The dancer’s image
Haris Mandafounis, one of the most creative and multifaceted Greek choreographers, presents his new dance production beginning this Friday, May 10, at the Katerina Vassilakou Theater in Keramikos. Through his Contemporary Dance Company, a company he founded in 1980, the choreographer has largely contributed to the promotion of modern and classical dance in Greece. A student of classical and modern dance in France and the United States, Mandafounis’s European and local activities, together with a wealth of choreographies which he has presented over the years, have enabled him to steadily develop his own personal style. Over the years his work has taken him down two distinct roads: On the one hand he has followed well-known narrative paths, presenting celebrated works such as «Romeo and Juliet,» «Petrushka» and «A Midsummer Night’s Dream,» while on the other, he has focused his research on movement through abstraction. Titled «Sexteto + 1,» Mandafounis’s new piece of work is a performance in which dance, through the use of technology, develops a dialogue between the dancer and his image. «In this ballet the scenes follow one another as they form a unity which focuses on movement,» said the choreographer of his work. «As the situations change, virtual reality mixes with the real action on stage.» Cast and crew In this new dance production, Mandafounis is collaborating with the following dancers: Lila Zafiropoulou, Iris Kyriakopoulou, Stella Zannou, Yiannis Mandafounis, Alexandros Keivanis and Yvonne Ribar. Stage design is by Maria Mazarakou, costumes by Dora Soumalevri, music by Argyris Zilos, lighting by Eleftheria Deco and videos by Yannis Mastoris. Haris Mandafounis’s «Sexteto+ 1» will run through to June 2 (no performances on Mondays and Tuesdays). At the Katerina Vassilakou Theater, at 3 Profitou Daniil Street, in Kerameikos, Athens.