Pentozális

From the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, Crete, this very popular dance is some time preceded by a slow, less-popular Siganós. As with traditional Greek dances, there is a basic step and variations. However, the pentozális seems to be an overachiever in the number of variations out there. Because the basic step and variations (show-off moves) are done in place, there is a basic+ traveling step too.

Dick Oakes’ take on Pentozáli

The men of the Greek islands, such as Crete, often became sailors in the Greek and
Byzantine navies, necessitating practicing fast and tricky footwork that might be
required on the pitching deck of a ship. Pentozalis was originally a warlike dance
used to test men’s agility. In western Crete, Pentozalis (also spelled Pentozales or
Pendozalis) is often preceded by a Siganos (slow) Pentozalis in which the dancers,
holding hands, sing as they dance two step-swings forward and two step-swings
backward as the line moves slowly to the right. Pentozalis, with its small, rapid foot
movements and leaps, is one of the most characteristic and most popular dances of
Crete, its island of origin. The “five steps” of the dance refer to the five “dizzying”
movements: 1) forward, 2) backward, 3) left, 4) right, 5) up.

https://www.socalfolkdance.org/dances/P/Pentozalis_A_Greek.pdf

From The Source of All Knowledge, Wikipedia (An interesting take???)

The Pentozali or Pentozalis (Greek: Πεντοζάλης) is the trademark folk dance of the island of Crete. It takes its name from the fifth (pente) attempt or step (ζάλος zalos being a Cretan Greek word for “step”) of the Cretan people to liberate Crete from the Ottoman Empire. It can thus be translated as “five-steps”. The name also contains an element of wordplay, as ‘ζάλη’ (zali) means dizziness, and so it may also be interpreted as a dance that can make its dancers dizzy five times over (“five-dizzy”). In fact the dance has ten steps in total.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentozali