residencies en

Description of project:
Through our mutual interest in traditional music and dances from all over Greece – one as a musician and the other a dancer – we wonder in what ways we can co-create influenced by them.
Having as our starting point specific steps, with different characteristics, measures, rhythms, and origins, we will attempt to study the kinesiology that is created as well as how one moves as a unit. The traditional dances of our land are by definition group (or binary) dances. What changes when we remove such a basic characteristic from them?
By selecting and studying music with different styles, measures, arrangements, meanings, symbolisms, and themes, we will attempt to extract elements from them, record sounds connected to memories related to tradition and our perception of it, and finally, create a framework for live performance of electroacoustic music. All this in a harmonious encounter of movement and sound.

Open presentation: Saturday May 25^th 2024
21:30, Free Entrance

Co existing – Improvisation workshop for dancers and musicians
Saturday May 25^th 2024, 17:00-19:00
Sunday May 26^th 2024, 12:00-14:00
Free submission

Olga Kalantzi

Olga Kalantzi was born in Athens in 1994. She studied at the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering in Syros and at the Higher Professional School of Dance “Aktina” in Athens. She has worked with Akropoditi Dance Theatre in Syros and SQx Dance Company in Canada. She now lives in Athens and teaches traditional dances together with Andreas Segditsas. In 2023 she presented her solo “WRAP: a pocket guide to never escaping yourself” in Athens, Portugal and Turkey and took part in the All4fun audience theatre awards at the Ideal cinema. She also collaborates with Collective Spine for the work “La Soiree”.
She is interested in practices, improvisation tools and research on elements such as freedom and restriction, order and disorder, form and amorphousness, as well as collaboration and strengthening the connection between people.
https://vimeo.com/867540517

Filippos Raskovic

Filippos Raskovic is a composer, improviser and curator from Athens, Greece based in Vilnius, Lithuania. His work creates a sonic world; accidental and composed, recognizable and unexpected simultaneously.
As a composer, he often creates interdisciplinary work with visual artists and in close relation to instrumentalists with a focus on the acoustics of objects, sculptures, and spaces. In 2021 he completed the performative installation “Echo Chambers” in close collaboration with the sculptor D.Tampakis which was developed during his FUGA residency in Spain and together with the collective UN P R 18T (Un. Processed Realities), they created “POST EUROPEAN RAGEROOM TM” a performance & pop-up exhibition shown atCentrum Berlin.
As an improviser, he self-released his first album “gentle presence” in 2020 and has performed at the Monopiano Festival 2021 at Fylkingen, Sweden, State51 Studios, London, Flatterschafft – Basel, Flatterschafft: THE END – DefDefDefinitive, Studium P, Vilnius and Chimeres, Athens, amongst others. He is also a founding member of “illucid trio” with Kazimieras Jusinskas and Gediminas Stepanavicius. In 2019 he co-founded the KRAMA collective and festival an independent initiative aiming to present a new outlook within the art scene of Athens and beyond. Finally, he is a monthly resident host at the independent web radio “Radio Vilnius” and co-producer of the show Krama Entries at movement radio.
www.raskovicfilippos.com

