The contemporary Greek dance companies

The word “contemporary” in this case is used in order to cover the work of Greek choreographers that have been active since 1960, in other words to present the contemporary choreography scene in Greece. In Greece contemporary dance started in the 20th century, with the arrival of the American pioneer of modern dance, Isadora Dunkan, who liberated movement from the academic nature of classical ballet and through an expressive body, danced and taught dances inspired by Greek antiquity. Dunkan’s philosophy of dance proved to be the legacy of contemporary dance worldwide. In 1927, the American Eva Palmer-Sikelianou and Angelos Sikelianos revived the Delphic Festival, attempting to demonstrate the glory of Hellenism and the origins of the “Great Idea”, as well as the diachronic validity of moral values through Aeschylus’ tragedy Prometheus Bound, with Koula Pratsika as the leader of a dramatic chorus. The first company of contemporary dance, “Helleniko Chorodrama”, was created in 1952 by Rallou Manou and gave many performances in Greece and abroad for many decades. The dominant technique in Manou’s school was influenced by the German and American modern dance. Many Greek pioneers of the arts during the 50s participated in her choreographic works, such as Tsarouhis, Moralis, Hatzikiriakos – Gikas, Hatzidakis, Xenakis and many more, who were inspired by Greek tradition. Together with the “Helleniko Chorodrama”, very active both in Greece and abroad was the company Chorika, with Zuzu Nikoloudi as choreographer, which has presented from 1965 to the present day works inspired mainly from ancient drama and collaborated with well-known artists of theatre, music and the Arts. The beginning of the 80s marked the beginning of sponsorships of dance companies by the Ministry of Culture, for which a committee was established and at the same time the existed Higher Professional dance schools were instituted all over Greece with a presidential decree by the Ministry of Culture. In addition, the Municipality of Athens enacted the first choreography competition, entitled “Rallou Manou”, for new choreographers and awarded sums of money to the three best choreographies. At the same time the Greek State Scholarships Foundation recognizes dance studies as a special branch and grants scholarships abroad simultaneously with the Pratsikas Brothers Scholarship Foundation and the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. In 1998 the Ministry of Culture established five state awards related to dancing: the award for best male performance, best female performance, best choreography and production and original music for choreography. Furthermore, in 2001 the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation as part of its programme for awarding Cultural Awards after International Competitions added yet another award related to dancing: the award for original music for dance and original choreography. So, the state has played an important role in the revival of dance since the 80s

AIRESIS
The AIRESIS dance company was founded in 1989 by Yiannis Bagourdis. Is a dance theatre company with a great sense of humor. Tel: +302106923335

A KIN
A KIN dance group was formed in 1997 by Vasso Giannakopoulou, Eleni Korelli, Marina Mavrogeni, Katerina Panoussopoulou, Katerina Pappa.The group strives to achieve its goals, although not all of them are visible…A KIN’s members constantly experiment with new ways of expression through movement, always having the intention to comment about their environment, while constantly keeping in mind that their aim is neither to tire their audience, nor to get bored by the result themselves. Tel: +302106927148

AMALGAMA
AMALGAMA dance company was formed by Maria Gorgia in November 1998, by Maria Gorgia.Of vital importance for AMALGAMA is the support of personal creativity, as well as the promotion of works with obvious peculiarities in cultural expression and authenticity – particularly regarding the movement vocabulary, in addition to other elements comprising a dance performance: sound, scenery and lighting – all to the most feasible extent. Tel: +302106123794

AD LIB
Dance company was founded by Katerina Papageorgiou in 2001. Is a dance theatre company and works with structured improvisation and explores the relationship between human body and space. New concepts about technology also influence the productions. Tel: +302109953699

APOSTOLIA PAPADAMAKI / QUASISTELLAR
Dance theater company was founded in September 2002 by Apostolia and precious colleagues, with whom she has created works, while being a member of Sine qua non.
The group is methodically doing research on new techniques and methods in the art of dance, and how dance connects to music, new media, visuals, theatre action and, interaction with the audience. A significant element in the process of both creating and performing is instantaneous composition (improvisation).www.quasistellar.gr Tel:+302105235600

YELP
YELP dance company was founded by Mariela Nestora in 1996. Under her artistic direction and with assistant director Antigone Avdi, the company has collaborated with dancers from all over Europe. It has performed in various countries in Europe. Tel: +302108136528

GRIFFON
GRIFFON dance co. was created by Ioanna Portolou in 2000. The group’s priority is the creation of visual space – one that springs because of its members’ lack of homogeneity. Each character’s personality remains intact, regardless of movement, costume and sets. Small everyday behavioral movements and motifs are stretched to their limits, in order to reveal a new reality; in this way dance itself becomes the means for observing human behavior. Tel: +302109220069

ELATIRIO
ELATIRIO dance company. was founded in 1999 by Marilia Chrysospathi and Mina Ioannides. Tel.:+302109656666

HELIX
Helix dance company was founded in 1992 by Christina Klissiouni. Awareness through movement improvisation, and the importance of the creative process towards the authentic expression of our being is the base of the work.
We produce choreographies based on experimentation and/or structured improvisation performances. The work is conceptual with strong theatrical elements; always the outcome of movement research and the expression, through voice improvisation, has always been interested in cultural exchange through dance, and has collaborated with performers from the East and the West. Tel:+302103633691

IROS AGGELOS
The IROS AGGELOS (Harbinger of spring) group was founded by 28 young artists, (dancers, actors, musicians, fine artists, poets) and its aim is to seek and develop synergies between dance, speech, music and other arts.www.irosaggelos.gr Tel:+302107560127

THEATROKINISSI
THEATROKINISSI is a non-profit corporation, the pursuit of which is to research alternative ways, in order to allow the elements of speech, music and movement to coexist. In ancient drama –one of the domains that THEATROKINISSI researches– these three elements constitute an inseparable unit. It was created in 1985 by Isidoros Sideris. Tel:+302106469634

MOTOR DANCE SPECTACLE
Motor DANCE SPECTACLE is a movement performance company formed in the Spring of 1994 by Antigone Gyra. It is a creative environment, where people from different artistic backgrounds work together. The company aims to attract new audiences to the dance spectacle; its presentations are based on themes extracted from the everyday insanity of today’s world. Tel:+302108994185

LATHOS KINISI
LATHOS KINISI (WRONG MOVEMENT) dance company was founded in Athens, in 1988 by choreographer Konstantinos Mihos and dancer Titi Antonopoulou.
During the last 15 years more than 70 dancers, musicians and visual artists have participated in the productions of the company; they are also responsible for the introduction of new dance techniques (release and improvisation) to the Greek dance scene. The aim was to create a cross-cultural exchange between the postmodern aesthetics and the Greek life and art. TEL:+302107629839

LANDSCAPE
Landscape dance company was founded in the spring of 2002 by choreographer, dancer and professor of contemporary dance, Ioanna Parali.
Τhe company aims to form a unity of creativity which uses dance and the body as main elements. Its goal is to use new methods and media that implicate sound, digital and analogue multimedia technologies, and projections; also to collaborate and to exchange views with other artistic and scientific foundations in Greece and abroad.
Tel: +302108992186

MAGNITIS
MAGNITIS dance group is a non-profit organization, founded by Maro Gregoriou in 1986. The group aims not only to produce the work of its artistic director, but also to support young choreographers – based on their talent and innovative ideas. MAGNITIS has produced works by established choreographers and has collaborated with artists from different artistic fields like theatre, film, video etc. It has so far collaborated with 25 choreographers and has produced, and presented 45 different works. Tel:+306944414508

METAKINISSI
METAKINISSI was founded in 1994 by Maria Tsouvala. The work of the group is experimental; it is based on improvisation and the creative impulse of each of its members. The company performs in Greece and abroad. Tel:+302103803189

SMALL DANCE THEATRE
Small Dance Theatre is a pioneering dance group founded by Lia Meletopoulou in 1982, the aim of which is to promote the art of dance. By staging performances not only in theatres but also in less conventional places such as factories, garages, empty lots and city squares, the group wishes to overcome the existing absence of tradition; also to collaborate with various artists of other nationalities. The productions of the group are filed with the Dance Collection Library at the Lincoln Center, in New York.
www.smalldancetheatre.gr Tel:+302106717779

EDAFOS DANCE THEATER
EDAFOS DANCE THEATER was founded in 1986 by Dimitris Papaioannou and Angeliki Stellatou.Within the last 17 years it has created fifteen different productions, all of which were directed and choreographed by Dimitris Papaioannou. In 1994, “Medea” performed by EDAFOS DANCE THEATER was awarded the State Prize for Best Choreography; in 1999, “Human thirst” was awarded the State Prize for Best Production – also the Prize for Best Female Performance (Angeliki Stellatou); in 2001, “For ever” was awarded the National Prize for Best Production.EDAFOS DANCE THEATER has performed in various cultural events and festivals in Greece and abroad. Tel:+302103215465

NIKI KONTAXAKI – ENSEMBLE OF CLASSICAL AND MODERN DANCE
The company was founded in 1987.The objective of the group is to develop the artistic culture in Greece, by presenting significant performances to large audiences. Since its establishment, its policy has been to employ career dancers that are trained both in modern and classical dance. The Ensemble engages 15 dancers on a permanent basis, though this number may rise to 20-25 depending on the demands of the choreographies. Tel:+302102932894

GROUP OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE OF PERSA STAMATOPOULOU
The Group of contemporary dance of Persa Stamatopoulou was founded in 1991 by Persa Stamatopoulou.With a strong sense and need for experimantation and renewal, the group creates productions every year, looking for new ways of communication and approach to the subject.
From 1991 until today, her work has been presented in Greece and abroad. Tel:+302107249276

CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY OF HARRIS MANDAFOUNIS
The Company was established in 1980 by Harris Mandafounis.The aim of the group is to promote contemporary dance in Greece.In 1998 the group was awarded with the National Prize of Choreography for “Suspensions”.The Company has appeared in several festivals and cultural events throughout Greece and abroad. Almost all performances of the COMPANY have been televised by the Greek State Television.
Tel:+302106747383

