Athan Karras (September 27, 1927 – February 12, 2010) was a Greek-born American dancer, instructor and actor.[1]

Athan Karras
Born(1927-09-27)September 27, 1927
DiedFebruary 12, 2010(2010-02-12) (aged 82)
Career
Former groupsGreek National Theater
Parthenon Dancers
DancesGreek

Early life

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Karras was born in Thessaloniki, Greece.[2] He came to the United States when he was about 12. He served in the United States Coast Guard.[3] After serving in the Coast Guard, he finished high school and studied theater and dance at New York University.[3] He eventually joined the National Theater of Greece[1] and the Parthenon Dancers, one of the premier Greek Folk Dance troops.[2]

Career

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In the early 1960s, he founded the Intersection Folk Dance Center in Los Angeles.[4]

For 25 years, Karras taught Greek culture and dance at Loyola Marymount University.[1] He was the U.S. coordinator for Mazoxi, an annual Greek dance conference held on Crete.[4] He also appeared in about 20 films and television projects, staged a number of Greek-language plays in Los Angeles and produced folklore programs and events throughout North America.

Death

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Karras died on February 12, 2010, at Providence Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, of complications from coronary artery bypass surgery.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "PASSINGS: Jim Bibby, 65; Athan Karras, 82". Los Angeles Times. February 18, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  2. ^ a b IMDB Listing
  3. ^ a b "Maria Kotsafis, Interview with Athan Karras" published in The Charioteer: An Annual Review of Modern Greek Culture, Special Issue: The American Greek Experience, Pella Publishing Company, Inc., New York, New York, number 43, 2005, pages 29-39. ISSN 0577-5574
  4. ^ a b Anastasios Papapostolou (February 15, 2010). "Athan Karras Passes Away". Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.

Sources

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