PLAYING WITH SHAPES – Iris Fousteri

A 2-DAYS WORKSHOP ON MARTHA GRAHAM’S DANCING FORM

Martha Graham is considered to be one of the greatest personalities in the Art of 20th century. Full of passion for both life and movement, she created a body language capable to express the inner intensity of her time. One could say that Graham technique is the bridge that unites classical and contemporary dance. Still maintaining some postures and functions of ballet, Graham evolved her own vocabulary mainly based on the torso, which becomes the center from which all movements emerge. Breathing, axis, volume, opposite forces, contraction, release, spirals, rhythmical alternation are the basic ingredients of the class, which begins on the floor for maximum realization and activation of the torso and closes with big transfers of weight across the space. It’s an excellent tool both for beginners, as through the clarity of forms one can perceive a great deal of body actions, as well as for experienced dancers in classical or contemporary dance, who can discover new mechanisms and enrich their technical skills and performativity.

Ages: 15+
Levels: intermediate

Photo credit: Christine Papadopoulou

Iris Fousteri

Iris Fousteri (b.1981) is a multidisciplinary artist and dance teacher, based in Athens, Greece. Ηer work varies from choreography and performance art to digital art, illustration, video dance, poetry and video poetry.
She graduated from the Greek National School of Dance and was a member of Hellenic Dance Company from 2003-2010, with productions in Greece, Belgium, and France, in works by M.Graham, J.Limon, Pascal Rioult, Richard Alston, Denise Vale, Martin S. Lawrence, Penny Diamantopoulou, Valia Alexandratou.
She has taught Graham technique in the pre-professional and occasionally in the professional department of the Greek National School of Dance (2007-2012) and in the Professional Dance School “Rallou Manou”, where she choreographed the pieces “Breaking a Line” and “Kaleidoscope” (2012-2021). Since 2017, she teaches Graham technique in the Professional Dance School of Athens Conservatory.
As a performer, Iris has collaborated with many dance companies and choreographers including Arthrosis Dance Co., Analysis Dance Co., Sofia Pintzou (Greece/Germany), Harris Mantafounis, Maria Stamataki, Vassia Zorbali, Justine Goussot, with directors including Eleni Parginou and Maria Kanellou, with visual and performance artist Anna Papathanasiou, and more.
Along with Yiouli Goutsiou and Tonia Dakou, Iris is a founding member of Stigmi Dance Collective.
Her work has been presented in various venues and festivals, such as The Bebop Dance and Theater Festival (NY), Athens Digital Arts Festival – TĀCTUS, Athens Video Dance Project, Athens Video Poetry Festival, Santorini Arts Factory (SAF), Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Festival, Athens Conservatory in collaboration with the Museum of Cycladic Art, as an associate movement director & dramaturgy consultant at ONC – SGT Onassis Foundation, e.t.c.
In June 2021, she travelled to CN D (Centre national de la danse, Pantin – Paris), supported by SGT Onassis Foundation.
Occasionally, she works as an illustrator and writes poetic stories.