TEMPORARY SYNTHESIS
The Temporary SyntHesis dance group was founded in 1986 by Dorina Kalethrianou (dancer-choreographer).Is a dance theatre company with a great sense of humor.
Tel:+302109338991

PROSXIMA
ProsXima is a contemporary dance company founded in 1996 and led by Maria Koliopoulou, Dimitra Kritikidi, Anna Mimi and Stella Zannou.PROSXIMA dance company generates dance works, installations, happenings and dance videos, created by its resident choreographers and performed in various theatres, in addition to other venues.Reinforcing its challenging and experimental character, the company is also introducing new choreographic styles in Greece, by collaborating with choreographers from abroad, creating original and innovative dance works.www.prosxima.gr Tel:+302106511324

SINE QUA NON
Sine Qua Non was founded in 1992, in a spirit of collective collaboration, by Apostolia Papadamaki, Dimitris Sotiriou, Popi Sfika, Kiki Baka and Anna Sofia Kallinikidou they creating dance performances collectively or individually.
The company has been commissioned by the Athens Concert Hall, the Athens Festival, International Dance Festival, as well as other venues.The company has organized two international festivals (Travelogue ’98 and TaXidromio ’99), presenting dance performances, music events, lectures, discussion panels and seminars. Tel:+302107487592

CHOREFTES
The dance company Choreftes was founded in July 1993 in Athens, by Maria Anthymidou, Aliki Kazouri and Mihalis Nalbantis.Until today, the group has presented more than 20 productions; about 100 performances in Greece and abroad.
The group has co-operated with internationally known choreographers. During the last 6 years the company has organized 10 seminars in Greece and abroad – modern dance being the theme.Furthermore, CHOREFTES refers not only to dancers, but also to each and everyone who is interested in discovering personal, intellectual, and emotional stimuli in the arts.www.dancers.gr
Tel:+302103614221

CHORICA
CHORICA, Word – Music – Movement, was founded in 1966 by Zouzou
Nikoloudi and Nikiphoros Rotas, with the aim to research and develop approaches in relation to the chorus of ancient Greek drama. According to the choreographer the chorus in ancient Greek drama is supposed to act, chant, and dance. Bound to one another, the three constituents, words, music, and movement, yield the sublime expressive force of the tragic chorus.After training was completed, the company began performing and went on tour presenting choric parts from the following plays: “Agamemnon”, “Choephoroe”, “Eumenides”, “Bacchae”, “Ichneutae” (Trackers) and “Birds”.Over the years the group has performed in Europe, the U.S.. Tel:+302108945004

LEDA SHANTALA DANCE THEATRE
The Leda Shantala Dance Theatre is a unique and culturally diverse dance company, which presents innovative multimedia productions combining the art of Bharata Natyam with the art of story telling theatre, and the contemporary dance idiom with the ancient Greek art form of the Muses.
Since 1987, when Leda Shantala founded the Leda Shantala Dance Theatre, the company has presented highly acclaimed performances in Greece, India and Europe, experimenting with new ways for tracing the ‘cross roads’ between ancient and modern; east and west.www.shantala.gr Tel:+302106717529

NATASSA ZOUKA DANCETHEATRE
The Natassa Zouka DanceTheater was founded in September 1991 by N. Zouka (choreographer – stage director).The group works in an experimental way, researching the relation between body movement and the voice; also, their future possibilities, focusing on themes which mainly involve ‘Poetry’.The company has staged many dance-theater and music-theater productions throughout Greece. Tel:+302103222543

ΟΚΤΑΝΑ DANCETHEATRE COMPANY
OKTANA Dancetheatre company founded in Athens in 1990, by Konstantinos Rigos (choreographer), Christos Karantzolas (photographer), Orpina Galaiou (architect – set designer) and Niki Dimitriou. Its artistic aims are research in the field of dance and presentation of dance performances. Since 1990 it has presented over 20 productions in Greece and abroad. Τhe COMPANY consists of 6 permanent dancers and has been awarded nationally and internationally. www.octanadancetheatre.gr | info@octanadancetheatre.gr

DANCE THEATRE GROUP ROES
Dance Theatre Group Roes was founded by Sophia Spyratou in November 1989, with the purpose to develop and promote dance, theatre and music.All choreographies created by the group have included elements from the Greek culture and tradition, along with methods and techniques of contemporary dance and theatre. www.xorotheatroroes.gr Tel:+302103462260

OKIROY
The OKIROY dance group was established by Vasso Barboussi; it performed for the first time in 1987, and has since given performances in several Greek cities; ιt has also participated in several dance festivals, and has so far presented 15 choreography productions.The group has performed in various art galleries and has collaborated with video artists, and musicians, who played live, improvising with the dancers on stage. Tel:+302106981377

(EXTRACTS FROM THE BOOK: DANCE, ATHENS 2004, PUBLISHER KOAN/BOOKS OF THE WORLD, WWW.KOAN.GR )