Georgos Pipilas was born in Larissa, Greece. He is a graduate of the department of Physical Education in Thessaloniki and since 2002 has been working as a teacher of Physical Education in Secondary Education.
His father, a classical philologist, had been interested in Folklore since he was a student, leaving behind a rich author’s work and a collection of about 10,000 folk songs in various performances. Growing up in a traditional environment motivated him from a very young age to be involved in traditional dancing.
Originally, he was a dancer in the Christian Society of Youth in Thessaloniki and after his family settled in Naoussa, he participated in the dance group Likio ton Ellinidon (department of Naoussa). At the age of 20 and while in his 3rd year of studies, he took over the children’s groups of Likio and a few years later, became the first teacher of the club renewing his dance and costume repertoire.
Getting to know old Naoussa dancers, born before 1930, all renowned for their dancing ability, gave him important insights into the dance and costume tradition of Naoussa. It is during this period that he completed the collection of the songs of his city. With the founding of the Naoussa Environment and Culture Group in 2006, “Arapitsa”, George became the main teacher of all its departments and has been teaching traditional dance ever since.
George has also been a teacher of most of the dancing groups of the Municipal Departments of Naoussa and has attended many seminars of traditional dances. He has taught at many seminars in Greece and abroad, most notably in the US, Canada and Germany.