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contemporary dance

Return of the summer – Greek National Opera Ballet 1024 1024 akropoditi13

Return of the summer – Greek National Opera Ballet

Greece

The Greek National Opera Ballet is travelling to the 11th International Dance and Performing Arts Festival on Syros to present the modern dance diptych titled Return of the Summer, featuring choreographies by Ioannis Mandafounis and Konstantinos Rigos. The piece Point of No Return, with music by Giorgos Koumendakis and a choreography by Ioannis Mandafounis, converses with the piece Les Nuits d’été, choreographed by the GNO Ballet Director, Konstantinos Rigos, and with music by Hector Berlioz. This combination creates an impressively vibrant and dynamic programme of modern dance. The tour is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) [www.SNF.org] to enhance the Greek National Opera’s artistic outreach.

Point of No Return

In Point of No Return, the internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Ioannis Mandafounis composes a modern piece out of dance elements deeply rooted in the tradition of classical ballet. In tune with the music of Giorgos Koumendakis, the GNO Ballet dancers focus on the transparency and authenticity of their moves via the arsenal of classical ballet steps. Although the group’s physical performance reveals an extremely classical choreographic approach, one can still recognise the individuality of the performers as well as a particularly modern treatment of the presence and interpretation of movement. These obvious elements signal the choreographer’s unique style across all of his new works.

 Les Nuits d’été

The famous song cycle Les Nuits d’été is one of Hector Berlioz’s most popular works. The leading French composer wrote these six songs for voice and piano, setting poetry by Théophile Gautier. His goal was to musically portray love in its most idealised form through delicate melodies. Based on the song cycle of the same title, Konstantinos Rigos creates together with the GNO Ballet a work about love, loneliness, the quest, the journey. Gestures and shapes create a kaleidoscope of our individual inner summer. “Les Nuits d’été is a work that makes us reminisce of all those nights we love, fall in love, dream, live… It talks about the fluidity of relationships and how everything can evolve under the moonlight. With references to Romanticism and the classical dance technique, the work’s dancers dive into the black waters of the sea and the black colour of senses and delusions”, notes Konstantinos Rigos.

Credits Point of No Return:
Choreography, costume supervision: Ioannis Mandafounis | Music: Giorgos Koumendakis
Featuring the dancers of the GNO Ballet
Women: Elena Kekkou, Marita Nikolitsa, Marta Rivero de Miranda, Eleftheria Stamou, Alicia Townsend, Despina Chrysostomou | Men: Stelios Katopodis, Manex Alberdi, Yannis Gantsios, Yannis Mitrakis, Daniele Pecorari, Stefano Pietragalla, Giorgos Hatzopoulos
The piece was performed by Antonis Sousamoglou (violin), David Bogorad (violin), Thanasis Sourgounis (viola) and Yannis Stefos (cello).

Credits Les Nuits d’été:
Choreography, set: Konstantinos Rigos | Music: Hector Berlioz | Lyrics: Théophile Gautier | Costumes: Deux Hommes
Dancers: Vangelis Bikos, Elena Kekkou, Despina Chrysostomou, Marita Nikolitsa, Eleftheria Stamou, Manex Alberdi, Yannis Gantsios, Stefano Pietragalla, Yannis Mitrakis
The piece was performed by Tassis Christoyannis (baritone) and Sofia Tamvakopoulou (piano).

* Music in both works is pre-recorded.
Appropriate for all audiences.

Duration: 65 min.
Trailer:  

GNO Production Sponsor
Antonios E. Komninos Foundation

Lead Donor of the GNO
STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION (SNF)

The work has been presented at the Greek National Opera, the SNFCC Dome, Cairo Opera House, and Vamvakou, as well as on the islands of Paros and Syros.

