≈ 1 hour and 45 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: May 24, 2022
Rich in imagery, layered with emotions, visually riveting and illusionistic, the creations of Dimitris Papaioannou have taken the international dance scene by storm. Hailed as a true pioneer of the art form, Papaioannou’s direction and choreography have explored both the beauty and darkness of humanity in captivating productions. NAC Dance is thrilled to present the North American exclusive premiere of his latest work, Transverse Orientation, reviewed as “…a collage of ingenious and arresting tableaux.” A piece that challenges us to find meaning on life’s journey while playing with our sensibilities, the work is engaging, demanding, and sometimes bewildering. Such is great art.
We are so happy to welcome the company, our first international presentation in over two years!
Enjoy!
We would like to recognize the Algonquin Nation, on whose traditional unceded territory the National Arts Centre is located. We gratefully acknowledge them as the past, present and future stewards of this land.
TRANSVERSE ORIENTATION
“I believe I’m a choreographer of illusions”
Dimitris Papaioannou
Transverse Orientation, piece created for eight dancers and accompanied by the music of Antonio Vivaldi, was initially inspired by the notion of succession. The choreographer explored the hypothesis that the murder of the Minotaur by Theseus was a metaphor for the murder of the old by the young, this moment when the son takes the place of the father. This deep exploration led the choreographer in a new direction, towards the relationship with light. In the same way that insects orient themselves with the moon, Papaioannou imagined the men on stage navigating under the influence of a woman, like a planet approaching them, as if they were moved by the metamorphoses of this feminine presence. The result is a physical and visual work, highlighting the beauty and power of the human body. These sublime living tableaux interlace mythical figures and contemporary creatures creating their own choreography.
The presentation of Transverse Orientation is made possible with the support of the ONASSIS STEGI - Outward Turn Program.
Credits
Conceived – Visualized + Directed by
Dimitris Papaioannou
With
Damiano Ottavio Bigi
Šuka Horn
Jan Möllmer
Breanna O'Mara
Tina Papanikolaou
Łukasz Przytarski
Christos Strinopoulos
Michalis Theophanous
Music
Antonio Vivaldi
Set Design
Tina Tzoka, Loukas Bakas
Sound Composition + Design
Coti K.
Costume Design
Aggelos Mendis
Collaborative Lighting Designer
Stephanos Droussiotis
Music Supervisor
Stephanos Droussiotis
Sculptures + Special Constructions
Props Nectarios Dionysatos
Mechanical Inventions
Dimitris Korres
Creative - Executive Producer + Assistant Director
Tina Papanikolaou
Assistant Directors + Rehearsal Directors
Pavlina Andriopoulou, Drossos Skotis
Assistant to the Set Designers
Tzela Christopoulou
Assistant to the Sound Composer
Martha Kapazoglou
Assistant to the Costume Designer
Aella Tsilikopoulou
Special Constructions - Props Assistant
Eva Tsambasi
Photography + Cinematography
Julian Mommert
Technical Director
Manolis Vitsaxakis
Assistant to the Technical Director
Marios Karaolis
Stage Manager – Sound Engineer + Props Constructions
David Blouin
Props Master
Tzela Christopoulou
Lighting Programmer
Stephanos Droussiotis
Set adaptation
Evangelos Xenodochidis
Costumes Construction
Litsa Moumouri, Efi Karantasiou, Islam Kazi
Stage Technicians
Kostas Kakoulidis, Evgenios Anastopoulos, Panos Koutsoumanis
Lighting Constructions
Miltos Athanasiou
Silicone Baby made by
Joanna Bobrzynska-Gomes
Props Team
Natalia Fragkathoula, Marilena Kalaitzantonaki, Timothy Laskaratos, Anastasis Meletis, Antonis Vassilakis
Executive Production 2WORKS in collaboration with POLYPLANITY Productions
Executive Production Associate
Vicky Strataki
Executive Production Assistant
Kali Kavvatha
Props Production Manager
Pavlina Andriopoulou
International Relations + Communications Manager
Julian Mommert
A production of
ONASSIS STEGI
Created to be premiered at
ONASSIS STEGI (2021)
Co-Produced by
Festival d'Avignon, Biennale de la danse de Lyon 2021, Dance Umbrella / Sadler's Wells Theatre, Fondazione Campania dei Festival - Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, Grec Festival de Barcelona, Holland Festival – Amsterdam, Luminato (Toronto) / TO Live, New Vision Arts Festival (Hong Kong), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Saitama Arts Theatre / ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Stanford Live / Stanford University, Teatro Municipal do Porto, Théâtre de la Ville - Paris / Théatre du Châtelet, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance
With the support of
Festival Aperto (Reggio Emilia), Festival de Otoño de la Comunidad de Madrid, HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts, National Arts Centre (Ottawa), New Baltic Dance Festival, ONE DANCE WEEK Festival, P.P. Culture Enterprises Ltd, TANEC PRAHA International Dance Festival, Teatro della Pergola – Firenze, Torinodanza Festival / Teatro Stabile di Torino - Teatro Nazionale
Funded by the
Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports
Dimitris Papaioannou’s work is supported by
MEGARON – THE ATHENS CONCERT HALL
Artists
Born in Athens in 1964, Dimitris Papaioannou gained early recognition as a painter and comics artist, before his focus shifted to the performing arts, as director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, make up, and lighting.
He was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis before studying at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
He formed Edafos Dance Theatre, in 1986 as an initial vehicle for his original stage productions, hybrids of physical theatre, experimental dance, and performance art.
Originating in the underground scene, the company challenged perceptions and gained an expanding number of dedicated followers. MEDEA (1993) marked the company’s transition to big theatres and is considered its iconic work. The Edafos company spanned 17 years, to 2002, and set its indelible stamp on the arts scene in Greece.
Papaioannou became widely known in 2004, as the creator of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games.
Restarting in 2006, with his production ‘2’, he found himself in the odd position of creating avant-garde works in major theatres in Athens that enjoyed record-breaking long runs, with over 100.000 tickets sold.
In 2009, he began using this platform to create theatrical experiments on a large scale: NOWHERE (2009) for the inauguration of the renovated Greek National Theatre and INSIDE (2011) for the Pallas Theater.
In 2012, stripping down his work to bare essentials, he created PRIMAL MATTER for the Athens Festival, with him back on stage after a ten-year absence.
On the same quest for simplicity, he created STILL LIFE (2014), the first work that toured extensively in Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
In 2015, he created the Opening Ceremony for the Baku 2015 First European Games.
Papaioannou’s 25 productions range from mass spectacles with thousands of performers, to intimate pieces, and have appeared in a wide variety of venues, from his famous underground squat theater in Athens, to the ancient theatre in Epidaurus, and from Olympic stadiums to Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, and Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.
In 2017, he created THE GREAT TAMER, his first international co-commissioned work with ten co-producers, including the Festival d’Avignon. THE GREAT TAMER toured for two and half years, through 4 continents, 23 countries and 38 cities. It was presented a total of 112 times, before over 90.000 spectators. The work was bestowed with the special award Europe Theatre Prize in Rome in 2017, and Papaioannou was nominated in 2019 for the Olivier award for “outstanding achievement in dance”.
In 2018, Dimitris has become the first artist to create a new, full-length work for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. SINCE SHE premiered in May 2018 in Wuppertal (Germany) and was presented in Amsterdam, London, Athens, Paris, and Catanzaro.
His new work, the international co-production TRANSVERSE ORIENTATION (2021), is scheduled for a world tour, and INK (2021), a duet created during lockdown, will be presented at the 75th Festival d’Avignon during the summer of 2021.
NAC Dance team
Cathy Levy, Executive Producer
Tina Legari, Associate Producer
Mireille Nicholas, Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer
Sophie Anka, Company Manager
Siôned Watkins, Education Associate and Teaching Artist
Brian Britton, Technical Director
Julie Gunville, Communications Strategist
Chatelaine Rindorindo, Marketing Strategist
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees