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City may import dancers, divers
By KATHERINE GAZELLA
© St. Petersburg Times, TARPON SPRINGS -- Sponge divers and dancers from Greece soon could be on their way to Tarpon Springs, thanks in part to two grants from the state.
One grant would allow the city to bring a dancing troupe from its sister city, the island of Kalymnos in Greece, during Epiphany celebrations. The other would pay for some expenses of four Greek spongers, who would spend a year in the city and teach the trade to local residents. The grant for the dancers would pay for the Lyceum of Kalymnos to come to Tarpon Springs next January and to dance during several Epiphany events. The spongers, including some divers, also would come from Kalymnos. The grant would pay for liability insurance, immigration costs and housing, said Kathy Monahan, the city's cultural affairs administrator. "The whole idea is that we want to preserve the traditions that are unique to this community," she said. Those who are trying to bring spongers to the city said the effort isn't a slight to spongers who live in Tarpon Springs. Several people in the city are good, established spongers, Monahan said, but most of them don't have time to train younger divers. "They're busy going out to get sponge themselves," she said. George Billiris, a local sponge merchant, said that bringing in divers and other crew members from Greece will help revitalize the city's sponge industry. The best way to revive sponge diving in the city, he said, is to have experienced people teach the trade to young people. "You need to stop losing the industry, and this is the turnaround," Billiris said. Some local captains and sponge merchants have complained in recent years that they can't attract enough divers and other crew members to fill their boats. In the old days, it was a rite of passage for the city's young men to go on a sponging boat and learn the trade from their fathers, many of whom were Greek immigrants. But today, most opt for other lines of work instead of going out on boats to do physically exhausting labor that involves long hours and few benefits. The grants have been approved by the Florida Arts Council, which recommended that Harris sign off on the allocations. The dance group would come to Tarpon Springs during early January. The spongers would come as soon as their immigration could be arranged, Monahan said. Monahan said the grants are an exciting way for the city to preserve its Greek heritage. The Greek spongers would work with local residents, and the dancers would teach middle school students Greek folk dances, she said. "You have to hold onto traditions in the face of continual bombardment of pop culture," she said. - Staff writer Katherine Gazella can be reached at (727) 445-4182.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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