Gilea comes from the ancient Greek word “Hylea,” which means “the land of forests.”
It was the name used by ancient Greeks for the rich, wild territory along the lower Dnipro River — in what is now southern Ukraine.

It was a sacred land of nature, freedom, and strength — home to the Scythians, a people of warriors, artists, and dreamers who lived in harmony with the earth and the sky.

Symbolically, Gilea represents a return to origins, to the roots and natural rhythm of life.
It is the inner forest of the soul — a place of connection, intuition, and authentic expression.

So, when we say Gilea Dance, we mean a dance that rises from the earth, flows through the body, and reaches toward the spirit —a dance that remembers where it came from.

Lyudmila Teslia and Natalia Teslia