Since 1953 the national Greek Dances Theatre of "Dora Stratou" is the the living museum of Greek dance and is unique, in its kind, in the world. Dances, songs and music are presented in their original forms as were or are still performed in the respective villages or islands of Greece. All the costumes worn by the performers are authentic museum pieces, handmade in those villages more than a century ago. The theatre's wardrobe contains 2,000 such historical costumes from all over Greece, complete with jewellery and accessories. Extensive field studies by a team of researchers under the direction of professor Alkis Raftis supports the fidelity of performances to the original.