Description of project:
Affirming our Identity: A co-creative project

This ambitious and transformative project is dedicated to delving into the profound experiences of LGBTQ+ artists, a queer composer, and the general public, as they navigate the intricate web of systemic discrimination based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. Through the careful curation of renowned artists from diverse backgrounds around the world, the project endeavors to foster connections among communities, providing valuable opportunities for engagement in high-quality dance. Moreover, this project seeks to shine a spotlight on positive role models, illuminating the path towards acceptance, understanding, and societal transformation. In close collaboration with relevant partners, the project will place utmost importance on cultivating engagement and support for the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. With a strong focus on inclusivity, participants from the broader LGBT population will have the exceptional opportunity to embark on an empowering journey, exploring their boundless creativity through expertly guided movement improvisation sessions. These sessions, led by seasoned queer teachers, will serve as pivotal moments in shaping our collective creative process. Collaborating seamlessly with esteemed queer dance professionals, we will work tirelessly to craft an awe-inspiring evening-length performance piece. This performance will serve as a captivating tapestry, interwoven with the aspirations, dreams, and narratives of the participants, ultimately placing them at the very heart of our extraordinary artistic journey. The culmination of our collective efforts will not only bring crucial issues into the spotlight but also kindle a fervent desire for meaningful social change.
Guided by the expertise of our accomplished queer teachers, participants will embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and expression. Through movement improvisation sessions, we will create a safe and supportive space where participants can freely explore their unique identities, transcending societal norms and embracing their authentic selves. These sessions will provide a profound opportunity to connect with the deepest facets of one’s being, tapping into emotions, experiences, and personal stories that shape the tapestry of their lives. As participants embark on this voyage of self-exploration, the dance floor will become a sacred space for catharsis, growth, and empowerment.
By joining forces with distinguished queer dance professionals, we will forge a collaborative environment that nurtures and celebrates artistic growth. Drawing from a rich tapestry of dance styles and techniques, participants will expand their movement vocabulary, unleashing their creative potential. As they learn and embody choreographic phrases that are specifically designed to explore LGBTQ+ themes and experiences, participants will forge a deep connection with the subject matter. This process of transformation will empower individuals to communicate their personal narratives through the language of dance, transcending boundaries and inspiring others with their resounding authenticity.
In addition to the transformative power of movement, this project will foster a culture of open dialogue, inspiring discussions, and collective reflection. Intimate group discussions, carefully facilitated by our experienced team, will provide a platform for participants to delve into the profound themes explored through improvisation and choreography. These discussions will invite participants to share their insights, questions, and lived experiences, cultivating a deep sense of empathy and understanding among the group. As diverse perspectives intertwine, new insights will emerge, challenging preconceived notions and fostering growth on both personal and societal levels.
The culmination of this extraordinary journey will be an enchanting and thought-provoking evening-length performance. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their individual or collective creations, breathing life into their stories, struggles, and triumphs. Through a captivating tapestry of movement and artistic expression, the performance will serve as a profound medium for storytelling, illuminating the path towards social change. With each step, leap, and gesture, participants will inspire audiences to embrace diversity, challenge prejudice, and foster a more inclusive world.
This visionary project endeavours to transcend the boundaries of dance, delving deep into the experiences of LGBTQ+ artists, a queer composer, and the general public. By nurturing creativity, embracing diversity, and igniting conversations, we aim to break down the barriers of systemic discrimination. Through guided movement improvisation sessions, the acquisition of choreographic phrases, and empowering discussions, participants will embark on a transformative journey of self-expression, growth, and empowerment. With the support and collaboration of esteemed queer dance professionals, we will collectively weave an evening-length performance that breathes life into the participants’ aspirations, placing their narratives at the heart of our artistic journey. Ultimately, this project aims to illuminate crucial issues, inspire empathy, and ignite a fervent desire for social change, paving the way towards a more inclusive and accepting society for all.

Open presentation: Sunday February 25^th 2024
20:30, Free Entrance

Physicalising our identity through movement: Masterclass by Julian Nichols and Alex Henderson
Saturday February 24^th 2024, 17:00-20:00
Free submission

