2026 Festival Instructors
Each year we host diverse Instructors with various styles and disciplines in order to share with our participants and audiences a wide range of works and practices!
Marianna Varviani
Marianna Varviani is a Greek dance theater artist currently based in Los Angeles, USA. She is the artistic director of Selcouth Dance Theater Company. With Selcouth, her works have been performed at: Highways Performance Space and the Odyssey Theatre, UCLA Kaufman Hall, 'Keshet Center for the Arts', am'The Other Art Fair', 'San Pedro Festival of the Arts', ‘Ebb and Flow Festival’ in the USA, 'Arc for Dance Festival', 'European Dance Network', and Festival of Rematia 'Our Festival' in Greece.
She has performed internationally in Greece, UK, Spain, Brazil and USA in projects by Salia Sanou, Friidom, Ghislain Grellier, Stella Spyrou, Ohi Paizoume, Brian Astbury, Uri Roodner, Ken Cambel, Ian Morgan, Tobby Clarke, Stella Spyrou, Murto Delimichali, ‘Ohi Paizoume’, Erin Cooney, ’Patari Project’ and others. She is the co-founder of 'Ha! Theatre Ensemble', 'LA Dance Calendar', and 'Global Choreographers'.
She is a member of the Krump Demolition Crew 100/ DCX, since 2021.
Marianna has a B.A. in Contemporary Theatre from E15/ University of Essex and an M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA.She has been teaching dance and theater internationally. She is currently a Lecturer at two Cal State Universities, Fullerton & Channel Islands.
Marianna will be teaching Contemporary Dance, Creation, Composition & Choreography.
Eva Georgitsopoulou
Eva Georgitsopoulou is a dancer and choreographer from Patras, Greece, currently based in Berlin. She began her academic studies in Law while simultaneously pursuing her passion for dance. She graduated from the Greek National School of Dance in Athens and later received a full scholarship as a trainee with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company.
As a professional dancer, she has collaborated with artists and companies such as Cia Sonia Rodriguez, Inside The Body Performing Arts, Frantics Dance Company, Judith Sanchez Ruiz, and Edivaldo Ernesto. From 2016 to 2021, she was a member of Aerites Dance Company under the direction of Patricia Apergi. Since 2019, she has been working closely with Sasha Waltz & Guests in Berlin, participating both in new productions and in the company’s repertoire.
Her choreographic work includes commissions for the Greek National Opera Ballet and the Greek National School of Dance. Her independent creations have been presented at festivals including the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Kalamata International Dance Festival, RAW Tanzwerke Kassel, Dance Days Chania, Lange Nacht des Tanzes Pillberg, and the Arc for Dance Festival.
Bruno Catalano
Bruno Catalano is a performer, choreographer, dance teacher and the artistic director of the Zürich-based company PiccoliProduction.
He graduated from ArtEZ University of the Arts in 2003 and choreographed for the youth theater group AG Theater Rämibühl in Zurich from 2010-2018. He also collaborated on two operas produced by the Opernverein Zürich and created a piece for the Zurich theatre company Hora.
PiccoliProduction has actively contributed to the cultural life of the city of Zürich for the last 15 years, presenting work in Gessnerallee, Rote Fabrik, Tanzhaus Zürich, Helmhaus, Kunstraum Walcheturm among others. In recent years, the company has also produced in an international context such as in Argentina and India. In 2024-2025, Bruno worked as a performing artist in Marina Abramovic’s retrospective at Kunsthaus Zurich. He has been teaching for many years in Switzerland and abroad in academies and dance institutions such as HF Bühnentanz, Tanzhaus Zürich, Espacio LEM, Ecole des Sables, ArtEZ, SEAD, Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance, Danscentrumjette, Iceland University of the Arts Reykjavik, DDDSK Danish National School of Performing Arts.
Fotini Kardakou
Fotini Kardakou is a Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher, Reformer and Clinical Pilates instructor, from Athens.
She is the Founder of Aiorisis (Dance School) based in Ikaria island.
Fotini graduated from "Rallou Manou" Higher Professional Dance School. She studied in workshops under Chet Walker and Milton Myers (Jacob's Pillow), Mavin Khoo, Linda Kapetanea and Josef Frusek (Fighting Monkey/RootlessRoot), Dimitris Kaminaris, Markella Manoliadi, Andonis Foniadakis, Hermes Malkotsis Betty Dramisioti and Kiki Baka (Sinequanon dance company), Sofia Mavragani (Fingersix) and others.
She has performed in "Birthplace"of Dimitri Papaioannou in the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Also at the 2nd Athens Biennale. In performances by Goerg Hobmeier with Kinitiras (artistic network), in the global interdisciplinary performance "Animal Kingdom" by Akram Khan X Numeridanse. In the film "Tsiou..." and in its theatrical adaptation "Tsiou...Live" by Makis Papadimitratos.
She is currently leading classes of Ballet, Contemporary Dance and Pilates.
Fotini will be teaching Contemporary Dance, Creation, Composition & Choreography.
Maky Grochain
Maky Grochain, a dancer from New Caledonia (Kanak), began dancing in his native country before continuing his training in France, at the Manufacture d'Aurillac and the Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, where he obtained his state diploma as a dance teacher.
Based in Switzerland, he has collaborated with several renowned companies such as La Ribot, Cod'Act des frères Decausterd, Le Lokart and other Swiss companies.
At the same time, he founded his own company, Kane, with which he has created several shows performed in Switzerland and internationally.
His choreographic work draws as much on the traditions and rituals of his Melanesian heritage as on the influences of contemporary Western dance.
He explores the notion of anchoring, establishing the body in constant dialogue with the earth, echoing the deep connections that Melanesian cultures have with their environment.
Katerina Foti
Katerina Foti is a choreographer and dancer based in Athens and a postgraduate student of the Master's Program in Greek and World Theater: Dramaturgy - Performance - Education with a focus on Dramaturgy and Performance, at the Department of Theater Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She studies movement based on human gestures, drawing inspiration from everyday routines and developing her material through a theatrical process and from a feminist perspective. She works as a choreographer, movement director, and performer, collaborating with the National Theater, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, the Onassis Foundation, and many dance festivals throughout Europe.
Her latest solo work, entitled "The Kitchen Dance: A House Trance Vocabulary," which was created as part of the artist residency program "U(R) TOPIAS" artist residency program of the 2023 European Capital of Culture Eleusis, was presented in its entirety at the Thiseion Theater in Athens (November 2023) and in an abridged version, as a site-specific performance, in Eleusis (June-July 2023). It recently began its international tour, starting with the Istanbul Fringe Festival in Istanbul (September 2024), as well as its tour in Greece, starting with the Dimitria Festival in Thessaloniki (October 2024) and with appearances at the Kalamata Dance Festival (July 2025) and "A Festival in Samothrace" (June 2025).
Antonis Papazoglou
Antonis is a dancer, performer, and instructor of traditional dances and music rhythms from the regions of the Balkans and East Mediterranean. e.g. Pontus, Macedonia, Crete, Minor Asia, Aegean islands etc
He is a Member, dancer and musician of Seli Kanu African dancing group (2003-2011). Antonis is also a member of traditional dancing groups in Athens such as: Viotexnia Xorou, ELKELAM, Perperuna etc. (2002-Present). He has performed on shows in festivals in Greece and abroad, playing drums percussions anddancing choreographies of traditional West African Dances. As a dancer, instructor, and perfomer he has worked in residencies around Italy, project Butchers, based on the traditional dance of hasapiko, collaborating with the choreographer Gloria Dorgliguzzo (2024-2025). Antonis was also a perfomer on the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games of Athens 2004.
Antonis will be teaching Traditional Greek Dancers at this years festival!
