Images of our youth and you dancing in the old Psarades and Paros discos, back in the late 70s and early 80s, will be forever etched in my memory. When you got up to dance, everyone else cleared the dance floor to sit and watch. You danced in those places in the same way you danced through your brief life...with honor, dignity, elegance, splendor, and grace. Within your soul you carried the riches of God, and were always a warm and royal-hearted man.
On the October night that I talked last with you, I somehow sensed it would be our last meeting. I am grateful to God for bringing us together that night to share old memories, to laugh, and to drink one final toast before your journey home.
I, and those of us who loved you, shall console ourselves with the assurance that now you are eternal in the heavens, amongst the angels...and more likely than not, teaching them all the Syrtaki or Zeybekiko. Opa, Vassili!
With love, tender affection, and fond rememberance,
Nick Kossoudji (Nick's Hamburgers)
Cincinnati, Ohio U.S

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I had been fanticizing recently about going back to Paros and introducing my children to Vassilis. He was so identified in my mind with Greece, and Paros in particular, that I find it hard to imagine him no longer there. I first met Vassilis in 1971; I was visiting my sister Erika who was dancing on Paros. That was the first of several summers we visited--we came back with our other sister Laura and various boyfriends and friends. And Vassilis would always generously open his house or his store to us. One summer we stayed in his shop, bedding down each night on the piles of antique clothes. He took us dancing to discos, introduced us to his friends, ran interference with the guardian of the public toilet. Eventually Vassilis came to the US; he and Erika married. Although I did see him here, it is in Greece surrounded by the whitewashed houses and streets of PAros that I remember him, a devilish sense of humor and a wicked gleam in his eye. "I am Vassilis" he would announce and that is how I remember him--a Zorba figure, larger than life.
Lisa Berland

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I met Vassilis 20 years ago in 1983. We had some great times together and I considered him my best friend on Paros. I miss him so much. It has been very difficult to put together some words and photos from our past. Vassilis visited Monica and me in Florida several years ago. We had dinner at a greek restaurant and Vassilis got up and danced for everyone. We had 30 people there to see him and he proceeded to take us on a magical journey grabbing me by the hand and everyone else in the restaurant and danced us out the door and around the square in St. Augustine. The next evening Vassilis myself and Monica watched the space shuttle go off at midnight from the beach. It was spectacular and we danced for joy. Six years ago we traveled to Lesvos to see Vassilis and his home in Mandamathos. We had a wonderful time. This past summer we returned to Paros and spent two weeks with Vassilis. Somehow I just did not believe that this was the last time we would see him. So wh! en I heard the news he was no longer with us it was a shock. This is my third good friend who has died from brain cancer. As I returned from Paros this summer a friend died who I had been helping fight brain cancer for 2 years. I have many photos of Vassilis and built a web site for him 5 years ago. This summer I took him several times to his favorite swimming place - Voutakos. He was so happy to be able to swim there again. I am sending along a photo from our last time together. We visited Stelios and Monique, and this photo is a combination of two pictures from that day.
Dinos

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The year was 1973, it was a freezing, cold, damp, windy winters day. Vassili, always being generous, extended an invitation to my sister and I, to his home during the afternoon hours. We sat there, philosophized, "solved the world's problems", talked about everything under the sun, drank mountain tea, laughed, debated, cried, ribs sometimes aching so much we cried from the pain! We listened to Roberta Flack, "The First Time, Ever I Saw Your Face") for about 4 hours, over and over, then blues, then Greek music. The afternoon turned into evening, I will NEVER forget that day. That was the day I really got to know Vassili and the day itself, was just "one of those great days" you have in your life. He was an old, old soul and yet so VERY MUCH ahead of his time...may the earth rest gently upon you Vassili. I will look out tonight, for surely the stars will be dancing... gia sou Vassili
Susanna

