Programme

#minaret

For nearly 1,000 years the #minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo soared above Syria’s largest city. It now lies in ruins. The war destroyed what once represented the White city’s soul, one of the most ancient and great achievements of human history, culture, and knowledge. Today Aleppo is what Beirut, Jerusalem, Grozny or Berlin were yesterday. Everything is shifting, turning around us – and is remembered as the winning oppressors’ want.

We experience the turmoil of human, social, religious, and political conflicts. A ‘big bazar’ of lost human values and brainwashed minds. We witness a sickening applause to extremism, conservatism, and fanaticism. What do we do when humans and cities, ideas and culture, the past and the future are being destroyed? Can we stop the war? Can we act, resist ‘numbing’, or have we become accustomed to the everyday dark news reports from this troubled region?

Renowned Lebanese contemporary choreographer, Omar Rajeh has chosen Plovdiv to present a pre-premiere of his newest production #minaret.

#minaret stands against the numbing, the non-acting position to the vast destruction and violations of human rights. #minaret is Rajeh’s new performance of resistance against the war “normality” and the abstraction of the violence for the ones watching both far away and nearby.

He is among Arab star choreographers on the world’s contemporary stage with many European presentations and coproductions. He doesn’t want to scare us, or to impose on us a certain opinion. His performance focuses on the specific moment of questioning our position and where we stand. For that dance, art may initiate change. Especially in this troubled part of the world.

Pre-premiere – 21 September 2018, ONE DANCE WEEK, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

World premiere – 29 – 30 September 2018, RomaEuropa festival, Rome, Italy

ALEPPO

Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo, one of the greatest and oldest cities, has a central political and cultural significance for Arabic traditional and classic culture, especially in music.

Aleppo’s faith is similar to that of other important Arab cities in the region, such as Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Beirut which have been deprived of their roles, either through destruction, occupation, aggression, extremism, or poverty. These different cities that once were, each in its own way, the ‘minarets’ of the Arab culture have sunk into radicalization, ignorance, and reticence.

Looking into the culture and heritage and ‘re-visiting’ it seems extremely vital these days. Not to evoke nationalistic ideas but to cherish human culture and values of openness, diversity, refinement, and tolerance, that once were at the forefront of a city such as Aleppo.

OMAR RAJEH

Omar Rajeh is a choreographer, dancer and artistic director of Omar Rajeh | Maqamat. He established his company in Beirut in 2002 after studying dance in Lebanon and in England. He has created 15 powerful performances and has toured throughout the Arab World and Europe, in addition to Canada and Korea.

Renowned as the founder of the contemporary dance scene in Lebanon, Omar Rajeh entwines in his work major social and political issues inspired by the everyday life of the city of Beirut where he lives. He is continuously questioning the individual presence and the physicality of ‘the body’ within a socio-political and human context.

OMAR RAJEH | MAQAMAT

Omar Rajeh | Maqamat aims at establishing a platform for innovation, experimentation, and continuous development of the contemporary dance culture in Lebanon and the Arab Region. By introducing new ideas and concepts of dance and ‘the body’, the company anticipates a new phase of artistic and social productivity, creativity, modernization, and free expression.

The company was founded by Omar Rajeh in Beirut in 2002. It quickly emerged as a central organization in the creation and development of contemporary dance in Lebanon. It has supported, produced, and presented works for local emerging artists. The troupe collaborates with artists from the whole region, Europ, and Asia. One of the most important achievements of the company was the creation of BIPOD – Beirut International Platform of Dance 14 years ago.

Duration: 60 minutes

Concept & Choreography Omar Rajeh 

Music Composition Mahmoud Turkmani  & Pablo Palacio

Performed by Antonia Kruschel, Charlie Prince, Mia Habis, Moonsuk Choi, Omar Rajeh, Yamila Khodr 

Live Music by Joss Turnbull (percussion), Mahmoud Turkmani (oud), Pablo Palacio (interactive sonification), Ziad El Ahmadie (oud)

Real-Time Movement Analysis Technology Instituto Stocos

Voice Naim Asmar

Lighting Guy Hoare 

Video artist Ygor Gama 

Drone operator Hadi Bou Ayash 

Costumes Mia Habis

Technical director Christian Francois

Sound engineer Philippe Balzé 

Tour manager Aimee Kepa 

A production of Omar Rajeh | Maqamat

Co-produced by: Romaeuropa Festival, BIPOD, HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts Dresden

With the support of Tanzfabrik Berlin, Charleroi Danse and apap – advancing performing arts project, Tanzfabrik Berlin

 Dance floor kindly supplied by Harlequin Flooring

Images by: Stephan Floss

【K(-A-)O】& [LOVE]

Japanese choreographer Kenji Shinohe presents two solo dance performances related to the modern human life. In【K(-A-)O】, he explores how we express emotions with the keyboard symbols of the information era. What is hiding behind all the emoticons we exchange on a daily basis? Are virtual smiles honest? How can we get back our feelings? [LOVE] is a short story about before to start love. How can we love someone or ourselves without any originality?