Julian Nichols

Julian Nichols, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, is a talented dancer, choreographer, and activist. He has made significant contributions to the world of contemporary dance, both as a performer and as a promoter of gender inclusivity in the field. In 2017, Julian graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY. During his time at college, he had the opportunity to study abroad at Taipei National University of the Arts in Taipei, Taiwan, where he collaborated with renowned international artists, broadening his perspective on dance. Throughout his career, Julian has had the privilege of performing works by several esteemed choreographers, including Aszure Barton, Tom Weinberger, Jose Limón, Brian Brooks, Kyle Abraham, Darryl Tracy, Allen Kaeja, Rosalind Newman, Emily Molnar, Alexander Whitley, Carol Anderson, Fanny Ghoreyab, Hanna Kiel, Maxine Doyle, and Roy Assaf. His repertoire showcases his versatility and skill, allowing him to interpret a wide range of choreographic styles and concepts. Julian’s talent and versatility were also recognized when he had the opportunity to dance for Hanna Kiel’s Human Body Expression, demonstrating his artistic range in different collaborative endeavours. Additionally, Julian has made significant contributions to the Amina Khayyam Dance Company, showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication as a dancer. His involvement with Nimbus Dance Works as a company member and his guest artist work with The Limón Company further solidify his reputation within the dance community. Furthermore, Julian’s skills have been sought after in the realm of television, music videos, and commercials, where he has brought his artistry to the screen, captivating audiences with his performances. His ability to adapt and excel in diverse settings is a testament to his versatility and professionalism as a dancer. Whether on stage, in front of the camera, or collaborating with fellow artists, Julian continues to leave an indelible mark on the dance industry. In his quest for artistic growth, Julian has actively sought training opportunities at prestigious dance programs and workshops. He has participated in Springboard Danse Montreal, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Momentum Montreal, and the Movement Invention Project. These experiences have allowed him to refine his technique, expand his creative horizons, and connect with dancers and choreographers from around the world. In recent years, Julian has shifted his focus towards composition and activism. He founded his own nonprofit organization called Bodies in Action ~ enGendering Contemporary Dance, with the aim of promoting equal representation of all gender identities in the field of contemporary dance. Through this initiative, Julian strives to challenge traditional norms and create a more inclusive and diverse dance community. Since its inception, Julian has created a short dance film, two evening-length works, and multiple duets, solos, and group pieces. Julian’s passion for dance extends beyond his own performances and activism. He has also shared his knowledge and expertise through teaching engagements. He has conducted company classes for prestigious dance companies such as the Rambert Dance Company, New Adventures, Corey Baker Dance in London, and NDC Wales in Cardiff. By teaching and mentoring aspiring dancers, Julian contributes to the growth and development of the next generation of dance artists. Currently based in London, UK, Julian continues to make a profound impact on the dance world through his performances, choreography, and advocacy work. His dedication to pushing boundaries, challenging stereotypes, and fostering inclusivity in contemporary dance establishes him as a dynamic and influential figure in the field.

Description of project: The Boundless Food project

This new artistic project is about the complex and multifaceted relationship we have with food, our habits, the repetitive patterns we follow, and the boundaries that confine us. Through a series of paintings, this project seeks to challenge preconceived notions, question societal norms, and spark conversations about our culinary experiences.
Through the exploration of repetitive patterns and movements, “the boundless food project” will take shape on deep studies using my own body to understand and examine the cyclic nature of my own eating habits, raising questions about their impact on my overall well-being.
It will be also very interesting to work with other volunteers. I would like to document the whole process of research through dance and movement.
After this first step, I want to develop preparatory drawings of those gestures that govern our eating routines, from daily rituals to indulgences, and examines the boundaries – both physical and psychological – that surround our choices.
At the end of residency, I would love to present few paintings celebrating the pleasures of culinary exploration while shedding light on the potential pitfalls and limitations of our habits and societal expectations.
By intertwining elements of personal introspection with universal themes, this project endeavors to inspire viewers to break free from rigid patterns, embrace culinary diversity, and cultivate a more mindful and liberated approach to food.

Open presentation: Saturday 27 January 2024
20:30, Free Entrance

Workshop of visual arts and movement with Valentine Bouvet
Saturday January 20^th: 17:30-20:00
Free submission

Valentine Bouvet

Valentine BOUVET is a French artist and figurative painter born in 1994.
Her journey as an artist began during her childhood and later when she was experimenting with different art mediums. She first studies applied arts during high school where she developed a real interest in drawing and fashion design. Then, she decided to deepen both cursus and practice her art aside working for different brands as fashion designer.
During her 20’s, Valentine developed a deep passion for paintings and was particularly drawn to the expressive power of color. Her works delves into a wide range of costal and cultural issues, such as gender stereotypes, consumerism, beauty standards and the impact of social media. This year, she participates, for the second time, to Le Cercle de l’Art, a big community of women artists who work on sharing their artistic process and encouraging others to use art as a means of expression and social change.

Description of project:

The term “no man’s land” became historically significant in the First World War, when it referred to an unoccupied area between opposing armies. Interpreting the phrase ‘no man’s land’ in a metaphorical sense, I imagine a place where humans stand in their pur-est existence as animals striving to survive.
‘Songs of Absence’ is the first segment of my performance series ‘No Man’s Land’, which is based on this premise. It is based on the character Lavinia in Shakespeare’s ‘Titus An-dronicus’. Lavinia is the daughter of Titus, a general in the Roman army who is engaged in a cycle of revenge. ‘Songs of Absence’ is developed from the scene in which Lavinia has been raped, her tongue and hands were cut off by the assailants, and she is then hung from a dead tree trunk. She is stripped of her most fundamental human abilities to communicate. Yet, as she is physically pared down, her narrative and thematic im-portance escalates.
This seemingly paradoxical power of Lavinia’s silence heightens the sense of hearing. The primordial energy of the silence fills the absence of sound, like that of a wordless animal in no man’s land.

Open presentation: Sunday 05 November 2023
20:30, Free Entrance

Improvisation in the Void (movement workshop)
Sunday 22 October 2023, 11:30-13:30
Free submission

Sound of Listening (sound/movement workshop)
Saturday 04 November 2023, 17:30-19:30
Free submission

Soeine Bac

Soeine Bac is a Korean-born immigrant to Canada. She studied studied visual art, media art, and dance in Canada, and continued this study in the UK, focusing on intuitive intention in art. She surveyed unintentional forces that drive the artist to create artwork with a specific trajectory. To further study this improvisational intention, she turned to East Asian philosophy, which emphasizes removing one’s intentional mind to discover – instead of decide – choices in practicing life, and to unify mind and body.
Although she has been influenced by Western cultures, she pursues the natural world of matter in finding her sense of self, trying to maintain a holistic perspective beyond all her cultural backgrounds. Improvisation then became her method for art and for life. She regards art as a form of living, not merely as an institutional discipline; she aims to create a kind of art that is consistent with the way we experience the world.
The initiation of this process started when she directly encountered the ancient East Asian idea of Wu (doing without intention) behind ‘Nature art’ during her artist’s residency at YATOO in 2015. The art form had been developed by some local Korean artists in reaction against the domination of Western culture after the Korean war. While its Western parallels, such as Land art or Earth art, employ nature to fulfil the artist’s visions, the artists of Nature art allow themselves to be transformed in encounters with nature, while minimizing human intentions and thus interruptions. She took this state that requires the absence of human intention as the base of her practice of improvisation.
Since then, she has been studying Zen Buddhist yoga and drumming for meditation, and Aikido in order to better understand the state of Wu for improvisation. Along these lines, she has been researching intuitive consciousness in improvisation, and instant composition of movement.
Her work is often site-specific, and she pursues an aesthetic of the ordinary, seeking the spiritual aspect of art and how it is revealed in life.

Description of project:

“The Sisters’ Project” (working title) is a theatrical dance performance addressed to all, from 8 to 108 years old. Set in a dusty attic, The Sisters’ Project unfolds the relationship between three sisters exploring the concept of loss. From the loss of loved ones and loved objects, to the loss of contact between them and the loss of time itself. How do three young women find support and comfort from each other, while developing their own identity.
Through humour and poetry, acrobacy, mime and an imaginative scenery (consisting of wooden objects and fabric), The Sisters’ Project takes you on a imaginative journey where there is space for complexity: for laughter and tears, anger and acceptance.

Open presentation: Sunday 08 October 2023
20:30, Free Entrance

The journey of lost things: a children’s workshop on loss
Saturday 07 October 2023, 17:30-20:30
Free submission

Ismini Slijper

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands (1999) Ismini Slijper started dancing at the age of 8. Later on she studied BA Contemporary Dance at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp of which she graduated in 2020.
Together with her former classmates she founded SIDEWARDS-collective (www.sidewards.be). A dance collective that creates and supports dance productions and organizes culutral events. Under SIDEWARDS Ismini co-created the dance performance ‘If you want, maybe not’ (2021) and organized FountainFest: The Festival of Femxle Pleasure (2022).
She also worked as a dance teacher in her hometown Amsterdam at Het Amsterdams Lyceum and for cultural education organization “Op de eerste rij” (2021-2022).
During the last year she has been based in Athens where she has had the opportunity to work with dance group Artogether. A dance group for people wit hand without disabilities, lead by Katerina Gevetsi. Whilst also co-creating two own performance projects : “The Sisters Project” and “Co-habitance”.

Aggeliki Sakellariou

Born and raised in the small island of Syros (2000), Aggeliki Sakellariou has been dancing from the age of 10. She started with traditional greek dancing and practiced 6 years of rhythmic gymnastics. She has been a student in Akropoditi dance centre from 2013 and participated in performances and dance lessons as a student (ballet, contemporary dance, jazz). She is an occupational therapist (graduated from University of West Attica) and 3 years now she is a member of inclusive dance group Artogether in Athens. She has participated in multiple (dance) workshops and loves improvisation and authentic movement. She is planning to do a master in dance therapy.

Myrsini Tzavaras

Born and raised in Syros (2001), Myrsini Tzavaras started dancing at the Akropoditi Dance Centre at the age of 8. From the year of 2019 she studies Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art Athens where she also attends different contemporary dance classes from various teachers.

Artisti Diner
Open presentation: 14 September 2023 
from 6 p.m. visit of the sailboat Bise Noire
(Kon/nou Zervaki 5, Ermoupoli)
7:30 p.m. group walk to the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre
(Ir. Politechniou 84, Ermoupoli)
8 p.m. performance installation and aperitif at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre.

The Bise Noire association

The Bise Noire association, based in Switzerland, was founded in 2019 by Nourya White Khaldi, Laurine Landry & Lucas Verheij.
Since then, it has been inviting artists to share its journey along the Mediterranean coast aboard the sailboat Bise Noire. Artists are welcomed for three weeks for research and creative residencies under the aegis of the Escales! project. Escales is the name of the residency project dreamed up by the Bise Noire association. The idea is to bring on board artists who wish to draw inspiration for their work from encounters and the sea.
www.bisenoire.org

This year, in collaboration with the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre, the Bise Noire association is proud to present the work of the artists in residency. These four artists have been in Athens and the Cyclades for three weeks, aboard the sailing ship Bise Noire and at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre.

Mileva Testas

Mileva Testas is an artist and designer who graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and has been based in Mallorca for the past six years. Her work focuses on artisanal and experimental design, using different materials such as silver, glass and ceramics. Her creations are strongly inspired by the Mediterranean landscape and the organic and mineral forms it offers.
Mileva Testa will present a series of objects and experiments resulting from the research carried out during her residency: objects to be seen or worn, woven from palma leaf, esparto or materials found along the way.

Ludovic Vial

Ludovic Vial studied visual arts at HEAD – Geneva, then at La Manufacture – Lausanne. In his practice, he explores the intersections between what doesn’t seem to be self-evident, navigating between different practices, from performance to movement writing, text and music. He is interested in different constructions drawn from popular culture, the collective unconscious, intimate narratives and gender studies, which he assembles and rearranges to create new subjectivities.
The research presented at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre will start from the figure of the mermaid (between Greek literary roots and the Danish fairy tale by Hans C. Andersen) through an exploration of sound, music and choreography. As much a myth as a literal image projected by navigation on Bise noire, this research will seek to take account of the chimera’s troubled identity, and of a form of corporal and vocal transposition.

Nicolas Steulet

Nicolas Steulet is training as a stage director at La Manufacture, Lausanne. He has taught theater workshops for children and teenagers for several years, and enjoys creating shows in which particular attention is paid to light and shadows.
Between two sunburns, during the residency, he would like to write about the gaps in his childhood memory. To fill in these gaps or explore them further. Nicolas Steulet would like to give a reading of some of his texts at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre.

Lucas Herzig

Lucas Herzig was born in Zurich in 1988 and grew up in Pura, Italian-speaking Switzerland. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from the Haute École d’Art et Design de Genève (HEAD) in 2011 and a Master’s degree from the Hochschule der Künste Bern (HKB) in 2015.
In his work, he critically addresses issues such as the adaptation of hybrid identities and the creation of new founding myths. He often goes back in time to draw conclusions about the present.
Lucas Herzig intends to create on board a series of small sculptures inspired by the Neolithic sculptural art of the Cyclades. The objects to be shown at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre are the result of the artist’s research and collect.

Antara 2.0

Open presentation: 26 May 2023 at 22:00
Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre

In a world that imposes isolation and behavioural rules.
In a world that forbids contact, the next stage of human evolution is born for us.
Thus, a person without desires is born, sterilised, without awareness of oneself, a blank canvas.
Through our solo, we want to address the dichotomy that the new human will experience in the process of their redefinition.
We will seek fragile moments of movement within an otherwise strict physical form.
Fragile moments of movement will consist of uncontrolled outbursts or lack of rhythm.
While the strict framework will enclose limited, careful, and slow movement, without emotion, without life.
In addition, we will re-observe the basic functions of the body, such as joint extensions and balance.
Hoping to eventually come up with a definition that will describe the psyche of the new human.

