When feet start tapping at the 52nd annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival, a Plum High School graduate will be on stage.

Stacey Dorovenis will perform with The Grecian Odyssey Dancers for the fifth time at the festival.

The Grecian Odyssey Dancers, a group of performers dedicated to traditional Greek dancing, took the stage for the first time in 1981 at the Pittsburgh Folk Festival.

Dorovenis first became interested in Greek dancing through her brother and cousin, who have performed with the group, and through her church.

"It is a great group to perform with," Dorvenis said. "I enjoy learning about the Greek traditions and sharing them with others through performing."

She said she looks forward to the festival because it is the start of the performing season and "I also like to see all of the different ethnic dances."

Attendees will have a chance to see more than 3,000 artists and dancers performing traditional songs and dances.

"We try to give people the opportunity to travel the world in one day," said Karen Hall, director of the Pittsburgh Folk Festival. "Each group shares a part of their heritage with every person who attends the folk festival."

This year the festival will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A multicultural education school program held Friday will serve as a chance for participants to interact with different cultures.

This year's program is expected to be attended by 2,000 elementary and middle school students and teachers from around the Pittsburgh area. They will experience traditional ethnic music and dance, and learn about the musical instruments, costumes and traditions.

The festival will feature 15 ethnic kitchens serving traditional food from around the world. For those who want to learn how to make certain dishes at home, some of the region's top ethnic chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations.

With the theme of "Celebrating Unity in Diversity," the festival strives to help Pittsburgh's diverse cultural mosaic accept each other's differences and build upon common ground.

"It is about understanding the different cultures of our neighbors and helping our children, Pittsburgh's next generation, grow up more tolerant of different cultures, nationalities and traditions," Hall said.

For more information about the Pittsburgh Folk Festival, visit www.pghfolkfest.org.