Konstantinos Rigos

Born in Athens, he studied economics and graduated from the Greek National School of Dance. In 1990, he founded the Oktana Dancetheatre, many productions of which have toured internationally. His shows have been featured in over 40 international festivals in many cities around the world as well as in Greece (Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, National Theatre of Greece, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greek National Opera, Cyprus Theatre Organisation, Piraeus Municipal Theatre, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, etc). He has been awarded the Greek State Award for Dance (1995, 1996), the Greek State Award for Choreography (1999, 2001) and the Melina Mercouri Award (1997). He was the artistic director of the Dance Theatre of the National Theatre of Northern Greece from 2000 to 2005. He has directed plays from the Greek and international repertoire, musicals, operas, the children’s play Frutopia by Eugene Trivizas and multi-disciplinary productions (Much Ado and Nothing, Bossa Nova, Titanic, Wind for the National Theatre of Greece) in which he combines all of his capacities. Since February 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Greek National Opera Ballet; the first production he choreographed after his assumption of duties was Swan Lake. Since October 2019, he has been president of the school from which he graduated, the Greek National School of Dance.

Ioannis Mandafounis

Ioannis Mandafounis (b. 1981, Athens) studied at the Greek National School of Dance in Athens and continued his studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur in Paris (CNSMDP).
Before becoming a freelance choreographer, he was a member of the Gothenburg Opera Ballet, the Nederlands Dans Theater II, and the Forsythe Company (2005-2009).
In parallel, he started creating his own work, in Athens with Lemurius Company (since 2005), in Geneva with Fabrice Mazliah and their Cie Projet 11 (since 2007), and in Frankfurt with May Zarhy and Fabrice Mazliah and their MAMAZA collective (since 2009). Since 2015, Ioannis assumed personally the artistic direction of his Geneva-based company Cie Ioannis Mandafounis, inviting various artists to collaborate with him in each project.
He has received commissions to create original works for internationally renowned theater and dance companies, such as the Ballet of the Greek National Opera, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, The National Theater of Greece, Corpus (Royal Danish Ballet), the Lyon Opera Ballet in France, Norrdans Sweden etc.
Ioannis also teaches improvisation workshops, and classical ballet classes from his specific approach as a Martial Arts (Budo) practitioner. He has been a guest teacher in the most famous dance institutions in Europe.
In 2015, he received the Swiss Dance Award, in the category of Outstanding Male Dancer.

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The journey of lost things – The sisters project

Greece

Performance for children 6+, teens and adults

“The Journey of Lost Things” is a theatrical dance performance for everyone, ages 6 to 106, that delves into the theme of ‘loss’. Set in a scenography reminiscent of a dusty attic in an old family house, this performance unravels the relationships among three sisters as they navigate through this space and time filled with nostalgia, imagination, secrets, memories, and mystery. Along their journey, they are faced with small as well as bigger losses, ranging from the loss of loved ones and cherished objects to the loss of connection between them and even the loss of time itself.
How do these three young women find support and comfort through each other while developing their own identities? Through a blend of humor and poetry, acrobatics, and mimicry, this performance takes the audience on a fantastical journey where there is room for complexity: laughter and tears, anger, and acceptance.

Credits
Creators/performers: Aggeliki Sakellariou, Ismini Slijper, Mirsini Tsavara
Music editing: Vivi Assariotaki
Music Tracks used: Aggelakas, Giannis. “O Horos”, The Loser Takes it All, Alltogethernow, 2003
Papadopoulos, Babis. “Dance With Fire”, Joy In Pain, Pain in Joy, PUZZLEMUSIK, 2014
“Factualism” by Rave At Your Fictional Borders”
Saber Rider : keys, samplers, loops & fx Marius Mathiszik : guitars, loops & fx Jan Van : drums Dave De Rose : bass & fx, synth melo
“Pluie” – WERA
T. Rex “Cosmic Dancer”, Electric Warrior, Universal International Music, 1971
Fox. Ales “La Galleguita”, To the Gypsies, Coco Musical Inc, 1994
Original music composed by: Vivi Assoriotaki, Leftheris Michailidis
Lighting plan: Giorgos Sintosis
Artwork for marketing: Ariadni Papoutsaki
Trailer/video: Artemis Tzavara
Production: Κoinsep Kykladon ALTERA VITA

The piece has been presented at:
– Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre (Artistic residency), Syros (October 2023)
– H.ug (Human Underground), Athens (January 6 & 7 2024)
– Μ54, Athens (January 20, 2024)

Duration: 35 min.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/PaCxdXjQozM