Words: joints, burnt plastic, broken doll, octopus, awkward hands, bounce, boxing.

Movement Research: Zafeira Sevasti, Nastos Theodoros
Music: Nastos Theodoros, Abstract Soundscape
Performance: Zafeira Sevasti

Fragile bones – Masterclass with Sevasti Zafeira, 22 May 2023 

Sevasti Zafeira
Sevasti Zafeira is a dancer who lives and works in Greece. She was born in 1997 in Syros and graduated with honors from the State School of Dance in Athens. From a young age, she was involved in sports and later turned to dance. She has collaborated, among others, with Christos Papadopoulos, Antonis Foniadakis, Patricia Apergi, Eva Georgitsopoulou, Jenny Argiriou, Evangelos Poulinas etc and participated in performances in Greece and abroad.
She has also worked with various theater and film directors such as Manolis Mavris for “Brutalia, Days of Labor,” which was awarded at the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, winning the Canal+ award for Best Short Film. She has also worked with Thanos Papakonstantinou at the National Opera, Vasilis Kekatos for Korres Campaign (Short Film Series), and she took part in the Dior Cruise 2022 Film campaign, directed by Benjamin Vu.

Theodore Nastos
Τheodore Nastos has a diverse background in film, music, and art direction. His work includes starring in the short film “Melatonin,” which has been screened in various festivals worldwide, composing and performing music for the Yogurt Maybe band, directing music videos, taking part in big campaigns and commercials as a model, and following a 3-month seminar in Direction of Photography. He has also been a creative director for the Yogurt Maybe project, where he has created screenplays, arranged photoshoots, and created artworks. His range of skills and experiences has allowed him to approach artistic projects from multiple perspectives, making him a versatile and adaptable artist.

Project description
OVERFLOW is a contemporary dance and physical theater duet, performed by myself and the dancer Anna-Maria Bayon, which addresses adaptation and survival in society.
Particularly struck by the radical, immediate and contradictory nature of current social dynamics, I asked myself “how do bodies survive between increasingly extreme, increasingly unpredictable laws and events?”
The image behind this creation is that of a ‘contemporary shipwreck’. With a choreographic approach that feeds on an overdose of absurd and zany, naive and poetic imagination, it is an extravagant and staggering shipwreck that I wish to explore. The bodies of two women intertwine, support each other, counterbalance each other, adapt and save each other. Extreme, contradictory and insane like the challenges they have to face.
If on the one hand my intention is to explore the power and beauty of a body that adapts, transmutes, fits together, endures and resists to the point of overflowing; on the other hand, I want to give voice to the humanity that runs through it: its need for the other, for empathy and mutual aid.
Body and voice. Imagination and illusion. Control and laughter. Poetry and surprise.
OVERFLOW is an invitation to resilience through a sensitive, confident and creative look at our society.
with the support of Wallonie-Bruxelles International

SILVIA PEZZAROSSI
I’m an italian contemporary dancer, choreographer and teacher. I’m based in Belgium where I live since several years.
I trained in ballet and contemporary dance in Italy (Zappalà Danza dance school) and Switzerland (ballet junior de Geneve).
Once I arrived in Belgium I started collaborating as a dancer and performer with some local and international artists for dance and circus projects: Keren Rosenberg, Roy Assaf, Lies Serdons, Poetic Punkers collective, Cie Marie Martinez, Lisbeth Gruwez, Dorian Chavez, Krama Dance Company and soon with the circus company Cie des Chaussons Rouges (creation 2023/2024).
I consider myself a curious observer of society and its dynamics.
I am attracted by its resources as well as its contradictions and fragilities. It is from what I live, from what I feel, from what I observe of society that I draw my inspiration to create.
Supported by different Belgian theaters I could make until today three  dance & physical theater creations: Mucyclo, Waiting for the fishes and En attendant que les poissons passent….
All of them share a strong physicality and the use of a performative register that appeals to audience interaction, humour and surprise.
Overflow is my next creation planned for 2024.
Since 2015, I have been developing my own pedagogical practice based on improvisation, DIVE, which is inspired by the principles of Gaga body language (which I studied in Tel Aviv with Ohad Naharin and the Batsheva dancers) but which I extend to a personal research.
DIVE is part of my daily artistic life and I transmit it through classes and workshops in Belgium and abroad (Charleroi Danse, UP circus & performing arts center, Grand Studio/ Nyash dance company, Hybrid Studio/cie bud Blumenthal, Istanbul Fringe festival in Turkey, Dance Days Chania Festival and Kinitira artistic network in Greece).

My name is Silvia Pezzarossi, I am an Italian choreographer, I live in Belgium since several years.
Last march I was invited for two weeks by Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre in artistic residency to continue my creation HABEMUS NAUFRAGIUM (old Overflow).
This is my fourth creation, a duo performed by me and the French dancer Anna-Maria Bayon.
This creation takes as its starting point the social condition of ‘shipwreck’ and the survival that follows. The work thus revolves around the themes of resilience, adaptation and mutual support.
The two performers, two shipwrecked women, rescue each other, support each other, and join forces to move forward together in a stormy sea: a metaphor for a social and contemporary shipwreck.
At the centre of the creation is the body, the main and only choreographic tool.
The residency at Akropoditi proved to be an important opportunity for the work to evolve. The working conditions were very good: large and well-equipped room, friendly and helpful staff, fantastic landscape!
Anna Maria and I also had the opportunity to give a class to local students. It was a valuable opportunity, a rich exchange. The dancers were curious to get to know us and to learn. It was important for us to come into close contact with the artists on the island in a practice of mutual transmission and exchange.
Thank you Akropodites and see you soon I hope!

ΝΕΤΤΕ: a kinesic experiment

Open presentation: 22 October 2022 at 20:00
Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre

In 2019, Artemis Pyrpilis went for the first time to the house where her grandmother was born and spent her childhood, 7 years after her passing. Searching through the rooms, drawers and boxes, she discovered the young girl she was in the 40s. A dancer, a gymnast, a restless girl whom her closed ones called Nette.
Who was really Nette and what was her connection to her? The shared silence, from the inevitability of her death, slowly became an reason to find their common voice for all that she didn’t know united them.
This is how the NETTE photo book came about.
The project “ΝΕΤΤΕ: a kinesic experiment” is an attempt to record a kinetic improvisation with a starting point and in interaction with archival images of Nette, in motion. The kinetic expression will be structured in the natural landscape of Syros (in coherence with nature as a background in the archival images) allowing any result that can arise through this internal “fermentation” of experimentation/improvisation based on the interaction with the kinetic expression of her grandmother.
The aim is to further connect the personal relationship between granddaughter and grandmother, but also to explore the broader connection between photography and dance.
The final result will be a video that includes both the archival images and the recording of the kinetic experimentation as through this it will apprehend the expression and physicality of Nette while exploring the movement through its recording.

Workshop with the photographer Artemis Pyrpili
Archival and contemporary images in the narration of a photographic work

Artemis Pyrpilis (1987) is a French-Greek photographer.
She studied photography in Paris and after working as a photographer in France, the UK, Germany and the United States she decided to return to Greece in 2013.
She has participated in various group exhibitions, at C / O Berlin in Germany, at the State Museum of Contemporary Art and at the Photobiennale in Thessaloniki, but also at the Host Gallery in London.
She has also presented her work in 2 solo exhibitions in Greece.
In September 2021, her first photo book “NETTE” was published by punto e basta editions and launched at the Polka Factory in Paris.
Today she lives in Thessaloniki where she teaches at the Stereosis School of Photography and at the MOMus-Museum of Photography of Thessaloniki while at the same time working on personal projects experimenting with various artistic fields.
www.artemispyrpilis.com

