The Grecian Odyssey Dancers of Ypapanti first represented the Presentation of Christ Greek Orthodox Church of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in may of 1981, at the 25th Annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival. The Ypapanti dancers invited interested young Greek-Americans from the neighboring Greek Orthodox parishes to join with them to represent the Greeks of the Pittsburgh area at the International Folk Festival. After that first performance, the twenty-six dancers decided to form a permanent group, that has danced before more than 800 audiences since then.