NEWS

The dancer: A happy life

For those who follow contemporary dance in Athens, Markela Manoliadi, born 1980, has been a star to watch for the past two years. A graduate of the State Dance School, she initially worked with the company of Constantinos Michou and then with the company of Apostolia Papadamaki. She has also worked sporadically with other Athenian companies. «I have been very lucky» she says. «But we create our own luck, don’t we?» She certainly did. «I kept up with everything, I never missed a seminar, festival or lecture,» she said. She soon realized that you cannot make a living from dance alone. How does she manage? «By teaching improvisation and modern dance at the Isidora Duncan Dance Study Center to children aged 9 to 15. That’s the main thing,» she said. She is interested in teaching dance as well, and not just to help pay the rent. «I’d like to see dance changing in Greece,» she said. «I can’t stand moaning; I like the idea that I’m contributing to something.» The most important thing, she said, is «to have a goal, to pursue it with devotion, and to call on your belief at difficult moments. If you want to become an artist, you have to get used to the idea that you won’t become rich. But you can wake up in the morning and feel happy.»

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