KENJI SHINOHE

A dancer and choreographer, Kenji Shinohe graduated from the Nihon University College of Art and received a scholarship from that university to study at Germany’s Folkwang University of the Arts. Currently living in Essen, he performs as a soloist and leads Die Tokyo Dance Crew and ELTEN. He has received the Grand Prize and Audience Award at the choreography competition at the International Dance Theater Festival in Germany and the Prime Minister Cup, the Sawamoto Tokumi Prize, and the SAF Special Prize in Japan.

【K(-A-)O】

…On the internet, we can have a neutral face even if we are happy or sad during a communication, or pretend another emotion which we don’t feel in the present moment. But we send emoticons and symbols according to our own feelings. While doing so, all the infinite expressions and emotion of a human being become poorer and less complex.

Duration: 20 minutes

Choreography and performance: Kenji Shinohe

[LOVE]

Kenji Shinohe goes on stage surrounded by regular objects – a T-shirt, a sign, a smartphone. He illustrates the dominant culture. He follows the others. Just a normal artist. Just a normal human being. Nothing original. How can he love something or somebody without being like everybody else?

Duration: 20 minutes

Choreography and performance: Kenji Shinohe

Dramaturgy: Ritsuko Matsuoka

Special thanks to Aaron Samuel Davis & Ellena Lois Iskandar

THE GREAT TAMER

THE GREAT TAMER displays the idea that human life can be seen as a journey of discovery, an exploration for hidden treasure, an inner archaeological excavation for meaning. For nearly 3 decades, Dimitris Papaioannou has been staging new worlds described as a dreamlike absurd circus. Human bodies become battlegrounds, interacting with raw materials, fusing into hybrids, giving rise to optical illusions that make his work outstanding.

Parental Guidance: this performance may be inappropriate for children under 14.

Papaioannou’s education as classical painter in fine arts gives his performances a strong visual feel, spectacular scenery, and memorable visuals. The talented Greek artist juggles with art history references, various practices of expression and performing, and ideas about our origins. His aim is to shed light on the sacred in the mundane.

THE GREAT TAMER premiered in Onassis Cultural Centre – Athens (2017). Since then, the show has been presented in some of the most prestigious and notable festivals and theater venues on 2 continents, including in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Naples, Stockholm, Seoul and Taipei. Among many positive reviews, KATHIMERINI newspaper described THE GREAT TAMER as a “gallery of truth”, while El Periódico called it a “journey to the most hidden places of existence”.

*The performance contains nudity.

THE GREAT TAMER

THE GREAT TAMER is the universe as it would be seen by a child. Or maybe a fool. Or maybe just a true artist. – Chiara Reale, racnamagazine.it

The spectacular tableau vivant of Dimitris Papaioannou is exquisite food for the senses. The Great Tamer is a very rewarding intake; Addictive to the eye. – Juan Carlos Olivares Padilla, EL PAÍS

THE GREAT TAMER is the perfect answer from the country that has been saddled with the reputation that it once invented our political values and our theater. – Wijbrand Schaap, cultureelpersbureau.nl

DIMITRIS PAPAIOANNOU

Papaioannou is the author of 25 productions ranging from mass spectacles with thousands of performers to intimate pieces. For nearly 3 decades, his surreal, spectacular and deep spectacles have been a paragon in the world of performing arts. Papaioannou is an artist for every stage and have appeared in a wide variety of venues – from his famous underground squat theatre in Athens, to the ancient theatre in Epidaurus, and from Olympic stadiums to Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, and Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.

He is awarded numerous prizes, including the Special Award of European Theater Awards (2017) for his “total theater with an obvious maturity of expression”. In 2018, Dimitris will become the first artist to create a new, full-length work for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Born in Athens in 1964, Dimitris Papaioannou gained early recognition as a painter and comics artist, before his focus shifted to the performing arts, as director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, makeup, and lighting. He was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis before studying at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

In 1986, he formed Edafos Dance Theatre as an initial vehicle for his original stage productions, hybrids of physical theatre, experimental dance, and performance art.

Originating in the underground scene, the company challenged perceptions and gained an expanding number of dedicated followers. MEDEA (1993) marked the company’s transition to big theatres and is considered its iconic work. The Edafos company spanned 17 years, to 2002, and set its indelible stamp on the arts scene in Greece.

Papaioannou became widely known in 2004, as the creator of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. In 2006, with his production ‘2’, he found himself in the odd position of creating avant-garde works in major theatres in Athens. The works enjoyed record-breaking long runs, with over 100.000 tickets sold.

In 2009, he began using this platform to create theatrical experiments on a large scale: NOWHERE (2009) for the inauguration of the renovated Greek National Theatre and INSIDE (2011) for the Pallas Theater. In 2012, stripping down his work to bare essentials, he created PRIMAL MATTER for the Athens Festival, with him back on stage after a ten-year absence.

On the same quest for simplicity, he created STILL LIFE (2014), the first work that toured extensively in Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.

In 2015, he created the Opening Ceremony for the First European Games in Baku.

In 2017, he created THE GREAT TAMER, his first international co-commissioned work with ten co-producers, including the Festival d’Avignon. THE GREAT TAMER is on an international tour, scheduled until 2019.

Duration: 100 minutes

Conceived, Visualized, and Directed by Dimitris Papaioannou

Performers: Pavlina Andriopoulou, Costas Chrysafidis, Dimitris Kitsos, Ioannis Michos, Evangelia Randou, Kalliopi Simou, Drossos Skotis, Christos Strinopoulos, Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Alex Vangelis

Set Design + Art Direction in collaboration with Tina Tzoka

Artistic Collaborator for costumes Aggelos Mendis

Lighting Designed in collaboration with Evina Vassilakopoulou

Artistic Collaborator for Sound Giorgos Poulios

Sound Design Kostas Michopoulos

Music Johann Strauss II, An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314

Music Adaptation Stephanos Droussiotis

Sculpture Design Nectarios Dionysatos

Costume – Props Painting Maria Ilia

Creative – Executive Producer + Assistant Director Tina Papanikolaou

Assistant Director Stephanos Droussiotis

Assistant Director + Rehearsal Director Pavlina Andriopoulou

Technical Director Manolis Vitsaxakis

Stage Manager Dinos Nikolaou

Assistant Sound Engineer and operation Nicholas Kazazis

Assistant to the Set Designer – Set Painter Mary Antοnopoulou

Assistants to the Sculptor Maria Papaioannou + Konstantinos Kotsis

Production Assistant Tzela Christopoulou

Tour Manager + International Relations Julian Mommert

Executive Production Assistant Kali Kavvatha

Produced by Onassis Cultural Centre – Athens (Greece)

Co-produced by CULTURESCAPES Greece 2017 (Switzerland), Dansens Hus Sweden (Sweden), EdM Productions, Festival d’Avignon (France), Fondazione Campania dei Festival – Napoli Teatro Festival Italia (Italy), Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), National Performing Arts Center-National Theater & Concert Hall | NPAC-NTCH (Taiwan), Seoul Performing Arts Festival | SPAF (Korea), Théâtre de la Ville – Paris / La Villette – Paris (France)

Executive Producer 2WORKS

With the support of ALPHA BANK and MEGARON – THE ATHENS CONCERT HALL

Images: Julian Mommert

AN ADDITIONAL DATE: THE GREAT TAMER

THIRD ADDITIONAL DATE ANNOUNCED FOR THE PERFORMANCE THE GREAT TAMER BY DIMITRIS PAPAIOANNOU

THE GREAT TAMER displays the idea that human life can be seen as a journey of discovery, an exploration for hidden treasure, an inner archaeological excavation for meaning. For nearly 3 decades, Dimitris Papaioannou has been staging new worlds described as a dreamlike absurd circus. Human bodies become battlegrounds, interacting with raw materials, fusing into hybrids, giving rise to optical illusions that make his work outstanding.

Parental Guidance: this performance may be inappropriate for children under 14.

Papaioannou’s education as classical painter in fine arts gives his performances a strong visual feel, spectacular scenery, and memorable visuals. The talented Greek artist juggles with art history references, various practices of expression and performing, and ideas about our origins. His aim is to shed light on the sacred in the mundane.

THE GREAT TAMER premiered in Onassis Cultural Centre – Athens (2017). Since then, the show has been presented in some of the most prestigious and notable festivals and theater venues on 2 continents, including in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Naples, Stockholm, Seoul and Taipei. Among many positive reviews, KATHIMERINI newspaper described THE GREAT TAMER as a “gallery of truth”, while El Periódico called it a “journey to the most hidden places of existence”.

*The performance contains nudity.

THE GREAT TAMER

THE GREAT TAMER is the universe as it would be seen by a child. Or maybe a fool. Or maybe just a true artist. – Chiara Reale, racnamagazine.it

The spectacular tableau vivant of Dimitris Papaioannou is exquisite food for the senses. The Great Tamer is a very rewarding intake; Addictive to the eye. – Juan Carlos Olivares Padilla, EL PAÍS

THE GREAT TAMER is the perfect answer from the country that has been saddled with the reputation that it once invented our political values and our theater. – Wijbrand Schaap, cultureelpersbureau.nl

DIMITRIS PAPAIOANNOU

Papaioannou is the author of 25 productions ranging from mass spectacles with thousands of performers to intimate pieces. For nearly 3 decades, his surreal, spectacular and deep spectacles have been a paragon in the world of performing arts. Papaioannou is an artist for every stage and have appeared in a wide variety of venues – from his famous underground squat theatre in Athens, to the ancient theatre in Epidaurus, and from Olympic stadiums to Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, and Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.

He is awarded numerous prizes, including the Special Award of European Theater Awards (2017) for his “total theater with an obvious maturity of expression”. In 2018, Dimitris will become the first artist to create a new, full-length work for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Born in Athens in 1964, Dimitris Papaioannou gained early recognition as a painter and comics artist, before his focus shifted to the performing arts, as director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, makeup, and lighting. He was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis before studying at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

In 1986, he formed Edafos Dance Theatre as an initial vehicle for his original stage productions, hybrids of physical theatre, experimental dance, and performance art.

Originating in the underground scene, the company challenged perceptions and gained an expanding number of dedicated followers. MEDEA (1993) marked the company’s transition to big theatres and is considered its iconic work. The Edafos company spanned 17 years, to 2002, and set its indelible stamp on the arts scene in Greece.

Papaioannou became widely known in 2004, as the creator of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. In 2006, with his production ‘2’, he found himself in the odd position of creating avant-garde works in major theatres in Athens. The works enjoyed record-breaking long runs, with over 100.000 tickets sold.

In 2009, he began using this platform to create theatrical experiments on a large scale: NOWHERE (2009) for the inauguration of the renovated Greek National Theatre and INSIDE (2011) for the Pallas Theater. In 2012, stripping down his work to bare essentials, he created PRIMAL MATTER for the Athens Festival, with him back on stage after a ten-year absence.

On the same quest for simplicity, he created STILL LIFE (2014), the first work that toured extensively in Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.

In 2015, he created the Opening Ceremony for the First European Games in Baku.

In 2017, he created THE GREAT TAMER, his first international co-commissioned work with ten co-producers, including the Festival d’Avignon. THE GREAT TAMER is on an international tour, scheduled until 2019.

Duration: 100 minutes

Conceived, Visualized, and Directed by Dimitris Papaioannou

Performers: Pavlina Andriopoulou, Costas Chrysafidis, Dimitris Kitsos, Ioannis Michos, Evangelia Randou, Kalliopi Simou, Drossos Skotis, Christos Strinopoulos, Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Alex Vangelis

Set Design + Art Direction in collaboration with Tina Tzoka

Artistic Collaborator for costumes Aggelos Mendis

Lighting Designed in collaboration with Evina Vassilakopoulou

Artistic Collaborator for Sound Giorgos Poulios

Sound Design Kostas Michopoulos

Music Johann Strauss II, An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314

Music Adaptation Stephanos Droussiotis

Sculpture Design Nectarios Dionysatos

Costume – Props Painting Maria Ilia

Creative – Executive Producer + Assistant Director Tina Papanikolaou

Assistant Director Stephanos Droussiotis

Assistant Director + Rehearsal Director Pavlina Andriopoulou

Technical Director Manolis Vitsaxakis

Stage Manager Dinos Nikolaou

Assistant Sound Engineer and operation Nicholas Kazazis

Assistant to the Set Designer – Set Painter Mary Antοnopoulou

Assistants to the Sculptor Maria Papaioannou + Konstantinos Kotsis

Production Assistant Tzela Christopoulou

Tour Manager + International Relations Julian Mommert

Executive Production Assistant Kali Kavvatha

Produced by Onassis Cultural Centre – Athens (Greece)

Co-produced by CULTURESCAPES Greece 2017 (Switzerland), Dansens Hus Sweden (Sweden), EdM Productions, Festival d’Avignon (France), Fondazione Campania dei Festival – Napoli Teatro Festival Italia (Italy), Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), National Performing Arts Center-National Theater & Concert Hall | NPAC-NTCH (Taiwan), Seoul Performing Arts Festival | SPAF (Korea), Théâtre de la Ville – Paris / La Villette – Paris (France)

Executive Producer 2WORKS

With the support of ALPHA BANK and MEGARON – THE ATHENS CONCERT HALL

Images: Julian Mommert

NIGHT

Don’t underestimate the night. It is more vivid than you imagine. Anything can happen during the night. Anywhere.

Outskirts, wetlands, non-places beyond the suburbs. Debris, wastes, splinters. Spaces of all kinds of castaways.

The extreme tension of a black hole. The wild and chaotic energy. Emotions ready to explode… Limit, challenge, overcoming. Excess, intensity, release. Flat tires. Bodies with mouths, uncertain ground, wing vibrations.

In NIGHT, a trio of men and a DJ step into the dark territories in search of new clarities. This intensely physical and emotional dance in dialogue with live music is questioning our language and aesthetics, digging into the ground of improvisation and exploding unexpectedly onstage.

It is in the night when seeds of creativity grow best. It is the night where the famous poet Al Berto found the truth of writing. The dancers at first intended to praise his poems – cities’ undergrounds, the dimensions of his universe, the special light and clarity that only the awaken one could see. But then the night took them on another road.

NIGHT is not suitable for children under 16 years of age.

“The abyss is this bright line between night and dusk.”

– back then we were just two friends and a dog
we had the whole world just for ourselves

– we run

– we have the flight of the heart at our fingertips

– it’s night
let’s be silent for a while
let’s also forget time
it’s time to allucinate

NIGHT

In “Night”, a powerful performance, significant and of great lucidity, a dialogue and a metaphysical reflection on light and darkness are developed. (…)
We are facing an aesthetic and poetic turn of Circolando, however, both the use of scenic materials as the meticulous lighting, the extraordinary musical score and the scene plays show us an extraordinary job, supported by an intense physicality and body language.

The dramatic intensity is present all through the work, but there are moments that disturb us to the limit.

– Manuel Sesma Sanz, Artezblai

CIRCOLANDO

Circolando is a transdisciplinary artistic company founded by André Braga and Cláudia Figueiredo in 1999. Their productions combine dance, circus, and theater, with strong input from other creation fields: poetry, visual arts, music, video. The creators’ initial affinity to circus lays within the name of the company. Today, what dominates in their works is the circle and the act of circulating – the choice to make our way in the frontier spaces.

