Renowned Greek choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou will present a spectacle for the first time in Bulgaria.
THE GREAT TAMER by Dimitris Papaioannou will be performed on September 28th and 29th at “Boris Hristov” House of Culture – Plovdiv starting at 19:30 as part of ONE DANCE WEEK 2018.
We are pleased to introduce the most successful and prominent Balkan artist in the field of contemporary performing arts. Many people recognize Dimitris Papaioannou as creative director of the spectacular official ceremonies for the Athens Olympics (2004 ) and the first ever European Games in Baku (2015)
THE GREAT TAMER is a new jewel in Dimitris Papaioannou’s vivid career.
The spectacle explores human life as a journey of discovery, an exploration for hidden treasure, an inner archaeological excavation for meaning. The talented Greek artist juggles with art history references, various practices of expression and performing, and ideas about our origins. The scenery, typically for Dimitris Papaioannou’s works, is magic for the senses. Wooden floor panels float like waves, doors suddenly appear underneath, human bodies fuse into hybrid creatures. Ten dancers leave bare naked the taboos of death and the body.
THE GREAT TAMER premiered last year in Onassis Cultural Centre – Athens. In Plovdiv, audiences will have the chance to see the show before its premiere in London. “THE GREAT TAMER” has been presented in prestigious festivals and theaters across two continents, including Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Naples, Stockholm, Seul, and Taipei. It is now a part of ONE DANCE WEEK‘s 2018 programme. The festival will be held in Plovdiv from September 21st to October 14th.
Dimitris Papaioannou was born in Athens in 1964.
He was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis and graduated from the Athens School of Fine Arts. He started working as a painter and comics artist before reaching world recognition as director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, makeup, and lighting.
In 1986, he formed Edafos Dance Theatre. It was where he presented original stage productions, hybrids of physical theatre, performance and experimental dance for 17 years. Papaioannou became widely known as the creator of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games (2004). Later, he continued directing avant-garde productions for big theaters in Greece and Europe. In 2015, he created the Opening Ceremony for the first ever European Games in Baku.
Papaioannou was awarded numerous prizes, including Special Award of European Theater Awards (2017) for his “total theater with an obvious maturity of expression”. In 2018, Dimitris became the first artist to create a new, full-length work for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.
ONE DANCE WEEK is organized by ONE Foundation for Culture and Arts and is a part of the program of Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture 2019. The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria.