ABSTRACT
Discussions about sameness and difference are at the core of social studies, especially in light of ethnic and nationalistic developments, in Europe and all over the world, which bring to the fore issues of difference and sameness not only between, but also within groups. Of special interest from an anthropological point of view are the ways people theorize, politicize, and eventually materialize their difference, which, in the unfolding of nationalism, may take different forms and follow different paths. Markers that were once emblematic for particular collectivities may no longer hold. Here we explore the contextual nature of difference within the Greek state with reference to Pontian collectivities, and examine its materialization vis-a`-vis the developments of Greek nationalism. More specifically, we focus on Pontic
∗ dance as a system
of constructing and materializing difference for the Pontians who live within the Greek state.