The troupe is actively collaborating with some of most prestigious cultural structures in Portugal as well as with prominent artist from various fields. Their productions have been presented all over the world, including in Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Morocco, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, South Korea and China

Circolando is settled in the former power plant of Freixo, Porto, current functioning as Support Centre for the Creation of Cultural Enterprises (CACE Cultural do Porto). The company is also regularly hosting artistic creations residences and training programs in and out of doors.

Duration: 90 minutes

Creation: André Braga, Cláudia Figueiredo, Paulo Mota, Ricardo Machado

Direction: André Braga

Dramaturgy: Cláudia Figueiredo

Interpretation: André Braga, Ricardo Machado, Ana Isabel Castro

DJ and sound modelling: André Pires

Plastic Conception: André Braga, Nuno Brandão, Sandra Neves

Light design: Francisco Tavares Teles

Technical coordination: João Abreu

Production: Ana Carvalhosa (direction), Cláudia Santos

Photography: José Caldeira, Paulo Pimenta, Lauren Maganete, José Frade, Paulo Pacheco

Graphic design: Elsa Oliveira

Coproduction: Circolando, Teatro Municipal do Porto, São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Centro Cultural de Ílhavo

Creation residence: Centro Cultural Gafanha da Nazaré, Teatro Municipal Campo Alegre

Circolando is a structure subsidized by Governo de Portugal – Secretário de Estado da Cultura / Genral Directorate of Arts

Other support: IEFP / Cace Cultural do Porto

Images: Jose Caldeira and Paulo Pimenta

ATMA

ATMA is a co-production of ONE DANCE WEEK,
Big Story Performing Arts Services
Centre Cívic de la Barceloneta

We think that we defeated nature and our animal instincts. That we are the most supreme of all living species. That we top the food chain. The stronger one always wins, right? Dictating in our comfort zone, we no longer find space and time to reach what always brings us peace. It turned out that we ut off the fundamental relationship with the rest of living word. In ATMA, animals and humans become a single creature with the ability to constantly change its forms. It tells us stories about survival, vulnerabilities and the primal desire to dominate.

Merging their bodies, two artists will present the metamorphosis of a beetle, the wisdom of a sacred elephant, ancient totem animals used for shamanism, and a snow leopard (Panthera uncia) coming to life by the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Firstly, the leopard will be chasing a blue sheep in the mountains. Secondly, the beast will be chased by a hunter who wants a trophy to hang on his wall a fur to wear.

ATMA is a demonstration of the human race’s behavior towards its environment, along with the painful reality of humans exploiting the Earth. Rising Greek dancers Danae Dimitriadi and Dionysios Alamanos are taking us to a dream-like space where the human superiority over animals does not exist. This might be a utopia, but these bright dancers invite us at least to imagine it. What if it was true?

AWARDS

XL Production Award, Conny Janssen Danst Production Award, and Club Guy&Roni Production Award from the 1st edition of the Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition (2018)

ATMA

As long as humans continue to be the ruthless destroyer of other beings, we will never know health or peace. For as long as people massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, those who sow the seed of murder and pain will never reap joy or love. – Pythagoras

My goal is simple. All I want to do is re-connect people with animals. Awaken some emotions and some feelings and some logic, that is being buried and suppressed, internationally, by our society. – Gary Yourofski, animal rights activist

ATMA is the first full-evening production choreographed by Danae Dimitriadi and Dionysios Alamanos. It is a development of their ten-minutes duet with the same name completed in 2016 and toured around Greece and in several international festivals.

Danae and Dionysios are two emerging Greek artists highly concerned by the future of the Earth. Their work brings together contemporary dance language, Greek inspirational aesthetics and powerful messages about the necessity of humanity to feel more concerned and act in the future. Led by strong convictions in their work, Danae and Dionysios are soon expected to stand out among the brightest Greek artists of their generation.

DIONYSIOS ALAMANOS

Born in Athens, Greece and raised in Zante Island, Dionysios Alamanos started his education at the School of Music and Arts of the Ionian Islands at a young age. He began experimenting with various styles of street dance alongside his own research on movement and then studied at the National School of Dance, Greece. As a freelancer, he has collaborated with Hellenic Dance Company both as a dancer and an assistant choreographer for Anton Lachky in the work No more Fairytales’. Furthermore, he has worked with Cocoon Dance Company

Alamanos has also performed an excerpt of Akram Khan’s Vertical Road’. He is currently touring with Akram Khan Company and Sue Buckmaster’s production Chotto Desh’.

DANAE DIMITRIADI

Born in Athens, Greece, and graduated from the State School of Dance, Danae danced as a member of Hellenic Dance Company for the production Open Frontiers’ at the Athens Concert Hall and at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in choreographies by Akram Khan, Anton Lachky and Martha Graham. In 2014 she also took part in Panorama ’which was presented at the New York City Halland at Odeon Herodes Atticus in cooperation with Martha Graham Dance Company. Furthermore, Danae has been taught repertories such as Kaash’ and iTMOi’ in London. During 2016 and 2017, she joined the company ZfinMalta Ensemble.

Duration: 50 minutes

Performers and creators: Danae Dimitriadi, Dionysios Alamanos

Rehearsal director: Costas Chrysafidis

Music composer: Constantine Skourlis

Costumes: Vaya Nikolakopoulou

Light designer: Panagiotis Manousis

Producer and project manager: Nicolas Ricchini

Co-produced by ONE DANCE WEEK, Big Story Performing Arts Services, Centre Cívic de la Barceloneta

With the support of Centre Cívic de la Barceloneta, L’Estruch – Fàbrica de Creació, Athens’ Concert Hall – Megaron and ONE DANCE WEEK

Images by George Anastasakis

[SAL]

The night will include [SAL] of Kim, Jin A and A FIRST MEET of Lee, In Soo. Both shows are with a single ticket and their total duration is 60 minutes. There will be an intermission between them but guests are not encouraged to leave their seats.

[SAL]

A violent energy belching from others, those piercers comes around me again. The thorns sprouting from you, within you, get sharpened fiercely more and more as they protest to the world.

[SAL] is a miniature inspired by the traditional Korean dance Salp’uri. Performed and improved for many centuries, this dance is aimed at chasing demons and evil energy away and at bringing inner peace. Salp’uri is considered today as one of the most significant and remarkable forms of Korean dance.

[SAL] is performed by three Korean dancers. The piece impresses with aesthetical costumes and movements.

Kim, Jin A

Kim, Jin A is a longstanding member of Cheonan City Dance Company in Cheonan, South Korea. She graduates from Dankook University with a PHD, and currently teaches classes there, as well as in the Seoul Arts College.

JuBin Company

JuBin Company is a multi-ethnic creative group of professionals from a variety of dance backgrounds collaborating with photography and Visual communications, etc. based on the movements of Korean traditional dance.

Kim, Ju-bin

Kim, Ju-bin was awarded the [ACT-BAD PRIZE] at the ‘ACT Festival’ in Bilbao, Spain in 2016, and is active in various international theater projects, as well as visual communication projects involving photography and video arts.

Duration: 20 minutes

Choreographer: Kim, Jin A

Photographer / Visual Communicator: Kim, Ju-bin

Performers: Kim, Jin A ; Kim, Ji Na; Noh, Hyun Jung

A FIRST MEET

The night will include [SAL] of Kim, Jin A and A FIRST MEET of Lee, In Soo. Both shows are with a single ticket and their total duration is 60 minutes. There will be an intermission between them but guests are not encouraged to leave their seats.

A FIRST MEET

Everything in my life is started by ‘me’. When I concede and admit me as it is. That is the first day of valuable life.

In A FIRST MEET an artist meets himself for the first time once again. This may seem easy, but is it really so?

Lee, In Soo, with his precise technique, is one of the most popular Korean choreographers. His works have been presented in Festival Fringe (Edinborough), Internationale Tanzmesse NRW (Dusseldorf), Daegu Dance Festival (Daegu, South Korea). The solo performance A FIRST MEET has been presented in Seoul, South Korea; Beijing, China; Hungary; The Czech Republic and other places.

AWARDS

Main prize at the ‘A Tanc festival’, Hungary Veszprém, 2018

The ‘SCF Prize(1st Prize)’ in Professional (Solo&Duet) and the ‘SCF Dance Critic Prize’ at the Seoul International Choreography Festival, 2017.

LEE, IN SOO

Born in 1982, Lee, In Soo graduates from the Korea national university of arts, where he has been teaching dance in the past 8 years. In 2003 and 2004 he is part of the dance group Mio Greco & Pc from the Netherlands and takes part in multiple international festivals. After his return to Korea, he joins the group LDP (Laboratory Dance Project), where he works until 2013. Today, he is the artistic director of the contemporary dance company Edx2.

His professional career starts with street dance. However, he is not limited to one art form and also incorporates contemporary dance, acting, pantomime, and other arts in his work. His works are descriptive but also emotional. They tell stories through dramatic techniques and movement of fusion and segregation of the body. Known for the high quality of his choreography, Lee In Soo is contributing to the cultural diversity on the contemporary dance scene in more than 40 cities and 25 countries around the world.

EDX2 CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY

In the near years, the company has won prestigious awards, among which the Grand prize and Best Choreography Prize at the 23rd Daegu Dance Festival (2013) and the Gold Prize and Best Popularity Prize at the 2nd Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition (2011).

Duration: 20 minutes

Choreography and Performance: Lee, In Soo

Production: EDx2 Contemporary Dance Company

FOCUS LITHUANIA: GODOS

FOCUS LITHUANIA: GODOS is a performance in two parts

The word “godos” has disappeared from daily Lithuanian vocabulary. It’s time to bring it back to life through the art of dance. GODOS, created by Lithuanian and Norwegian choreographers, is a tangle of past, present, and future – a world where feminine sensuality, secret mythological creatures, and futuristic visions meet.

AURA Dance Theatre and famous Lithuanian choreographer Birutė Letukaitė reflect on „godos” through recreating popular myths and legends from the Baltic country. What is hiding in the fur of a bewitched werewolf? What spells do contemporary hags use? Who brings the luck if we don’t believe in brownies anymore?

Dancers move in patterns, forms and the rhythm that reminds the clattering of weaving looms. Threads are being weaved as colorful as life, full of thoughts about who we are today and who we will become tomorrow.

Norwegian choreographers Anne Ekenes and Pia Holden (Panta Rei Dance Theatre) take inspiration from the interpretation of Godos as the song of the heart. The music for the piece is composed by Antanas Jasenka – a famous contemporary composer in Lithuania, working with best theatre directors in Lithuania and abroad.

GODOS is part of FOCUS LITHUANIA of the ONE DANCE WEEK festival – a program of 3 contemporary dance pieces from Lithuania, curated by Gintarė Masteikaitė from Lietuvos šokio informacijos centras. The other shows are GAME OVER by LOW AIR Vilnius city dance theater  (October 13) and CONTEMPORARY? by Menų spaustuvė/ Arts Printing House (October 14).

AWARDS

Birutė Letukaitė – two Golden Stage Cross awards – for choreography and for significant input to the contemporary dance art of Lithuania.

GODOS

High-quality, precise and harmonious movement technique is the calling card of AURA Dance Theatre. The second part of Godos features specifically dehumanized movement and choreography that equates to a Swiss watch. Speed, coordination, control, dynamics, target synchronization – all of this is discovered in Godos. – Kristina Apanavičiūtė, “Kūną jausti kūnu” (Feel a body with a body), www. m-puslapiai.7md.lt,

Awesome! Wonderful! There are no words to describe the miracle that we have seen tonight. Thank you, stars. That really inspires. Greetings and a trillion thanks. – Wolf-Eckart Dietrich, German organist

AURA DANCE THEATRE

AURA Dance Theatre promotes the expression of contemporary dance in Lithuania. Dance studio “Aura” was established on Birutė Letukaitė initiative in 1980 and was registered as Kaunas City Theatre in 1995. During the years of its existence, the theatre created and shaped the face of Lithuanian contemporary dance with more than 50 domestic and international awards up to date. The studio has trained a great number of professional dancers who are well-known worldwide. It is still directed by the prominent choreographer Birutė Letukaitė.

AURA is constantly working on various international projects, cooperates with foreign and Lithuanian choreographers and artists of various fields. For 27 years, AURA Dance Theatre has been organizing the International dance festival “Aura” in Kaunas. It is the oldest as well as one of the biggest dance festivals in Lithuania. The event has eventually become an integral part of Kaunas city culture. The festival is drawing local audiences, dance professionals and producers from the whole country, the Baltic region and abroad. The festival is sponsored by Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and Kaunas City Municipality.

Duration: 70 minutes (including intermission)

Choreographers: 1st part – Anne Ekenes, Pia Holden (Panta Rei dance theatre, Norway), 2nd part – Birutė Letukaitė (Lithuania)

Composer: Antanas Jasenka

Dramaturgy assistant: Silvija Čižaitė-Rudokienė

Light designer: Vladimiras Šerstabojevas

Costume designer: Thom Bara, Coal Design Studio

Author of video projections: Saulius Paliukas

Performers: Clara Giambino, Chiara Corbetta, Ema Senkuvienė, Eric Zarcone, Marine Fernandez, Mei Chen

Premiere: 2016

Supported by EEA Grants

Images by Marcin Śmieszek and Ramutės Stakėnienės

FOCUS LITHUANIA: GAME OVER

It’s been a century since the writer who created the rules of games with imagination Julio Cortázar was born. Today magical realism has taken hold of many territories beyond books with computer games and performing arts as two of its playgrounds. LOW AIR Vilnius city dance theater unites both in their visual dance performance GAME OVER inspired by Cortázar’s vivid literary legacy.

The outcome is a dance performance with visual effects and live music that revolves around game perspective. Passing levels up, two dancers face unexpected challenges between fiction and reality. Here comes the blue pullover trap – a reference to Cortázar’s famous story of a man trapped within his favorite winter cloth.

With minimalist style and contrast action supported by drums and electronic music, GAME OVER invites the audience to witness a collision of reality and dreams. Anything can happen. If this game is on, will you join in?

GAME OVER is part of FOCUS LITHUANIA of the ONE DANCE WEEK festival – a program of 3 contemporary dance pieces from Lithuania, curated by Gintarė Masteikaitė from Lietuvos šokio informacijos centras. The other shows are GODOS by Šokio Teatras Aura (October 12) and CONTEMPORARY? by Menų spaustuvė/ Arts Printing House (October 14).

AWARDS

Golden Stage Cross award – Best Dance Piece of the Year 2016.

Lithuanian contemporary dance association – Best Choreographic work, 2016

GAME OVER

GAME OVER was amazing – so much passion and sensitivity, and body virtuosity, and humour, and irony. It’s like my dream about Rene Magritte paintings, computer games and rave parties all in one, Julio Cortázar is also here as promised. – Olia Zhuk, Creative director at Dovzhenko Centre (Ukraine)

Aesthetic, exact, complete. The collective work perhaps is the secret recipe, in which images, sounds and movements constitute a harmonious unity. – Goda Dapšytė, dance.lt

LOW AIR VILNIUS CITY DANCE THEATER

 LOW AIR  is an innovative, younger Lithuanian generation dance theatre. Fusing urban and contemporary dance elements in their work, the company brings unique dance forms and synthesis into contemporary Lithuanian dance landscape. Choreographers Laurynas Zakevicius and Airida Gudaite established the first professional urban dance theatre in Lithuania, “Low Air”, in order to uncover the artistic potential of urban dance styles and introduce it to theatre lovers across the country.

LOW AIR debuted with their first dance performance Feel Link in the Arts Printing House | Young Stage Artists’ program Open Space back in 2011. The Ensemble-debut showed a reflection on the impalpability on feelings in a modern society and were nominated for the highest performing arts award in Lithuania – Golden Stage Cross. In 2014 Airida and Laurynas won the Golden Stage Cross Award as best choreographers for their second piece “Home Trip” that presents a fusion of dance, theatre, music, and theatre.

Airida Gudaite

Airida Gudaite is a professional dance teacher. She gained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in dance education in Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.

Laurynas Zakevicius

Laurynas Zakevicius is a social pedagogue who uses the artistic potential of dance in resocialization of young souls.

Duration: 55 minutes

Idea: Lauryna Liepaitė, Airida Gudaitė, Laurynas Žakevičius

Choreography and performance: Airida Gudaitė, Laurynas Žakevičius

Composer and live music performance: Adas Gecevičius

Scenography: Lauryna Liepaitė

Lighting design: Povilas Laurinaitis

Premiere: December 3, 2016, Arts Printing House, Lithuania

Images by: Laura Vanseviciene

FOCUS LITHUANIA: CONTEMPORARY?

The more you look at it, the more you doubt about it. What is contemporary dance really? The three performers in FOCUS LITHUANIA: CONTEMPORARY? focus ironically on the processes of dance making, the guild and the contemporary stage in their home country Lithuania. From the first choreography intention to minor consume details, we will see what usually stays behind the curtain. Rehearsal room routine, cliché movements, boring conversations, funny dialogs… all on target, all presented with a great sense of humor. For that irony is an art itself. It just needs to be spotted.

What does a piece consist of? Which objects are necessary? Does audience understand the meaning? Do we need to explain it to the audience? The best answer could be given by dancers themselves. Not by talking, but by acting. Not by demonstrating dance techniques and skills, but by making fun out of it.

CONTEMPORARY? is part of FOCUS LITHUANIA of the ONE DANCE WEEK festival – a program of 3 contemporary dance pieces from Lithuania, curated by Gintarė Masteikaitė from Lietuvos šokio informacijos centras. The other shows are GODOS by Šokio Teatras Aura (October 12) and GAME OVER by LOW AIR Vilnius city dance theater (October 13)

AWARDS

Golden Stage Cross – Performing Arts Phenomenon of the year – Lithuania, 2013

CONTEMPORARY?

This performance is recommended for people who fear or just do not like contemporary dances. Or even more for those who are admirers of this type of dances. I do not recommend it for people without a sense of humor and for those who do not understand irony. – Goda Dapšytė

In this performance you will not find very consequential narrative or brilliant directional decisions. But maybe this is what attracts audience with its “earthly” and “humanity”. Besides, the smiles of the performers are operating really well. – Ugnė Kačkauskaitė | Menų faktūra

The good performance of parody has to have 4 elements: make the audience laugh, surprise them with the plot, the parody has to be better and to show higher quality than the original, the parody cannot become a mockery or exposing publicistic. CONTEMPORARY? matches all these criteria – Ernestas Parulskis, kauno.diena.lt

Agne Ramanauskaitė

She is a dancer, actor, and teacher who recently and very successfully turned into choreographer as well. In 2009, Agnė received her professional degree at The Lithuanian Theatre and Music Academy. Since then, she has been participating in various dance training and still improving her professional skills in different workshops.

Mantas Stabačinskas

As one of the most famous Lithuanian dancers, teacher and choreographer Mantas Stabačinskas has started his professional career 16 years ago. He created over 30 roles and collaborated with many different choreographers from all over the world. For eleven years Mantas has been a part of Aura Dance Theater (Lithuania) and now he is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer.

Paulius Tamolė

Well known Lithuanian theater and television actor, Paulius Tamolė is a dancer who recently debuted as a choreographer as well. He has created over 10 roles in different stages and collaborated with the well-known theater directors such as Jonas Vaitkus, Oskaras Korsunovas, Jana Ross and etc. Paulius began his professional acting career at the National Drama Theater (Lithuania) in 2005. Three years later, Paulius has been nominated for the theater award as the Best Young Artists of the year.

Together with his longtime stage partners Mantas, and Agnė he participated in the program for young artists – “Open Stage’13”, hosted by Arts Printing House and presented the ironic contemporary dance performance “Contemporary?”. Recently the piece has been presented in over 10 European countries as well as in China.

The first visited country with the tour was Estonia. There the audience was really interesting. When we performed, they looked at us without emotions, however after the performance they came to us and wanted to talk and interact. The same happened in Berlin – half of the audience stayed to communicate with us. It was really unexpected but pleasant! – P. Tamolė

Duration: 60 minutes

Idea, choreography and performance: Stage Strangers: Agnė Ramanauskaitė, Mantas Stabačinskas, Paulius Tamolė

Dramaturgy: Sigita Ivaškaitė

Light design: Povilas Laurinaitis

Images by Matvejevas, Ā.