Ismini Slijper

Born and raised in Amsterdam (1999), Ismini Slijper started dancing at the age of 8. She later studied contemporary dance at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp, from which she graduated in 2020. Together with her fellow students she founded SIDEWARDS (www.sidewards.be), a collective that creates and supports dance productions and organizes cultural events. As part of SIDEWARDS, Ismeni co-created the dance performance “If you want, maybe not” (2021) and organized the festival “FountainFest: The Festival of Femxle Pleasure” (2022). She has worked as a dance teacher in her hometown, Amsterdam, at Het Amsterdams Lyceum (2021-2022). During the last 10 months she has been in Athens, where she has had the opportunity to work with Artogether, a dance company for people with and without disabilities, while co-created two of her own performance projects. The “journey of lost things” and “Co-Habitance”.

Angeliki Sakellariou

Born and raised on the small island of Syros, Angeliki Sakellariou has been dancing since the age of 6. She started with traditional Greek dance and did rhythmic gymnastics for 6 years. She continued as a student at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Center in 2013 and as a participant in the Festival from 2013-2023. From September 2020 she is a member of Artogether, an inclusive dance group based in Athens, coordinated by Katerina Gevetzi. She has participated in various workshops and loves improvisation and authentic movement. She is an occupational therapist, with trainings on Special Education & Training, Adult Education, and Basic Principles of Dance Therapy. During the last years through Erasmus+ KA2 projects she has been working on the creation of educational material for primary school on how to integrate Social-Emotional Learning in the school curriculum (REFLECT project, Compusel), as well as on mindfulness in movement and how it can be used to learn different skills. For the last year she has been co-creator of the ” The journey of lost things», which was first presented in October 2023 as part of the Artistic Residency at Akropoditi in Syros and the accompanying workshop (8-12 years old), which deals with loss through the perspective of children.

Myrsini Tzavara

Born and raised in Syros (2001), Myrsini Tzavarra started dancing at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Center at the age of 8. Since 2019 she has been studying Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art in Athens, where she also attends various contemporary dance classes with different teachers.

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Freedom, at Last – Iraqi Bodies

Iraq – Sweden

Freedom at Last embraces the ultimate. Looming before us, action, and life veiled by stillness. As we sit, silent, anticipating our last freedom, we find that our quest for freedom demands that we endure ourselves, the others, the State, the war, and ultimately the revolution.
The work of Iraqi Bodies explores the link between movement and gesture, between dance and theatre. The development of their artistic practice has been deeply influenced by the likes of Antonin Artaud, Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Copeau and Tatsumi Hijikata while retaining a constant dialogue with thinkers, writers and poets such as Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Charles Baudelaire, Le Comte de Lautréamont, William Shakespeare, Henri Bergson, Krishnamurti and many others.
The poetics of awareness is an absolute given in their continued search for a radical scenic language.
Freedom, at Last was first created for an industrial venue in Gothenburg during the winter of 2022. Since then the piece has found new reiterations with a varying cast of performers and has been presented in Sweden and Italy. For the performance at Akropoditi DanceFest we will be inviting two of  Akropoditi Dance Theatre’s performers, Ariadni Kitsou and Angeliki Ageletaki, to join the rehearsal process and performance of the piece as it finds itself in yet another reiteration in Syros.

Credits
Director: Anmar Taha
Dramaturge: Josephine Gray
With: Maria Freire, Josephine Gray, Ariadni Kitsou, Angeliki Ageletaki
Set design/light/sound/costume/props: Anmar Taha & Josephine Gray
Production: Iraqi Bodies

Duration: 40 min.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/774895928

Anmar Taha

Artistic director of Iraqi Bodies. Graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts–Theater Department in Baghdad Iraq 2005. He holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Contemporary Performing Arts from The University of Gothenburg. An experienced director, actor, and light designer, he has brought his remarkable visions to life for the past 12 years. His works have been presented in festivals around Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Josephine Gray

Artistic director of Iraqi Bodies. She is a graduate of L’ÉcoleInternationale de Théâtre de Jacques Lecoq and holds a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Sheffield. In 2022 she published the anthology Second Nature: Comic Performance and Philosophy together with Dr Lisa Trahair (UNSW, Australia) with Rowman and Littlefield International, London, UK. In 2022 she initiated and directed the studium RADIX which continues on into 2024.

