dancecenter

Dance and movement research workshop

The workshop starts with a score of movement improvisation in an atmospheric soundscape. Through this soundscape-score the participants are guided in a half-hour physical, imaginative and mental warm-up in a “ritual” that combines elements from somatic practices and from collective rituals that contain dance (concerts, celebrations, etc.), it focuses on relaxing the neck and cultivates a different perception of space, gravity and the body. At the same time, it cultivates relationships of collectivity and community in the group, while giving space to each one individually. Finally, in combination with the sound atmosphere, it activates imagination and memory.
Then with a series of movement and verbal tools, exercises and games the participants will explore the state of trance. Repetitive movements, rhythm, trust, “letting go” will be the main axes of the workshop.
Overall, the workshop invites participants to seek and practice those moments of flow and balance between individual and group, inner grounding and openness to the world.

Stali Symeon

Stali Simeon studied Political Science at university of Athens and Dance at Aktina Higher Professional School of Dance. She continues with post-graduate studies in Dance at the Antwerp Conservatory doing research on the corporeality and rituals of the social fringe. As part of her postgraduate research “This Dance Is Not For You” she participated in the residency 10 days to 10′, in the summer residencies at P.A.R.T.S. and DeSingel. Her work Eternally Alive, participated in the Container Festival in Thessaloniki, was presented in Athens at M54, and later a second version of the work Eternally Alive- A2 at the “On Bodies” Festival at the Dance House Nicosia. Since 2020 she collaborates with the BPM theater group as a choreographer (Rematia Festival, Mavromichali Theatre, PLYFA, Neos Kosmos Theatre, All Greece one Culture). In recent years she has participated as a dancer-performer in the creations of: La Coja Dansa, Belleville collective, Kiki Baka, Vaso Giannakopoulou, Sandra Grimma, Elisavet Pliakostathi, Hara Kassaraki, Varvara Bardaka, Anthi Drilia, Sofia Kouloukouri. She teaches dance and yoga.

Flow Yoga & Thai Massage Plus
Master Class with Nabil el-Barrage

On Sunday, March 9, we meet in Akropoditi Dance & Performing Arts Centre, for a four-hour master class that will combine the practice of yoga with elements of Tai chi and Qi gong, breathing techniques, mantras, meditation and guided Thai Massage with couples.
Learning how breath is coordinated with movement we create a safe and supportive framework. We discover our inner strength and understand how breathing promotes energy and calmness together. We move fluidly, consciously, flexibly. The rhythm ebbs and flows through the pulse of our interaction. Stillness and focus. We listen to the present and find our inner peace. We strengthen our connection and trust. With integrity and compassion, we will be relieved and inspired after receiving and offering massage techniques from various healing systems.
The master class is open to everyone, regardless of experience level.

Fee: 30 euro
* For Akropoditi Dance & Performing Arts Centre’s students, university students, unemployment: 25 euro
Duration: 4 hours

Nabil el-Barrage
Nabil el-Barrage works as a Yoga instructor and Thai massage therapist. His lessons are based on YogaWorks, a system that combines three techniques: Ashtanga, Iyengar and Viniyoga. He uses elements as well from Tai Chi and Qi Gong. His sessions apart from the basic principles of traditional Thai massage, include techniques from Shiatsu, Ayurvedic massage, Osteopathy and Reflexology.
Βorn in Athens, Greece in 1982. At an early age he came into contact with sports specifically with gymnastics and basketball. He then played football at a semi-professional level for several years.
In 2009 he followed his passion for dance. Classical ballet, contemporary, improvisation and Japanese butoh technique are the dancing fields where he has been trained. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Akropoditi Dance Theatre company, based in Syros.
Apart from dancing in 2009 he was introduced into Yoga and the holistic therapy world.
Observing in the practice of yoga its highly refined, subtle way of transforming the body and how its benefits work beneficially on all levels, the desire to teach is born. In 2013 he received his certification (200h YTT Yoga Alliance) as a yoga teacher, from his trainer Anna Zorzou in YogaWorks system. Then for three years he apprenticed with senior instructor Timo Himenez, delving into the traditional practice of Ashtanga and at the same time trained in Prenatal yoga. Teaching still intrigued him therefore in 2018 he completed the 1st level of training program Yoga for kids at Flower Kids Yoga, with Christina Matsi.
He is grateful that traditional Thai massage enriched his life in 2013, and he had the opportunity to train under the guidance of Till Heeg and his team at Sunshine house. He has been devoted to it ever since.
He is constantly evolving by studying and attending various courses and workshops, while simultaneously teaching and training.
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Voice in Movement | from Soma to Ensemble

Releasing the Voice & Circles of Polyphonic Improvisation with Anna Luna Louvari

A workshop for releasing the voice through movement and touch, and for creating polyphony in the moment

Releasing the Voice
An exploration of how movement and physical touch liberate breath and sound, how they reveal new possibilities in the voice’s range, volume and qualities, and mostly, how they allow us to connect with what wants to be expressed and let the voice to give it form through improvisation.
We’ll work individually and in pairs.