In 2019, seven years after my grandmother’s passing, Ι went for the first time to the house where she was born and spent her childhood.
Searching through the rooms, drawers and boxes I discovered previously unseen pictures of her when she was a young girl in the 40s.
A dancer, a gymnast, a restless girl whom her closed ones called Nette.
In the midst of the pandemic I got my hands on the archival images I retrieved from that house looking to find who Nette really was and what my own connection to her is.
The shared silence, from the inevitability of her death, slowly became a reason to find our common voice through all of the things that united us without knowing it.
This is how the NETTE photobook was born, published in September 2021.
Wanting to continue the work I’ve made the past few years on the connection with my grandmother, on memory and time,
I chose to explore the wider connection of photography-dance/image-movement by applying to the artistic residency of Akropoditi.
Akropoditi welcomes creators from various artistic scopes and is receptive to the combination of creative fields.
This was an important reason to apply for the residency as it gave me the freedom to explore how I could combine photography, movement and video with an experimental intention.
In October 2022, at Akropoditi’s artistic residency, I recorded a kinetic improvisation starting from and in interaction with archival images of my grandmother, Nette, in motion.
Keeping the element of nature, which appears as a background in the archival material,
I accordingly structured my kinetic expression against the background of the natural landscape of Syros which simultaneously functioned as an important stimulus.
This was the starting point that I had consciously set in the context of the creative process and resulted in a short dance film, a sensorial journey powered by the inner need for constant movement.
I had the luck and the opportunity to create a project that means a lot to me in a highly inspiring environment like Akropoditi.
NETTE-A-Kinesic-Experiment

ADAMAH
There is an etymological link between adam and adamah. Adamah designating “red clay” or “red earth », Adam is the name given by God to the first man on earth. According to the Old Testament, God created Adam on the sixth day of creation from a little clay, clay or dust according to translations. Eve, the first woman, was created from the body of Adam according to the Book of Genesis. Of the union of Adam and Eve, were born Abel and Cain: Adam is therefore the founder of humanity.
This production has unfortunately been freezed during the lockdowns. This among of time as a break, has nourished my creativity and artistic vision about the piece.

I have traveled so much through the centuries that never came to earth, so much surveyed colors, languages, knowledge and I saw no origin, no truth, a part from the path that clears a glance as it fades away.
Céline Zins (Adamah)

Adamah is a living organism, fixed in a neutral space, a place of all possibilities. The piece is thus composed of a choreographic and performative product. Between intimate and extreme, between inside and outside, between dream and consciousness. An eternal return to the origin, to the initial impulse, for another continuation.

This piece comes from an observation, the acknowledgment of a failure the world we live in is inexorably damaged, because of self-destroying mankind, and civilizations declining and dying out Adamah offers a utopian vision of the world where I would like to be able to live, a world in where I wish to see humanity in harmony Indeed, I aspire to plural harmony to live better with others, without any race, culture, religious or political persuasion ostracizing anyone without giving up on the universality of the human condition.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/421500456

Residency at Dansomètre, Vevey en Switzerland from 4th until 18th of March 2019
Residency at théâtre le croiseur -Lyon, August – November 2019
Festival Implultion 2019 Lyon
Residency at La Cité de la Culture in Tunis December 2021
Residence Theater Bizarre! La Machinerie Lyon January 2022
Residency at the Dance and Performing Arts Centre Akropoditi, 30 January until 6 February 2022 Syros Greece with presentation of the premiere 6 February.
Festival Rabî Al Jassad Avril 2022 Tunisia

Larbi Namouchi: Choreographic Artist / Performer
Born in 1984 in Tunis, fascinated very early on by the circus and martial arts, Larbi Namouchi, as a child, began with Hip hop dance, traditional and Sufi dances. Between 1998 and 2005, he joined companies like Syhem Belkhodja, Imed Jemaa, Nawel Skandrani. In 2005 he won a scholarship and studied at the International Academy of Dance in Paris, within a multidisciplinary training (Theater, Jazz, Contemporary). Since then he has worked and multiplied meetings, exchanges and collaborations with many choreographers and artists from different disciplines such as, Yan Lheureux, Fabienne Berger, Boris Charmatz, Benoit Lachambre, Tonia Shilling, Abou Lagraa, Sandra Martinez Dahou, Omar Ghayatt, Christophe Honoré, Ashley Wright. In his choreographic influences, we can note the research work of Steve Paxton. Larbi Namouchi participates in several festivals, video dance projects, films, performances. In 2017, he founded his own company in Lyon, named Compagnie Shafak (=“dusk” in Arabic). He has never stopped working and exploring through his works and those of others, while remaining free and mobile, body and mind.
https://vimeo.com/user9763163