hold while dancing. This dance is done at weddings as the guests escort the bride or the best man to the church. During the procession, some guests hold a mirror which symbolizes the purity of the bride and others hold brooms which symbolize her housekeeping ability. This dance is performed in Western Thrace. A similar dance called "rachenitsa" (from "raka" - an arm) is performed in Northern Thrace. Stis tris: a slow but swift dance. Stis Tris means "in threes." Each dance set is composed of three parts of four steps each. The arms are held down and move in a synchronized motion with the steps. This dance is performed under different names in Northern Thrace and Western Thrace. Syngathistos: performed as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church during weddings. Syngathistos is a free style couples dance that is danced as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church. The bridal party also dances as they display and exchange gifts with the bride and groom, particularly gifts of handkerchiefs and head scarves. This dance is performed in Western Thrace. Xesyrtos: a circle dance with men performed at the front of the line. Xesyrtos is a circle dance in which the men dance at the front of the line, followed by the women, and do variations to the dance step with characteristic slaps, jumps, and kicks. This dance is performed in Western Thrace. Zonaradikos: a circle dance in which the participants (usually men) hold each other's belts. It is one of the primary dances of Western Thrace, where a variety of dance moves are performed. The