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In the back in the summer of 2002, the cafe next door to my shop in the Kastro had a musician playing traditional tunes on an accordion. Vassilis passed by and gave me an impromptu lesson in zebekiko dancing. I knew that I was watching a master as he effortlessly and elegantly moved around the little shop. His delight in his craft was contagious and this is a memory I will treasure forever.
Lornie Caplan

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Dear All, I cannot believe that Vassili is no longer with us! I can only hope that his ending was a peaceful one. We will always treasure the times we spent together on Paros. He will still be dancing wherever he is.
Yours truly, Jane, Kamal and Talah Kaddourah (London)

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I will always have the vision of Vassilis dancing in the courtyard of my godfather's restaurant (then Climatoria, now Levantis).
It was quite spontaneous, he leapt up and danced until we were spellbound with his energy, most of us longing to be him. He had a different way of communicating, a quirky sense of humour and would always do the opposite of what you expected.
Paros has changed so much in the last twenty years, the characters of my childhood have faded away into new bars, buildings, mobile phones and "Progress." I feel lucky to have known Vassilis, his dynamism, his passion and his refusal to be governed by anything other than his own inner mental compass.
Emma Russell

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Dear Vassilis,
Dear Oregano, thank you very much for all the time we could spend together:
sitting in front of your shop, talking; having dinner at your place, under
the olive trees; beeing your guests on Lesvos; having breakfast by Lindt
& Sprüngli; and of corse all the dances we had together, in Paros, Lesvos
and Helvetia. And thank you very much for teaching your brother dyonissos and me greek
dancing. What a gift! Kalo taxidi, with all the waves, colores, aromas, dreams and hopes. Centrumaki,
colores

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Dear Ones,
After hearing the news of our friend Vassilis passing away, I have informed our teacher here to do some prayers while we lit 100 candles this evening in front of our alter in memory of him.
We pray for his mind/soul to have a peaceful journey into the next life, while the fond memories of his grace and joyfulness during his life, remain with us forever.
I am going to show the video that I took of his dance class's in Karuna, (while I was there in spring of 2000.) to our resident monks and nuns here as to introduce his joyful personality, and which will also help to put an image to the name of the person that we pray for.
May all his heartfelt wishes be fulfilled in whatever existence he may be going to.
Much Love and Prayers to every one, Mikhalis :)

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Vassili's smile is missing to me each time I go back home. His shop stays always opposite to my home to remeber me his simplicity and his benevolence.
Kostas Passos

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For more than 14 years Vassilis was the teacher of "Greek Dance and Mythology" for the German company "SKR Bonn". All the workshops he had done in Greece and Germany, he always did it in a special, personal manner of teaching. Everytime it was more than only learning steps. At the end the people were swinging like waves in the ocean, feeling the nature and dance for the goddess. The most place he loved was the real special place "Eftalou" on his island Lesvos. This summer he came back for some greek dance lessons, and he forgot his pain. This wonderful music and his small steps while dancing was a celebration of dance without one word. And at the end he only said:" Nehmt den Tanz mit auf die Reise". He knew, that he was standing on the begin of another journey and now he will dance with the goddness, the angels and the stars on heaven. Thank you Vassilis for the time you spent with us. So you give us an idea how wonderful dance is - to be in the harmony with earth and heaven - Good by dancer and friend, we will see you dance with Aphrodite and Sappho and we will miss you in Eftalou, the place you loved so much.
The SKR Team Luise Müller and your students

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Nach dem letzten Schritt
auf dieser Erde ging er auf
die große Reise.
Wir sehen ihn,
der sich Tanz-Nomade nannte,
unendlich tanzen in
der anderen Welt.
with love to vassilis from all his friends from "Evangelische Akademie Bad Boll"
Marliese Dieckmann

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40 days after his burial we had a wonderful celebration for Vassilis in the church in Athens with his family and also friends. We read all the letters and e-mails from Paros. The family was very thankful to see, how many people love the dancer, brother and friend and all of them miss him so much. There is only one Vassilis. He was laughing when I called him in the last year VIP from Mandamados. But I will never forget the festival in Mandamados/Lesvos 2002, when he jumped sponaniously up to the stage and celebrate the Zeimbekiko dance for the people of his village, light as air, like an eagle, so concentrated, so full of energy and harmony with himself - that was a gift for all of us!
Thank you Vassilis, VIP of Mandamados
Regina