Ariadni Kitsou

She was born in Athens in 1993. She studied in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education at the University of Patras. She graduated from the Greek National School of Dance in 2016 and since then she has worked as a classical and contemporary dance teacher at various dance schools in Athens.
She has also worked as an animator in creative activities for children, as well as a teacher in children’s camps and a yoga teacher for children.
Since 2014 she has collaborated with the Hellenic Dance Company under various performances presented at the Concert Hall, the Athens Epidaurus Festival, and has participated in performances at the Benaki Museum and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
She lives in Syros. She works as a kindergarten teacher and since 2021 is a member of the Akropoditi group and teaches classical and contemporary dance at the Akropoditi Dance and Performing Arts Centre.

Maria Freire

Maria Freire is a performer from Porto, Portugal. She is currently based in Copenhagen where she is completing her 3-year BA in Contemporary Method Acting at CISPA– Copenhagen International School of Performing Arts. In 2023 she is part of the choreographic research-project Prosopon and performed in the piece TERAS and Freedom at Last.

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The fall in between – Alexandros Anastasiadis

Greece – Belgium

This work addresses the critical question of who the individual is when the individual does not define his/her identity through his/her social environment. It examines the subtle ways in which a persona is constructed through each encounter, keeping the individual away from his or her inner self. Placing the performer in the middle of a circle formed by the audience, a cathartic, almost ritualistic process unfolds which equally sheds light on strengths and weaknesses.
It begins by examining the pressure to fulfill the role of performer, which explores the act of offering. By poetically interweaving dance and words, the performer offers the audience material and immaterial goods, the objects of the near and far space, elements of the invisible, the imaginative, but also the emotional perception. Thus he questions generosity and expectations together and in relation to the audience, who are both observers and observed.
Reaching the limits of his capabilities, he reveals the necessity of the audiuence’s input, through observation and external recognition. The performer is faced with the unfulfillable task of sustaining the immaterial contribution of the audience indefinitely, bringing the body into a physicality that struggles against the limits of the possible.
The piece evolves into the release of expectations, culminating in an acceptance of the body’s limitations and ultimately relinquishing the performer’s role as the epicentre of the circle.
This piece is a shared experience that celebrates the courage of fragility.

Credits
Direction/Performance: Alexandros Anastasiadis “Greco”
Rehearsal Director/ Choreographic Assistant: Margherita Dello Sbarba
Dramaturgy: Yasen Vasilev, Greet van Poeck
Text: Alexandros Anastasiadis “Greco”, Margherita Dello Sbarba
Outside eye/Assistance: Margherita Scalise, Maria Pisiou, Florian Hoffmeier
Music: Giotis Damianidis, Joao Lobo, Giovanni Di Domenico
Light design: Ryoya Fudetani
Production & Distribution Support: Rania Mavriki – Cultopia
Support: RADAR Mechelen, ILES Artist Project, CC De Warande, CC De Spil, Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus

The piece has been presented at:
Athens Video Dance Festival 2022 – Greece
Dance Laboratory Rhodes Festival 2022 – Greece
Patras Art Festival 2023 – Greece
Top Floor Festival 2022 – Brussels
OUTSIDE/IN Festival in ARSENAAL/LAZARUS 2023 – Mechelen
Dansstorm Festival 2023 – Mechelen

Duration: 40 min.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/807669982

 

