Minoan Dancers

Our instructors

Women's Greek Dance Symposium • September 26, 2026

Maria Fakaros Woods • Epiros Instructor

A lifelong lover of Greek dance and folk music, Maria began directing at the age of 15 at her home parish of Ascension Cathedral in Oakland. She has directed legendary groups like Elliniki Paradosis and Titanes and currently directs Anagenesis and I Epanenosi.

Maria is of Arcadiko and Ikariotiko descent and has a special love for the dances of Florina, Macedonia and all things Epirus. She has learned from incredible mentors through the years and especially wants to thank Danny Staveris for lovingly sharing his knowledge and partnering with her in many projects. Maria is honored to share her love of the Epirus dances and the distinct style of their female dancers.

In “real life”, Maria is a wife, mother to three daughters, works as an OBGYN in the East Bay and is an active member of the Ascension Community.

Sofia Efstratiou • Macedonian Instructor

Sofia Efstratiou has been dedicated to Greek dance since childhood and has directed multiple dance troupes over her 25+ year career. She began as both a dancer and director at St. Nicholas Parish in San Jose, California, where she continues to mentor and advise dance directors.

Sofia spent many years living in Greece, immersing herself in the study of Greek dance and culture. She attended numerous cultural gatherings and seminars across the country and performed with the Lyngistes Dance Troupe in Athens and Florina. Her time in Greece enabled her to conduct in-depth research across a wide range of regions and villages, including Western and Eastern Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, the Peloponnese, and various islands—deepening her understanding of regional styles, traditions, and musical influences.

She has conducted extensive study on the dance, music, customs, traditions, and dress of many regions of Greece, with a particular focus on Western Macedonia and the Florina region. Her published article, “A Journey Through Agios Germanos,” highlights her exploration of the Florina highlands through culture, dance, and traditional dress. Through her continued research and teaching, Sofia remains committed to preserving and sharing the richness of Greek heritage through dance in the United States.

One of the greatest lessons her research has taught her is humility. The deeper she explores these traditions, the more she realizes how much there is still to learn. Every village, family, and celebration reveals new layers of history and meaning—fueling her continued passion for learning, teaching, and preserving Greek culture. She remains a lifelong student of these traditions, inspired by the endless journey of discovery.

Nena Kyriklidou • Pontian Instructor

Raised in a Pontian Greek family in Greece, I was surrounded by the music, traditions, and stories that make Greek culture so enduring. From this, I learned that the best way to keep our stories alive is to live them.

I began studying Greek folk dance in elementary school, learning the dances of Pontos, Roumlouki, and many other regions. From an early age, I discovered that every dance carries the history, values, and identity of the people who created it, connecting us to the past and inspiring us for the future.

For the past ten years, I have participated in the Folk Dance Festival as both a dancer and director. These experiences have fueled my passion for preserving the authenticity of our traditions while inspiring others to connect with the deeper meaning behind the movements.

My mission is not only to teach the steps, but to share the stories, customs, and cultural richness that give them life—ensuring that Greece’s heritage continues to be celebrated, understood, and passed on with pride for generations to come.

Effie Fourakis • Cretan Instructor

I’ve been dancing most of my life, since my early Greek school days at Holy Trinity church in San Francisco. When I was in high school I joined the dance group at Nativity of Christ, the Alkmini Greek Dance Ensemble, and we were one of the four parishes to attend the first FDF in San Diego in 1976. I met my husband Vasilis in 1981 when he joined the dance group after moving to California from Athens to attend college, and we married in 1984. When Mrs. Alkmini retired the community asked us to continue the Greek dance tradition at Nativity and we founded the Minoan Dancers. This year we are celebrating the Minoans’ 40th anniversary.

While my passion is Greek dance, my formal education is in the sciences. I have a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in public health, both from UC Berkeley. I worked 25 years as an environmental health consultant evaluating toxic air emissions and toxic waste sites, before a career change in 2012 when we opened our Greek bakery in San Rafael, Glyka Sweets.

Vasilis and I teach dancers of all ages, from elementary school to adult. Over the course of 40 years we have taught over 300 dancers, brought groups to 37 FDF’s, received almost 100 awards including four Sweepstakes awards, mentored 10 young directors and led 4 performing tours to Greece. We have researched, taught and presented dances from Thrace, Epiros, Thessaly, Macedonia, Pontos, Naxos, Andros, Kos, Karpathos, Kasos and Crete.

Our teaching style has always centered around being able to connect with our dancers on different levels, to excite them about the dances and the culture. We teach the meaning of dances and cultural traditions of the different regions of Greece by relating stories and enacting them in our performances.

We have three children who grew up dancing and continue to dance, sons Achilleas and Odysseas, and daughter Elektra who now dances with the angels 💔

Daphne Cummings • Choral Instructor

Raised in the Greek Orthodox faith, I grew up in Orthodox communities in Charleston, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina, where I attended Greek School, participated in Greek dance groups, and developed a lifelong love for Hellenic culture and music.

My mother is from Ioannina, Greece, and I was fortunate to spend every summer of my childhood in Greece, deepening my connection to the language, traditions, and musical heritage of our community.

I earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and spent several years performing and teaching music both in the United States and abroad, including in South Korea and China. After meeting my husband in South Korea, we settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we are raising our two daughters. I later earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Sonoma State University, where my thesis focused on using music as a tool to teach self-regulation in young children.

Today, I continue to perform throughout Sonoma County, appearing in productions such as She Loves Me, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, and The Holiday Songbook. At Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church, I teach hymns to our Sunday School students each Sunday before they head to their classrooms, helping them build confidence and connection through the music of our faith. I have also had the privilege of supporting the Minoans II dance group by teaching vocal technique and traditional Greek songs for FDF competitions. In preparation for their Thrace suite, the dancers worked diligently to learn and perform the songs with authentic village pronunciation and style, helping the group earn Best Choral Award in 2023 and 2026. I also directed the Minoan Singers, who won First Place in Choral Division II in 2024.

I am passionate about preserving and sharing the rich vocal traditions of Greece and the Orthodox Church and am honored to share that passion at this year’s Greek Women’s Symposium.

MINOAN DANCERS