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Er
tanzt federleicht
für alle Menschen
den Tanz des Lebens
allein
with love to the dancer Vassilis who celebrated the wonderful greek nights in our village Argenos for all the people - dancing like the old times on his island Lesvos with never ending steps - you call her "kore from Lesvos"
Regina Laboch

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Just after the fall of the military junta in 1974, my family and I arrived on one of the last boats to Paros before they were commandeered as hospital ships for Cyprus. Being stranded in what was then a foreign country to me was quite overwhelming.
But there was Vassilis. Crowding the whole family into his tiny shop on the market street each afternoon, we listened to the BBC World Service to find out what was going on.
That was the beginning of a long mutual adoration society. Vassilis made the wedding video for my sister when she married on Paros. We danced together in Psarades, Vassilis choreographing new steps to old dances to show what Greek dancing was all about.
For many years Vassilis remained a friend and confidant and will always hold a place in my heart.
Hard as it was for me to leave Paros in 1991 after so many years, there are people who will always be family – Vassilis was one of them. I am sad the world has lost such a shining individual but grateful that he was part of my life.
Caroline Caiger

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In 1987, my husband, Patrick, and I were married on Paros. Vassilis kindly offered to do the video of our wedding day. For our first dance as man and wife, we did a waltz we had learned in ballroom dancing classes. Vassilis had never seen that kind of dancing before and was so entranced that he forgot to have the camera rolling!
But this accidental omission was more than compensated for when Vassilis performed for us. My brother quickly grabbed the camera and so, in the years to come, we will be able to watch Vassilis dance again and again.
And he will dance in our hearts always,
Susan Healey
Canada

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Vassilis zeigte uns nach einer für uns sehr schweren Zeit ,seine Lieblingsplätze auf Lesbos,die ersten Schritte zu tanzen, seine Liebe zur Natur und den Sternen. Nie werden wir seine kindliche Freude uns Aufgeregheit vergessen , als wir mit ihm die Mondfinsternis auf Naxos erlebten. "Das ganze Leben ist ein Tanz", sagte er oft. Wir sind dankbar ihn gekannt zu haben und  traurig , dass  er gehen musste!
Barbara und Kurt

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In memory of Vassilis-the-Friend
Are you Vassilis-the-Dancer ? - thus I had asked you when we met for the first time, on the island of Lesbos.
Your answer: Yes, so it is - and it would be nice to see you on Sunday night at Eftalou, joining us for dancing.
I went there, and that evening appeared to be the starting-point of our deep-felt friendship for years.
Slowly, there was developing a big mutual understanding between us, on an unconscious and obscure level.
Vassilis, you have been ranging amongst my few closest and best friends. I think it is a privilege that we - you and me - have met on our dancing paths through our life. I shall keep on having great respect for you as a lovable and marvellous fellow, with your kind heart, your thoughtfulness, your generosity, your grievances. And I am aware that you have been a gifted member of mankind, connected in a rather seldom way to the miracles, the mysteries and the beauties of our planet and of the universe.
You have shared parts of your personal identity, by talking about your roots, by showing your love and respect for the island of Lesbos, by introducing your friends and visiting with them, by setting free your feelings in touching or dull moments.
Together, we were dancing, moving, staying at places - magical, charming, full of power and inspiring -, having fun, playing, swimming, hiking, chatting, talking, cooking, eating, contemplating, meeting people, watching sunrise and sunset, or the full moon creeping up from the horizon where the sky and the Aegean Sea touch each other, feeling the wind whispering in the olive trees, inhaling the smell of laurel and oregano, sipping the pure water in the nymphs' valley, listening to the nightingales at midnight.
One of your messages, sent to me some time ago, reads:
Let us pray for the life to dance with us - thanks to life.
The waves - TA KYMATA - of the Aegean sea, while caressing, gently or roughly at times, the shores of Lesbos, place of power, will tell about and remember eternally Vassilis-the-Friend, the dancer from Lesbos.
TO KYMA

