Choreography – Maria Koliopoulou, Vivi Christodoulopoulou and Demy Papathanasiou

Solace in Movement: A Choreographic Workshop

The choreographic workshop is an exploration of the fundamental joy and inherent pleasure present in every kinetic act. It draws inspiration from Raoul Vaneigem’s quote ‘All human beings have the right to take delight in themselves, in others and in the world.’
The workshop will investigate the intersection of movement, sensation, and consciousness through three key questions:
How and when does the body feel pleasure when moving?
How is the physical pleasure connected to decision-making?
How are the states of enthusiasm and optimism connected to the state of surprise offered by devotion to the moment and immediate experience?
The workshop connects the instructor’s research on the body, breathing, voice, and movement to provide a holistic approach to kinetic discovery.
Its intention is to use this collective research to create a common ground for the group to coexist. In this shared space, participants will be able to unfold their potential with confidence and security, embracing vulnerability and maximizing their expressive capabilities.

Ages: 16+
Levels: All

Photo credit:

Maria Koliopoulou

Maria Koliopoulou, choreographer and artistic director of Prosxima Dance Company, has designed and implemented educational programmes for students and dancers with and without disabilities at the Universities of Patras and the University of Athens in the 7th cycle of ‘Points of Support’, research and choreography workshops for the Belgrade Dance Institute, the International Dance Festival of Kalamata, the Athens School of Fine Arts, the dance department of the American College Deree. For several years she has collaborated with Onassis Stegi in the Unlimited Access, iDance: Dance without Discrimination and Europe Beyond Access Programmes. She has systematically researched and created several choreographic works, worked alongside performers of different abilities, as well as toured nationally and internationally. Her choreographic works have been commissioned by the Athens Festival, the Onassis Cultural Centre, the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica, Piraeus and the Islands, Stopgap dance company in England, Editta Brown Company in Austria. She has been awarded the Jarmila Jeřábková award (2008) in Prague, the 2nd Prize at the International Contemporary Dance Festival of Algiers (2013) and the Tanzrecherche 2023 by the NRW KULTURsekretariat. Her latest choreographic work ‘Hounds of Madness’ was presented in the framework of the programme 2025 of the Ministry of Culture “All of Greece one culture”.
https://www.mariakoliopoulou.com/

Vivi Christodoulopoulou

Vivi Christodoulopoulou is a professional dancer with a career spanning over two decades, distinguished by her commitment to inclusive arts and high-profile international collaborations. Her journey began in 2003, leading to a historic participation as the only dancer with a disability in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. She has participated in the i-Dance and Europe Beyond Access programs and has performed in the duet Re-Call and the Triples & Triplets productions of Onassis Stegi. Her extensive festival credits include the Athens & Epidaurus Festival for the 70th Anniversary gala in 2025, the Kalamata International Dance Festival, documenta 14, and international appearances in Italy, Cyprus, and the Netherlands. As a long – term collaborator of Prosxima Dance Company, she frequently performs the acclaimed solo “C for Clay” and has participated in the work Clear Midnight. Beyond performing, she is a dedicated educator, having coordinated inclusive dance workshops for individuals with severe disabilities and autism in collaboration with the Kalamata International Dance Festival and KEFIAP. She has collaborated with the dance companies “Fygein Adynaton” of N. Aretha, “Very Special Arts Hellas” and A. Papadatou, “Lathos Kinisi” of K. Michos, and “DAGIPOLI” (G. Christakis) as well as the choreographers A. Fouseki, Z. Chatziantoniou, M. Mega, V. Kalampaliki, M. Koliopoulou, and E. Christodoulidou, and the designer D. Valente.

Demy Papathanasiou

Demy Papathanasiou is a Crip dancer and choreographer. Since 2013, she has been actively involved in programs of the Onassis Foundation and has served as artistic co-director of Theatre enCorps Collectif. In 2018, she completed a Minor Concentration in Contemporary Dance Practices with a focus on choreography, becoming the first disabled dancer in Greece to earn a degree in dance. Since 2018, she has consistently presented choreographic works including Dançor, Journey, [New] Horizons, and You Walk, performed at festivals in Greece and abroad. Her experimental short film You Walk received an Honorable Mention Jury Award at the Festival VideoAndanza Internacional (2023).
Since 2019, she has been in ongoing collaboration with the Prosxima Dance Company as a dancer and choreographer, participating in workshops and receiving artistic support from the company. In 2025, she received a grant from Culture Moves Europe to continue her research through collaborative residencies. She is a founding member of ARSI Network for disability and dance (2024), a national network focusing on advocacy and actions to promote access to dance education and professions in Greece.
https://demypapathanassiou.myportfolio.com/introduction

Prosxima Dance Company

Prosxima Dance Company, under the artistic direction of choreographer M. Koliopoulou, works at the intersection of the performing arts and social engagement, collaborating with vulnerable communities to create accessible productions. The company presents work in Greece and internationally with mixed ensembles of dancers with and without disabilities. Their work has been commissioned by the: Athens Epidaurus Festival, Onassis Stegi, The Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica, Piraeus and Islands, ‘All of Greece One Culture’ programm, International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Algiers, Stopgap Dance Company.
Prosxima Dance Company is leading an artistic and educational research program consisting of workshops, performances and lectures dedicated to disability and inclusion in Universities in Greece with the support John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation in the framework of “Points of Support”.  The program was hosted in 2024–2025 by the University of Patras, co-organized by the M.Sc. in Public Health and the Laboratory of Speech and Drama of the Department of Theatre Studies, as well as the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, co-organized by the Postgraduate Program “Greek and World Theatre: Dramaturgy, Performance, Education.” In 2026 the program is hosted by the Departments of Early Childhood Education at the Universities of Thessaly and Crete.
The company is regularly subsidised by the Greek Ministry of Culture.