“Martha Graham & Greek Myth: Clytemnestra”
Revitalizing Greek myth through dance and the eyes of a woman
March 6-9
ELER Theater-Eleni Erimou
Concept/ Research/ Presentation:
Nina Papathanasopoulou, Ph.D.,Professor of Classical Studies
Choreography/Restaging:
Peny Diamantopoulou, Graham technique and repertory instructor
Tickets: Ticketservices.gr
Following successful presentations of “Martha Graham & Greek Myths: Jocasta” in various cities of Greece, as well as in Paris, France, the journey continues. This time the focus turns to the figure of Clytemnestra.
A Multi-Media Event
An original performance that combines classical philology with the art of modern dance, and which includes excerpts from the Greek-themed dances of the revolutionary 20th century American artist and choreographer Martha Graham.
The performance integrates live dance performances into an informative talk. Dr. Nina Papathanasopoulou, Professor of Classical Studies at College Year in Athens (Ph.D., Columbia University of New York), delivers an exciting and accessible talk about Graham’s technique, vision, and movement vocabulary. Her presentation focuses on the myth of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She discusses how Graham interpreted Greek myth and how she used the dance stage to portray the Greek heroes and their intense emotions – anger, grief, jealousy, fear, and vengefulness.
Graham technique and repertory instructor, Peny Diamantopoulou, in collaboration with the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in New York, creates and arranges dance compositions inspired by Graham’s work and restages excerpts from Graham’s Greek-themed dances, Clytemnestra and Errand into the Maze.
On stage, Greek professional dancers, all extensively trained in the Graham technique and repertory, perform excerpts from Graham’s repertory.
Martha Graham, mythology, and women
American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham is one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Greatly inspired by ancient Greek tragedy, Graham used myth to envision a world where women and their perspective were dominant.
She approached myth from the point of view of women and used the body as a tool to delve into the inner self, the hidden world of emotions, and the unconscious.
“Martha Graham and Greek Myth: Clytemnestra” underscores the immense influence of the Ancient Greeks on American culture and the arts, and highlights Greece’s rich cultural heritage.
“Martha Graham & Greek Myth: Clytemnestra”
Premiere: Thursday March 6th
Cast and Crew:
Conception/ Research/ Presentation:
Nina Papathanasopoulou, Ph.D.
Professor of Classical Studies, College Year in Athens (CYA)/ Διεθνές Κέντρο Ελληνικών και Μεσογειακών Σπουδών (ΔΙΚΕΜΕΣ/ DIKEMES)
Choreography/Restaging:
Peny Diamantopoulou
Graham technique and repertory instructor
Dancers: Konstantinos Argyriou Evangeloudis, Marios Bozikas, Stavros Ikbal, Vassia Kolliou, Marianna Papakonstantinou, Marianna Tsikmanli, Mara Tsourma
Production Manager: Dimitra Dermitzaki
Photographers: Dimitris Mamaloukos, Patroklos Skafidas, Amanda Protidou, Yannis Vavitsas, Agapios Agapiadis, Nikos Brouzakis
Publicity and Communication: Vasso Sotiriou- We Will
When: Thursday March 6, Friday March 7, and Saturday March 8 at 20:00 (in Greek), and Sunday march 9 at 15:00 (in English) and at 19:00 (in Greek)
Tickets: 15€ general admission, 12€ reduced (students, people with disabilities, and seniors over 65)
https://www.ticketservices.gr/event/theatro-eler-martha-graham-kai-elliniki-mithoi-klytaimnistra/
Duration: 70’ (without intermission)
The performance is recommended for children 8 years of age and above.
The performance is made possible with the support of the Ioannis F. Kostopoulos Foundation, College Year in Athens (CYA), and the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in New York.
Reviews
(First presentation in Venice, July 2024)
“To put it succinctly, it was simply amazing! The rendition of Martha Graham’s choreography was simply superb, and the narrative was excellent. Τhe verbal narrative was concise and incisive and brilliantly explained the brilliant choreography that immediately followed.”
George Gilson
print and broadcast journalist at Alter Ego Media
“A unique performance which makes the audience feel like being part of a live documentary.”
Dr. Rosa Vasilaki
Sociology Professor, College Year in Athens (CYA)/DIKEMES
“Historically, choreographically, artistically, the myth, the research in relation to the technique, vocabulary … an exhaustive and well rounded work to be seen and enjoyed again.”
Tancredo Tavarez
Former Dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company
“It is not the first time that I am exposed to an explanation, interpretation or even « dissection » of a choreography. But I never saw it happen simultaneously. […] The audience feels like discovering the alphabet that Martha Graham uses.”
Rafael Molina
Artistic Director of Graham for Europe
BIOS:
Nina Papathanasopoulou is a Classics professor at College Year in Athens (CYA), where she teaches Ancient Greek mythology, religion, and literature courses and runs field trips all over Greece for US students who are studying abroad at CYA. She specializes in Greek drama, mythology, and their reception, and her current research explores interpretations of Greek myths by the American dancer, Martha Graham. She completed her PhD in Classics at Columbia University in 2013 and her BA in Classics at the University of Athens in 2003. From 2013 to 2019 she was Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics at Connecticut College, where she taught classics and theater courses and was involved in extensive outreach programming for Classics. Since January 2019 she also works for the Society for Classical Studies, overseeing Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities, an initiative that encourages interdisciplinary collaborations between Classics and other fields and supports programs that engage individuals, groups, and communities in critical discussion of and creative expression related to the ancient Mediterranean. In this position, in January 2025, she organized, introduced, and coordinated a performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company as part of the annual international conference on Classical Studies and Archaeology in Philadelphia, USA. nina.papath@cyathens.org
Penny Diamantopoulou is a Graham Technique and Repertory instructor reconstructing Graham pieces and responsible for the revival of Graham repertory in collaboration with the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance since 2002. She studied dance at the Higher Professional School “Anna Petrova” and graduated from the Department of French Language and Philology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She completed her Professional and Postgraduate Program as a scholarship recipient at the Martha Graham School in New York. She was a member of the Martha Graham Ensemble (1995-2000) and a faculty member at the same school in New York (1998-2000). She was a member of the teaching staff at the State School of Dance (2000-2021), where she taught Graham technique and repertory, collaborating consistently with the Higher Professional Dance School “ChoroChronos,” Fix Dance Studio, and Dance Athens. She conducts seminars in Graham technique at professional schools in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Larisa, as well as at private studios all over Greece and Cyprus. In collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company, she has taught, restaged, and presented complete works or excerpts of Graham’s repertory in the US (New York City Center), Greece (Herodeion, Athens Concert Hall, Athens Festival/Piraeus 260), France (Conservatoire de Paris), Bosnia (Sarajevo/Tanzelarija), Hungary (Hungarian Dance University/Budapest Dance Festival), Belgium, Turkey (Izmir International Festival), and the UK (Acosta Dance Centre, London). She also maintains a steady collaboration with the international organizations Graham for Europe and Movement Migration having offered seminars in Athens, Paris, Dublin, Venice, and Vienna. She is the founding member, artistic director, and choreographer of the dance group “ARTHROSIS,” with which she has presented original works in festivals in Greece and the United States since 2003. pennydiamond@live.com
For more information visit: http://bit.ly/3KnjD1g