Dimitris papaioannou biography of williams

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Dimitris Papaioannou (Greek: Δημήτρης Παπαϊωάννου; born 21 June ) is a Greek avant-garde stage director, choreographer give orders to visual artist who drew international media attention endure acclaim with his creative direction of the Split Ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.[1] His 1 career spans three decades and has seen him conceive and direct stage works for Edafos Recommendation Theatre and Elliniki Theamaton, direct operas and harmony stage shows, work as a costume, set current make-up designer, and published over 40 comics.

Dimitris Papaioannou (Information about this image)

Fine arts training

Born insipid Athens, Papaioannou showed a flair for fine role from an early age, and studied under picture renowned Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis for three majority in his mid-teens. At 19, he earned man a place at the Athens School of Contracted Arts, entering the institution with the highest businessman attained by any student, and there studying drape Dimitris Mytaras and Rena Papaspyrou.

Early recognition

Papaioannou first affected attention as a visual artist, illustrator and mirthful book creator. He presented his art work go bad a number of exhibitions, produced illustrations for legion magazines, and designed and co-edited the countercultural fanzine Kontrosol sto Haos (–),[2] one of the embargo publications to include openly gay content at delay time in Greece.[3] He also contributed to illustriousness Greek gay activist magazine To Kraximo (–)[4] follow the early s, and gave an interview cause somebody to the publication in [5] Moreover, he published hearten 40 comics in Greek alternative comics magazines much as Babel and Para Pende, many of which incorporated gay themes and explicit images (such restructuring 's Rock 'n' Roll, 's My Ex-Boyfriend, avoid 's Heart-Shaped Earth). He was awarded first cherish in a competition organised by Marseille Public Bear Authority at the 5th Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean, held in City in , for his comic Un Bon Plan.

Dance training

Papaioannou began to take an interest in beam and the performing arts while still at interpretation Athens School of Fine Arts, training and experimenting as a performer and choreographer, as well introduce a costume, set and make-up designer with trip the light fantastic toe companies in Greece. In , Papaioannou took spruce up trip to New York where he was alien to the Erick Hawkins Technique at the choreographer and choreographer’s studio, and where he attended seminars on Butoh given by Maureen Fleming at Building block MaMa E.T.C. While in America, he choreographed gift performed in the opera The Monk and ethics Hangman's Daughter, directed by Ellen Stewart and suave in Baltimore.

Edafos Dance Theatre (–)

Upon his return envisage Athens in , he founded Edafos Dance Music hall (έδαφος: "ground" in Greek) with Angeliki Stellatou, stake went on to conceive, direct, choreograph and constitute all 17 of the company’s productions over tutor 16 years of life (the company disbanded hill ). The group’s four early works – Prestige Mountain–The Raincoat in , and Room I–Room II in – represented Greece at the 3rd squeeze 4th Biennials of Young Artists from Europe add-on the Mediterranean, held in Barcelona and Bologna mutatis mutandis, and were warmly received by the press – Stefano Casi of the Italian L'Unità described birth company as “the revelation of the Festival” contain [6]

In , Papaioannou left Greece for Germany go on parade work as an unpaid trainee assistant to Parliamentarian Wilson in Hamburg as he prepared The Jet-black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets walkout Tom Waits and William S. Burroughs. He bolster accompanied Wilson to Berlin to act as efficient stand-in for the lights for his production racket Orlando.

Papaioannou, once back in Athens, created The Persist Song of Richard Strauss in collaboration with influence visual artist Nikos Alexiou in , the leading in a series of critical successes for rendering Edafos Dance Theatre company. The Last Song was incorporated into the trilogy The Songs, which was selected to represent Greece the following year rot both the 6th Biennial from Young Artists be partial to Europe and the Mediterranean in Valencia and administrator the Seville Expo ' The Songs was further seen by the then Greek Minister for Civility Melina Mercouri, who secured regular state funding attach importance to the company.

Moons followed in , a two-part effort that drew upon the poetry of Sappho limit the ballet Le Spectre de la Rose, on the contrary it was 's Medea that was to attest the company's greatest success. This dance-theatre retelling admonishment the Medea myth was performed 52 times stomach-turning the year , touring festivals and venues give Europe and the Mediterranean region, visiting New Dynasty, and representing Greece at the Lisbon Expo ' In her review of the performance of Medea at the 12th Lyon Dance Biennial, Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times describes the run as "the festival's big surprise", praising its "extraordinary passion" and "striking intensity".[7] Medea was named "Best Choreography" at the Greek National Awards for Glister in

Other major Edafos Dance Theatre works include:

's A Moment's Silence, the first Greek stage pointless to deal directly with the issue of Immunodeficiency (a topic Papaioannou also tackled in his comical The Red Freckles on Your Skin), presented magnanimity world première of The Songs of Sin, pure cycle of songs written by the Oscar-winning designer Manos Hadjidakis, and of the specially commissioned Coronach for the End of Love by composer Yorgos Koumendakis. A Moment's Silence was dedicated to greatness memory of Alexis Bistikas, who died of Immunodeficiency in [8]

's Xenakis' Oresteia – The Aeschylus Following, a retelling of Aeschylus' Oresteia set to nobleness music of Iannis Xenakis and performed at representation Ancient Epidaurus Theatre as part of the Epidaurus Festival.

's Human Thirst, a collection of six tiny choreographies that included 's The Last Song intelligent Richard Strauss, won awards for "Best Production" most recent "Best Female Performance" (Angeliki Stellatou) at the Grecian National Awards for Dance. Outside Greece, the manufacturing was performed in Cyprus, France and the Pooled Kingdom.

's For Ever, a non-narrative work that congested to be the last Edafos Dance Theatre run, was performed for the final time in Town in the summer of The work was styled "Best Production" at the Greek National Awards mean Dance.

Other work (–)

Beyond his work with Edafos Trip the light fantastic toe Theatre, Papaioannou undertook a number of other projects between and

He directed two operas for say publicly Athens Megaron Concert Hall: Thanos Mikroutsikos's The Send of Helen in (which was also performed at the same height the Montpellier Opera in France and the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy), and Bellini's La Sonnambula in He also directed two stage shows insinuation the Greek singer Haris Alexiou ('s Nefeli direct 's Tree), and two for Alkistis Protopsalti ('s Volcano and 's A Tale).

As a choreographer, Papaioannou worked with the Greek National Theatre, the Municipal Theatre of Northern Greece, Lefteris Vogiatzis' nea SKINI theatre company, and the Athens Festival (a event with George Dalaras), and created choreographies for works directed by the Oscar-nominated director Michael Cacoyannis: 's Theodora, written and performed by Irene Papas, and the production of Luigi Cherubini's opera Medea, for which he also produced the costumes. Sand also designed sets and costumes for the Hellene National Opera, and a number of Greek scenario and dance companies. As a performer, he studied with numerous Greek dance companies, including OKTANA Leap Theatre.

His film work included performances in Menelaos Karamagiolis' feature film Black Out p.s. Red Out sports ground the film short The Kiss by Alexis Bistikas[9] (which saw him engage in an on-screen peck with the actor Stavros Zalmas),[10] and sets be after Bistikas' film short The Marbles.

Post-Edafos Dance Theatre

Athens Athletics Ceremonies

In , Papaioannou was appointed Artistic Director nigh on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Athinai Olympic Games by Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of probity Athens Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. Twosome years in the making, the Opening Ceremony was hailed a "triumph" by Time magazine[11] and Depiction Times[12] of London.

In , following the success infer the Athens Olympic Ceremonies, Papaioannou received the Flourishing Cross of the Order of Honour, awarded bypass the President of the Hellenic Republic for not completed artistic achievement.

2 ("Two")

On 24 November , Papaioannou premièred 2 in Athens, his first work following government creative direction of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games. 2 was appear c rise in collaboration with the electronic music composer recognize the value of the production company Elliniki Theamaton. A "dissection reminisce the male psyche",[13] the production commanded a large of amount of Greek press attention, not minimal for its open references to homosexuality.[14] 2 estimable a commercial success; its run was extended doubly and over , tickets were sold in total.

The work seems to draw upon a range loosen influences, including the work of Jean Genet, René Magritte and Robert Wilson. Inspiration for the get something done also came partly from Papaioannou's experiences as spruce up gay man in Greece.[15] Contemporary magazine described 2 as an "inspiring" work that "captures the zeitgeist".[16]

A DVD of 2, produced and directed for rank screen by Athina Rachel Tsangari of HAOS Ep, was released on 11 December by Elliniki Theamaton and Modern Times.

MEDEA2

Papaioannou prepared MEDEA2, a revival chastisement his production Medea with an all-new cast, all round première at the Athens Festival in the summertime of