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I remember Vassili from the many many summers I have spent   in Paros. Ofcourse the yellow bicycle outside of his shop became as famous as the "Bookends" ~ the twin  rocks on the way in to Parikia the  Port of Paros. I wonder if anyone has that photo of Vassili resting in among a vast collection of plastic bottles ? He was always one of the friendly faces that I looked forward to seeing when I returned to Paros ~ things will not be the same without him.  Sadly this summer was the first time that I failed to see him in Paroikia as I was staying for the first time out of the   town, certainly I called at the shop to find it closed each time, I assumed that he was in Lesvos as he often had been in previous years.  I see a message from Dino and Monica who I knew well in years past... I know Vassili would often speak of them to me.
Liza

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Cristallclear night with thousands of stars
Salazar
sometimes noisy windy blackblue
fires warming in the winter
early morning orange sunrises
dancing and singing together with Vassilis and other people up high in the old stone circles
so alive in the old ruins of Lempetimnos
between the aged olivetrees.
Through my work with Vassilis I feel so enriched by the incredibly beautiful nature of Lesbos which became unique through the way Vassilis loved and honoured all these places.His feet always dancing gently on every spot, the earth smiling when she was touched by his dances.Time allowed to be so slow...
Thank you, Vassilis, for all this that you gave to me and which will be continuing in my own work and life.
FASKOMILIA

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I did not know Vassilis other than a few exchanges of emails.  He was so kind and thoughtful in so many ways.  Because of our same last names "Yakoumis", I contacted him via email to see how we might be related.  Neither of us had a clue but I'm sure somewhere in time our bloods crossed.  He will be missed and I am sorry that I didn't get to know him better and visit the country of my heritage.  He had  such tremendous talent.  God Bless.
Candace Yakoumis Rayfield

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My father was Angelo Yakoumis and my uncle Vassili Yakoumis.  They came to America in about 1929 from a Greek Island. There were members of the family still in Greece. Vassillis looks very much like my father who also loved to dance and enjoy life to the fullest.  I would be interested in pursuing information to determine whether I am related. My name is Gertrude        because my mother was German my middle name is Katherina and my maiden name Yakoumis. My brother is William which is English for Vassilis I think.  Vassilis also appears to resemble my brother.
Trudy Dickinson

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When I first came to Naxos, I spent my holidays in "Orkos", 17 km out of the town, in a beautiful calm place at the sea.
Here was Vassilis, teaching greek traditional dance. Two weeks we enjoyed every day in the aftternoon dancing wit him during sunset. It was such a peaceful time with him and he was so happy to introduce his beloved greek "Xopos". He was a person completely intigrated in nature, living a simple, natural life. His special humor his open mind and heart went deep in our hearts.

Three weeks before he died he spent one week in our house in Naxos. We lived together in such harmony, he enjoyed so much staying with us. And we were happy take care of him in the last days of his life. We are thankful for this time and will never forget him and his special personality.
Farewell VASSILI......
Senta and Niko from Engares.

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Erinnerung an Vassilis,
Vor 18 Jahren (1986) durften wir ihn bei einem Rucksack-Trip über die Inseln kennenlernen, da waren wir 17 und 20 Jahre alt. Sein Humor und Charme war uns sehr sympathisch, er lud uns gleich ein vor seinem shop sitzen zu bleiben, da§ taten wir dann auch öfters. Wir hatten viel Spaß damals. Beim workshop in Bonn meldete er sich noch bei uns, es gibt Menschen die man nicht vergisst
Judith und Bine aus Köln

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You may send your contribution to this tribute to vassilis@parosweb.com

To contact any of the above friends of Vassilis, please contact us at the same e-mail address.