Circles of Polyphonic Improvisation
We cultivate the ability to listen, to tune in as an ensemble and create music in the moment, by working tools like the drone notes (ison), the creation of four-voices soundscapeς with the gradual addition of rhythmic and melodic patterns, and the moment of the solo- when the ensemble creates a harmonized base for one voice to step upon and improvise.
We’ll work as a group.

Fee: 55 euro
* For Akropoditi Dance & Performing Arts Centre’s students, university students, unemployment: 50 euro
Duration: 7 hours

The workshop is a combination of the different approaches she has trained in and discoveries from her own practice, brought together by the need to share the magic that happens when one allows to be guided by their voice and body, as well as the power of many different voices joining each other harmonically into the song of the moment.
Εxcerpts from the workshop: https://youtu.be/eZs5AxHCq_I?si=o2eZAtebVcPLOZPK

Anna Luna Louvari
Anna Luna Louvari studied contemporary dance (preparatory year in the State School of Dance, 1st BA year in Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance) and then, searching for studies that combined both movement and voice exploration, she moved towards pbysical theatre and started training with teachers such as Rosa Prodromou, Alexandra Kazazou, Julianna Bloodgood, Rafal Habel, among others, while then she graduated from BA in Acting in Dilos Theatre School (2020). Continuing this work, the release of the voice through movement became her emphasis, so she started training with teachers of the Roy Hart Centre such as Ulrik Barfod, Edda Hegg, Walli Hoffinger among others, and then she graduated from the one year course “Voice in Artistic Expression” at the Centre Artistique International Roy Hart (2024) As it comes to singing, she begun to love it as a member of choirs and later on trained individually with Dinah Stieringer, Evangelia Karakatsani and others. She has worked in theatre and with children (play based teaching and musical – movement play in groups), and since 2022 she is giving workshops on releasing the voice and polyphonic improvisation.

Cost: 40 euro
* Για τους μαθητές και τις μαθήτριες του Κέντρου Χορού και Παραστατικών Τεχνών Ακροποδητί, φοιτητές-τριες, ανέργους-ες: 35 euro

Safety is a concept that has been heard frequently in recent years, especially in therapeutic areas. To be safe, to be careful, to protect our space.
Does the use of this word, however, in some cases begin to reach the limits of fear and overprotection, bringing us to a position of defense?
What if we replaced security with trust?
Feeling trusting instead of feeling safe?
In this seminar we will explore these concepts on the basis of the Muladhara chakra, our foundation, in a combination of yoga practice and drama therapy.
The purpose is to engage with these concepts physically, emotionally and mentally, through a creative encounter with self and others.
No previous experience is needed, just an appetite for exploration.

May we meet!

Master class: Echoes. An insight into contemporary sounds in ruins

The Austrian composer Egid Jöchl deals with various musical genres, mainly contemporary music and sound installations. In April 2024, he staged the opera “Idyll” as a live sound installation in a castle ruin in the mountains of Tirol. The musicians were positioned at various points in the ruin and the audience was sounded in the middle.
On actors was completely waived the plot ran through chat messages. The background formed the ruin and the view into the Inntal at sunset. The main component was the music that was built around the audience with echo effects. Egid Jöchl will give an insight into his work with a focus on this work?

The masterclass will be held in English.

Egid Joechl

Egid Joechl was born on December 7, 1982, in Kitzbühel and grew up in the area. He studied composition and music theory at the University of Art in Graz and took part in various master classes. He writes works for different line-ups and different styles, with a focus on New music and Sound installations. In 2018 he was Artist in Residence in Lisbon and in 2019 in New York. In 2020 he was awarded the Hilde Zach Composition Scholarship from the City of Innsbruck. Egid Joechl currently lives and works in Innsbruck.
Link: www.joechl-music.com