NEWS

"Electra Perpetrator"

at Badminton Theater 28 and 29 March 2009

A modern, groundbreaking perception of the classical myth of Electra by Sofia Spyratou's "Roes" Dance Theater Company. The play's score will be performed live for the first time by composer Michael Nyman and his band.

CHOREOGRAPHY: SOFIA SPYRATOU

MUSIC: MICHAEL NYMAN

After the highly successful shows at the Benaki Museum in spring 2008, "Electra Perpetrator" returns to Athens, at Badminton Theater, featuring a bigger cast of actors and dancers as well as composer Michael Nyman and his band performing live the play's score for the first time.

"Electra Perpetrator" unfolds the tale of Euripides tragedy in an inspired performance, making use of choral odes, episodes, video projections and monologues. "Electra Perpetrator" is a study on the complex nature of power, passion and hatred that rises among the fleshes of Orestes, Electra and Clytemnestra, played against a white canvass setting that stresses the timeless quality of the story.

The choreographer uses Michael Nyman's compositional archives ("The Piano", Gattaca"), while the two original pieces by Nyman, as well as the full score of the play are for the first time performed live in public by himself and the Michael Nyman Band.

"Electra Perpetrator" is the winner of the 1st Prize at the "Bospor Agons" International Theatre Competition (June 2008) and has officially represented Greece as the closing act of the SIDance International Dance Festival at Seoul (October 2008).

REVIEWS

Against a white, timeless setting, the protagonists (seven actors and five dancers) unfold on stage with words, dance and songs, the myth of Electra as viewed by Sofia Spyratou, offering an alternative aesthetic perception of ancient tragedies.

Ta Nea, 19/3/2008

A modern, European view of Sofia Spyratou at the ancient Greek myth of Electra, speedy, cool and bold.

Eleftherotypia, 16/4/2008

A breathless performance, a tour de force [.] not one muscle wasted, the choreography tight and demanding [.] This adaptation deserves to be seen again and again.

Athens News, 18/4/2008

Concept - choreography: Sofia Spyratou

Music: Michael Nyman

Poetry: Stratis Paschalis

Art direction: Constantinos Zamanis

Lighting design: Sakis Birbilis

Basic parts performed by:

Electra: Evi Chatzaki

Orestes: Antonios Antoniou

Pylades: Alexandros Qejvanaj

Clytemnestra: Lia Tsolaki

Aegisthus: Dimitris Feras

Produced by: Adam Productions

"In the month of Athyr" tour schedule summer 2007

Dance Theater "Roes", now in its eighteenth year, this summer presents its latest production entitled "In the month of Athyr".
Tour dates follow:

Please note that the performance at Odessa is an initiative of the Hellenic Foundation of Culture, Odessa department.
Furthermore, except for the performance of "In the month of Athyr", this summer "Roes" will also perform at the Attikon Alsos Theater, on September 14, participating at the tribute performance to composer Dionyssis Savvopolos entitled "Savvopoulisimo".

A few words about the performance "In the Month of Athyr"

The performance "In the month of Athyr" lies on epigrams founded in tombstones - the highest form of Lyrical Poetry- steles and pots, such as the stele of Hegissos or the picture of "Sleep and Death raising the body of a dead soldier". Epigrams like the one found in Keramikos ancient cemetery: «δακρυόεν πολυπενθές Ανασχίλα εδ' ολοφυνδόν / λάινον έστεκα μνέμα καταφθι (με) - μένο», "so lachrymose, so mourning, so much lamented the tombstone of dead Anaschilas, here I have been set", can be compared to Konstantinos Kavafis' poem "In the month of Athyr": "though I can pick out a few words, like "our tea[r]s", "grief", then "tears" again, and "sorrow to [us] his [f]riends", that the poet reads upon Lefkios' stele, who has "been greatly loved".
The performance's structure consists of "choral lamentations", funeral cortege and choreography inspired from dance motives found in pottery's patterns.
According to ancient tradition, a group of singers sings the choral; an actor recites the episodes, while ancient epigrams are performed in monody (arias).

Credits:

Concept, direction and choreography: Sofia Spyratou
Original music: Alkinoos Ioannidis
Text editing: Christos Boulotis
Costumes and sets: Constantinos Zamanis
Music teacher: Despoina Stefanidou
Lights: Sakis Birbilis

In 2006 the play premiered at the Roman Agora, Athens, to highly positive reviews and it was later that year presented at major Greek festivals and at the Benaki Museum.

DIA-ROES 2007. in ATTIKO METRO
February 26 - March 2 2007

The Dance Theater Group "ROES" by Sofia Spyratou organizes the 10th Festival "DIA-ROES 2006". All new artists are invited to participate at the biggest cultural event that will be held from February 26th till March 2nd.

Just like all previous years, the festival "DIA-ROES"combines all art domains and calls all new photographers, cinema people, dancers, choreographers, musicians, actors, directors, painters, jugglers etc. to submit their applications until the 20th of January 2007 in order for proposals to be examined on time.