Alexandros Anastasiadis

Alexandros (he/him) is a dance artist raised in Greece. Since graduating from the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in 2017, he has been living in Brussels and working as a performer and dance maker. He is interested in the body as the place where communication happens, where, playfully, we can renew social relations. In his look for dialogue, he is engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations learning and adapting methods and tools from other art forms into the dancing as well as challenging the classical stage format to establish direct contact between performers and audience. He has been creating within collective structures (La Otra Familia) and has been working with Jazz and Improv musicians, making improvised shows, research sessions and jams, with an artistic community outreach. Over the last year he created the group Dans Kapot (along with the band Don Kapot), which made a series of community and interactive performances. Their current project is heading towards a full-scale production with the support of Jazzlab and Kaap. His current solo work “the fall in between” has received thesupport of RADAR Mechelen, the Flemish Community Commission of Brussels, and the Iles Artist Project. As a performer he has participated in five productions of the company Ultima Vez and has also worked for Alexandrer Vantournhout and Julyen Hamilton.
He was invited to direct dance pieces for educational programmes (State Dance school of Thessaloniki, Greece, Fre3 Bodies in Barcelona, Spain) and worked as an artistic coach for dance creations. He teaches dance both through professional workshops in educational platforms and festivals across Europe and through classes for children and communities i.e. for the Atelier Kids of Ultima Vez and for Platform K.

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Cassandra’s Field of Flowers – Tomo Sone

Japan – USA

Through the pandemic, we remembered how vital the connection between people is. Performing arts expanded its value and possibilities beyond the theater. It is important that the performers on stage not only become central figures but also feel the world, move forward, and bring about change with the audience. This durational installation – performance is inspired by traditional Japanese Noh theatre, which exists between life and life after death. Physical expression is also created based on traditional Japanese theatre movements, and the relationship between the performer andprops – especially the mask– is an important aspect of this performance. It is a work that makes us think about the reality, the unreality, the unknown, and the invisible world that spread outside the theater and considers the situation in which human beings are placed.

Credits
Direction, Choreography, Performance, Sound design: Tomo Sone
Costume: Shahar Avnet
Mask: Damselfrau

Duration: 40 min.
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/823573959

 

Tomo Sone

Tomo Sone is a choreographer and performer who is expanding her activity internationally. After she had worked with several ballet companies in Japan, she started to train in contemporary dance and began her career as a choreographer in Israel. Her works have been presented at renowned venues and festivals, such as Suzanne Dellal Center (Israel), Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival (Israel), Gdansk Dance Festival (Poland), the National Arts Festival by the Ministry of Culture in Japan (Japan), and Kyoto Art Center (Japan), among others. She was a finalist in the international solo contest at the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea de la Ciudad de México (Mexico). Her body of work is often based on human relationships, presence, and inner struggles. Her interest is focused mainly on the relationship between humans and their circumstances in life and how people react to the events surrounding them.

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INLET – Saeed Hani

Syria – Germany – Luxembourg 

Saeed Hani, a choreographer, and his international dance ensemble in their performance “Inlet” explore the multifaceted role of walls and borders in human history and contemporary society. Reflecting on personal experiences growing up in the Middle East, Hani questions the glorification of walls and borders, pondering their hindrance to human progress and the right to a free life. Drawing inspiration from the legend of Rome’s founding, where a wall marks a violent beginning, Hani delves into the deeper implications of these barriers. Through his performances, Hani transcends mere dance, aiming to evoke a profound portrayal of human experiences, often employing nudity to offer a pure and unadulterated expression. Preferring to label his work as “Movement Art”, Hani aims to exceed the confines of traditional contemporary dance. “Inlet” seeks to convey not only physical and metaphorical barriers but also a longing for a world devoid of divisions, resonating with Hani’s personal quest for a unified, peaceful coexistence among humanity.

Credits
Choreography: Saeed Hani
Dancers: Anna F. Melero, Michele Scappa, Francesco Ferrari
Costume Design: Carolin Schäfer
Light Design: Marc Thein
Stage Design: Saeed Hani
Music: Jakob Schumo
Trailer: Blackgate Media
Photos INLET: Andrea Galad
Production: HANI DANCE

Duration: 55 min.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/761455414

 

With the support of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg

Saeed Hani

Saeed Hani, a Syrian-German choreographer, dancer, and director of Hani Dance Company, honed his skills at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus before captivating audiences with the Caracalla Dance Company across Europe and Asia. Settling in Trier, Germany, in 2015, he collaborated with renowned companies like Theater Münster and Sommer Ulrickson Company.
Saeed Hani’s work is image-based, focusing on the human body and its power in a situation and environment that creates a moving painting, photo, or sculpture. Internationally acclaimed, Saeed showcased his Art in New York, Finland, Belgium, South Korea, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg Czechia, Ireland, Mexico, and Germany. Since its inception in 2016, Hani Dance, under Saeed’s visionary leadership, has blended talent and cultural diversity, earning acclaim for projects like “ONE NIGHT STAND,” “THE BLIND NARCISSIST,” “OUT OF RANGE,” and “INLET.” His latest piece, “KHAOS,” debuted with a residency at the prestigious Grand Theater Geneva, invited by star choreographer Sidi Larabi Cherkaoui. In September 2024, Saeed Hani is commissioned by the city of Trier to launch the first edition of the “Movement Art International Dance Festival.” Additionally, he will create two new art pieces, one at Görlitz theater in Germany in March 2025 and another at Mierscher Kulturhause in Luxembourg in October 2025. Hani was chosen to be the artist of Grand Luxe for 2024/2025.
www.hanidance.de

Ana F. Melero

Ana F. Melero was born in Seville, Spain. She started to develop her professional career in Leeds, UK, with Phoenix Dance Theatre as an apprentice dancer, performing works by ItzikGalilj, Caroline Finn, and Sharon Watson. There, she works with Möbius Dance, led by Gianluca Vincentini, for two seasons. Nowadays, Ana is a freelance dance artist based in Madrid, She has worked with choreographers such as Sol Picó, Isabel Vázquez, Victoria P.Miranda, Saeed Hani, Giovanni Zazzera, Manuela Barrero, and Xián Martínez. She also worked as a dancer for Ópera in Teatro de la Zarzuela and Teatro de la Maestranza. KHAOS is her second project with Hani Dance. She is also developing her choreographic interest with the Colectivo Banquet, touring pieces for nonconventional spaces in different festivals in Spain. She trained in contemporary dance at Conservatorio Profesional de Danza María de Ávila, Madrid, and graduated with an MA in Contemporary Choreography from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.

Michele Scappa

Michele Scappa is a dancer, who is investigating more and more the idea of corporeality through the research of physical theatre, improvisation, and authorship. He studied as a dancer at Opus Ballet to then concluded his studies at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, where he achieved a Master in Contemporary Dance Performance with Distinction. Inside the program VERVE he danced for Hannes Langolf, Sita Ostheimer, Lenka Vagnerova, and Matthew Robinson. Afterwards he took part in the creation process of ‘Vocabulary of Need’ by Yuval Pick at CCNR of Lyon. From the start of the pandemic, he focused on discovering Italian realities, collaborating with Kinkaleri, Sofia Nappi, Company Blu, Cie Twain, Gruppo Nanou, and Luna Cenere. Michele is currently based in Tuscany, where he also studies Psychology at the University of Florence and where he collaborates with Sara Capanna e Barbara Carulli for the development of the project Tracce | Looking for a place to die, co-produced by Anghiari Dance Hub and Company Blu, and winner of Theodor Rawyler 2022 award.

Francesco Ferrari

Francesco Ferrari was born and raised in Italy. After graduating from London Contemporary Dance School in 2013, Francesco joined the Scottish Dance Theatre under the Postgraduate apprenticeship scheme. He remained with the company as a full-time dancer until 2018, when he started freelancing and working on various projects mainly across the UK, Belgium, France, and Lebanon. He worked with renowned international choreographers such as Damien Jalet, Anton Lachky, and Jo Stromgren amongst others.The most recent production he took part in is ‘Planet [wanderer]’ by Damien Jalet/Kohei Nawa and commissioned by Théâtre National de Chaillot. Last November he also premiered ‘Cents Mille Façons de Parler’ by Maqamat, directed by Omar Rajeh.

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Windows of displacement – Akeim Toussaint Buck

Jamaica – UK

Issues surrounding migration, home, borders, and identity pose some of the biggest questions of our time. Akeim Toussaint Buck addresses these and more in his timely, dance theatre solo show: Windows of Displacement. Through the contextual lens of imperialism, colonialism and global displacement, he weaves a story that speaks to the lived experiences and human lives that are entangled in the politics of power and oppression.

It always sounds a bit pompous to describe a show as being ‘important’, but that’s exactly what Windows of Displacement is. The fact that it manages to deliver its message while still being accessible, thought-provoking and immensely uplifting is a tribute to its creator.
John Murphy, taken from a review written for Exeunt Magazine 2018

Using his own journey of migration from Jamaica to the UK as a catalyst, Akeim Toussaint Buck brings together dance, spoken word and song to tell a story that is both deeply personal and universal. Through delving into his own journey, the audience is presented with a recent history of humanity. In this way, Toussaint Buck presents the threads connecting oppression, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the current mining and exploitation of the Congo, from the micro to the macro, from the past to present.

Credits
Written and Performed by Akeim Toussaint Buck.
Dramaturge and Co Writer: Zodwa Nyoni
Gold Dust Director: Amanda Huxtable
Sound:
Akeim Toussaint Buck: Maroon (voice)
Otis Jones: Congas
Dizaya Khupe: Child (voice)
Otis Jones: Guitar
Furaha Mussanzi: Congo (voice)
Burning Spear: Jordan River
Visual Designer: Akeelah Bertram
Lighting Designer: Mark Baker & Matthew Rose Radway

Duration: 54 min.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt91e2s32zU&t=1s

 

Akeim Toussaint Buck

Akeim Toussaint Buck is a multifaceted performer and maker, born in Jamaica and raised in England. Graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2014, Toussaint Buck has been involved in many cross disciplinary projects working with a range of artists and communities from around the world. His focus as a maker is to combine expressive skills such as: dance, poetry, beat-box, singing and acting to deliver experiences that move people. The work aims to challenge, enlighten and entertain the spectator and participant. Audiences are not just observers; they are implicit in the experience. The work aims to reflect on reality, looking at ongoing socio-political situations with a humanitarian intention. Akeim’s choreography and performance work includes: Snakebox’s PLAY, Windows of Displacement, Reckoning, Sib Y Osis, Beatmotion and Souls & Cells. Film work includes Galvanise& Displaced etc. Movement Director credits include Far Gone, Carnival Chronicles, Idol, High Rise Estate Of Mind, Nine Night. Curated events Snakebox & Friends and Radical Visions.
www.toussainttomove.com

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Contemporary dance – Eirini Apostolatou

ARTICULATED DYNAMICS
Contemporary dance workshop

The class will involve strong, complex, technical, and physical sequences, focusing on the details, clarity and articulation. We will work on speed, spacing, falling and jumping as physical actions. Diving in and out of the floor, traveling through it and learning how to use it when we dance, is one big factor which this class will encourage the dancer to be highly physical and playful. Utilizing spatial awareness and sensitivity, we will work with qualities of movement. The sequences and tasks presented throughout the workshop will challenge the individual limitation and invite us to go beyond them.

Ages: Teenagers and adults
Level: –professionals and amateurs– with previous (even short) experience in movement

Photo credit:

Eirini Apostolatou

Eirini Apostolatou is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher, and the artistic director of the Patras Art Festival – PAF and the Art Evolution Studio in Patras. She graduated from the Greek National School of Dance with honours, and pursued her postgraduate studies at the Jasmin Vardimon Company (JV2 Professional Development Diploma), with whom she embarked on her first tour. She has collaborated with Cirkus Cirkör, the Jasmin Vardimon Company, the Royal Opera House London, Linda Kapetanea & Jozef Fruček, Johannes Wieland, Anton Lachky, Out of Order, Christine Gouzelis & Paul Blackman, David Lloyd, Maria Lappa and other choreographers in Greece and abroad. She worked as a production assistant and choreographer on the performance Enheduanna, which toured Palestine and Serbia (2019). In addition, she has presented her own choreographic creations such as Anavra, What remains, Cells, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Articulated Dynamics, Fission, I Want to Show You Something, Phaedra, Meeting Point, Sway and Duet in major European institutions. In 2013 she developed her own teaching method, Articulated Dynamics, which she continues to teach all over the world.

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Voice and Movement – Akeim Toussaint Buck

Beatmotion
Voice and Movement Workshop 

Beatmotion is a practice of voice/vocality and movement that I started developing in 2015. It started off as a practice of simply merging beatboxing/singing with dance and has further developed into a sophisticated, fun tool for choreography and character exploration. Deconstructing words into syllabic forms, creating improv compositions with vocal scores and seeking a deeper understanding of movement dynamics whilst communicating with vocal sound. This leads into creating accompaniment and sound effects for our dance, learning the: motor, counter, interlocker game and more. Inviting an acute listening and connecting with fellow performers to create orchestral musicality in both our dance and sound, unearthing new dynamics to play with. This is all explored using practices created with a combination of singing and movement improvisation ideas. It is always a joy and liberation to share this practice as it invites us to be open minded and challenge what our artistic expression can look like, sound like and feel like.

Ages: 18+
Level: Mixed group of professionals and students

Photo credit:

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsBhRKMI1Ah/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu7thuao-Hp/

 

Akeim Toussaint Buck

Akeim Toussaint Buck is a multifaceted performer and maker, born in Jamaica and raised in England. GraduatingfromNorthernSchool of Contemporary Dance in 2014, Toussaint Buck has been involved in many cross disciplinary projects working with a range of artists and communities from around the world. His focus as a maker is to combine expressive skills such as: dance, poetry, beat-box, singing and acting to deliver experiences that move people. The work aims to challenge, enlighten and entertain the spectator and participant. Audiences are not just observers; they are implicit in the experience. The work aims to reflect on reality, looking at ongoing socio-political situations with a humanitarian intention. Akeim’s choreography and performance work includes: Snakebox’s PLAY, Windows of Displacement, Reckoning, Sib Y Osis, Beatmotion and Souls & Cells. Film work includes Galvanise & Displaced etc. Movement Director credits include Far Gone, Carnival Chronicles, Idol, High Rise Estate Of Mind, Nine Night. Curated events Snakebox & Friends and Radical Vision institutions. In 2013 she developed her own teaching method, Articulated Dynamics, which she continues to teach all over the world.

Contemporary Dance – Saeed Hani 1024 1024 akropoditi13

Contemporary Dance – Saeed Hani

Harmony
Contemporary Dance Workshop

Embark on an electrifying journey with Saeed Hani’s dance workshop! Immerse yourself in a pulsating world of improvisation, where rhythmic, shake-based movements weave a tapestry of communal connection. Feel the energy resonate as dancers explore proximity, awakening sensitivity through shared vibrations. Dive into the dance, where bodies become instruments of exploration, blurring the lines between manipulator and manipulated. Saeed Hani’s dynamic approach transforms the workshop into a dance of contagious qualities, where each participant infects others with their unique movement essence. Join this exhilarating practice of connection, where dancers delve deeper into self-discovery by absorbing and interpreting the rich qualities of their peers. Get ready to unleash creativity and movement magic!

Ages: 16+
Level: professionals and amateurs with a passion for dance

Photo credit:

Saeed Hani

Saeed Hani, a Syrian-German choreographer, dancer, and director of Hani Dance Company, honed his skills at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus before captivating audiences with the Caracalla Dance Company across Europe and Asia. Settling in Trier, Germany, in 2015, he collaborated with renowned companies like Theater Münster and Sommer Ulrickson Company.
Saeed Hani’s work is image-based, focusing on the human body and its power in a situation and environment that creates a moving painting, photo, or sculpture. Internationally acclaimed, Saeed showcased his Art in New York, Finland, Belgium, South Korea, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg Czechia, Ireland, Mexico, and Germany. Since its inception in 2016, Hani Dance, under Saeed’s visionary leadership, has blended talent and cultural diversity, earning acclaim for projects like “ONE NIGHT STAND,” “THE BLIND NARCISSIST,” “OUT OF RANGE,” and “INLET.” His latest piece, “KHAOS,” debuted with a residency at the prestigious Grand Theater Geneva, invited by star choreographer Sidi LarabiCherkaoui. In September 2024, Saeed Hani is commissioned by the city of Trier to launch the first edition of the “Movement Art International Dance Festival.” Additionally, he will create two new art pieces, one at GörlitzStadttheater in Germany in March 2025 and another at MierscherKulturhause in Luxembourg in October 2025. Hani was chosen to be the artist of Grand Luxe for 2024/2025.

With the support of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg

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