The aim of the Festival is to include most of the proposals so as to project as many as possible young artists and new proposals in every artistic domain.

This year, the festival "DIA-ROES" opens up to the mass audience and it will be held at four central stations of Metro: SYNTAGMA - AGIOS ANTONIOS - AGIOS DIMITRIOS - CHALANDRI. In addition, guest artists will perform on each day of the festival (the names will be announced with the release of the programme).

CATEGORIES
MUSIC - PAINTING - THEATER - DANCE - VIDEO ART - PHOTOGRAPHY - ACROBATICS - NARRATION - CONSTRUCTIONS - COMICS - PUPPETS...
IF THERE IS A CATEGORY YOU WISH TO ADD FEEL FREE TO DO SO!

The success of this Festival is everyone's responsibility and lays upon the respect to the schedules and instructions as far as applications are concerned.
Information for applications: 10:00 - 18:00 every day at 210 3479 426
or at 14, Iakchou str, Gazi area 11854 ( Chororoes Theater ).
Or visit the sites: www.xorotheatroroes.gr , www.athinorama.gr ,
www.athensvideoartfestival.gr
Submit your applications until the 27th of January 2006
For more information e-mail us: roes@otenet.gr

The 9th Festival "DIA-ROES" will be held in collaboration with Geniki Grammateia Neas Genias (General Secretariat of Youth)

Communication Sponsor: Athinorama

Poster Competition
For 9th Festival "DIA-ROES 2007"
We invite you to create the poster for the 9th Festival "DIA-ROES 2007"!

The advertisement of the Festival will be based on the poster.
Therefore it should be characterized of clearness as far as the information of the festival
is concerned and also depict the freshness, imagination and power of the festival.
All interested should submit their applications - proposals by the 20th of January
(preferably in digital form - dvd, cd, floppy etc).
E - mail: innate@tellas.gr
Post:47, Adamantiou Korai str , Vyronas , 162 32

Standards
Dimensions: 50 x 70
It is obligatory that the name of the festival "DIA-ROES 2007"
is part of the artistic proposal.
If the proposal is recorded in digital it should be: tif, eps, jpeg.
A short c.v. (up to 50 words) should be attached
to the proposal as well as the name, address,
telephone number, e-mail etc of the participant.

We accept only the proposals that include all the above.
All proposals will be exposed at the metro stations during
the festival and shall be given back when it is finished.

For more information:
E - mail: innate@tellas.gr
Tel. 210 7628859 10:00 - 14:00

The beautiful Greek dance

EXPO. Nagoya, Japan. "Love on Earth". May 20th was the day dedicated to Greece. "Roes" dance Theater team, consisted of 11 members, seduced the 440 viewers who attended its performance. It was a performance about the utopia of ancient mythology adapted to modern day and contemporary dancing techniques. "Roes" Dance Theater's dancers performed to the tune of classical music as well of popular songs. A lady from the audience, 67, said that the performance was "highly rhythmical and transmitted comical energy through dancing". Before the performance, an opening ceremony was held. Mr. Yiorgos Alogoskoufis, Greek Minister of Finance, spoke. "Greece and Japan have a lot in common", mr. Alogoskoufis said. "We both respect and appreciate our ancestors. Our tradition is more than two thousand years long and our historical background is similar" Mr. Alogoskoufis concluded by inviting the Japanese to Greece. "Next time", he said, "It's your turn to visit us".

A triumph for Roes Dance Theater in Japan at EXPO 2005

As a part of the International Exhibition EXPO 2005, organized n Nagoya, Japan, a series of cultural events took place celebrating Greek National Day, on Friday, May 2005.
Sofia Spyratou's "Roes" Dance Theater was song the artists who participated at the events, presenting the performance "Honey flows, milk flows, wine flows", a torrential river of dance, music and improvisations, based on a grand combination of music, from the classics to rembetico and popular songs.
Musicians, performers-soloists, Giotis Kiourtsoglou, Miltiades Papastamou, Poimis Petrou and George Kaloudis as well as dancers Elena Kourkouli, Gina Kalantzi, Lia Tsolaki, Evi Hatzaki, Fedra Soutou and Antonis Antoniou created a magical atmosphere that seduced the audience -which was mostly Japanese.
"'Honey flows, milk flows, wine flows' is a performance about utopia" said Mrs. Spyratou. "We are delighted that performance was so enthusiastically received by the audience in Japan and we would like to express our gratitude to the Japanese Press for its warm reviews".
Dance Theater "Roes" presented its production under the aegis of the Greek Ministries of Finance and Development.
The picture at the side is a shot of the Japanese daily paper "Yumi Ori" article dedicated to "Roes".

The tearing apart and putting together of Dionysos is a cosmic myth of perpetual return and renewal, a myth of death and rebirth, of chaos and the world..
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It is a torrential river of dance, music and improvisations, based on a grand combination of music, from the classis to rebetico and popular songs.

Four -music soloist and seven-dance soloist are taking motifs from myths in order to create a fairy atmosphere full of fertility and joy.
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