Productions/Events
Dancecyprus, a ballet company for the people of
During the past two years the company has won plaudits and enthusiastic fans with its performances in Limassol,
The Dancecyprus production for 2008 has the overall title "Rhapsody", and is a triple bill marrying exciting modern choreography to glorious music.
"Rhapsody" will maintain the unique Dancecyprus quality that they achieve by blending superlative classical dance technique with vibrant Mediterranean spirit.
In a programme that truly has something for everyone, the company will perform three distinctive original ballets – “Rhapsody in Blue”, “Une Nuit Blanche” and “Amoroso”.
"Rhapsody in Blue"
"Rhapsody in Blue" has been created for Dancecyprus by Julien Ficely, choreographer-dancer with the French company, Ballet de Lorraine. It is a new interpretation of a jazz masterpiece - George Gershwin's instantly accessible hymn to 20-Century urban dynamism. Ficely explains:" The dancers' agility finds its form in movements of broad elasticity. Rhapsody in Blue is a vision of pure dance. The dancers seem to play together, enjoying both their own movement and interacting together. The style is often daringly off-balance, using the air like ripples and waves."
In celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Pafos Aprodite Festival, Dancecyprus also commissioned Julien Ficely to create a pas de deux using the love duet from the much-loved Puccini opera, Madame Butterfly. He is now putting the Dancecyprus dancers through their paces - and fully exploiting all the physical agility, flexibility and strength that their classical training gives them.
As Ficely envisions his Une Danse Pour Deux “Une Nuit Blanche", the keynotes are emotion, passion and pain. He says: "There is a sense of mystery surrounding this passionate yet deeply temperamental pas de deux. Perhaps her lover has left her, evoking the pain of lost years. In her mind, dark, troubled thoughts are counterpoised with nostalgia and memories of white nights".
"Amoroso"
The finale to the "Rhapsody" programme is Amoroso, created by Carolina Constantinou, the Cypriot choreographer and Soloist with the Munich National Theatre.
Constantinou is using a selection of powerful music by Xenakis, Bach and Monteverdi. In her words, the piece is highly evocative: “Like a dream… the time freezes… the reality and the hallucination become one…black becomes red… Take a colour, a melody, a flavour….paint an eternal moment and… listen to it...taste it. Like a sweet dream…Amoroso!”
Talented team
Andy Bargilly is the respected designer responsible for the Rhapsody programme's sets and costumes, with costumes for “Amoroso” by Ose.
The gifted young dancers are:
Dancecyprus Board Member Catherine Dawson is delighted with the freshness and modernity of the three works now in rehearsal - "The choreography I've seen so far is very daring”, she comments. "The dynamism is stunning. This is work for dancers of extraordinary power and skill. It is only because of the Dc dancers' rigorous classical ballet training can they transform such controlled athleticism into such artistic beauty!”
Don't miss this opportunity to see Dancecyprus at a venue near you. All performances start at 8.30pm, and tickets cost 20 Euros (16 Euros for Students). Tickets on sale in
June 2008 - Dc Music and Dinner evening
June 2007 - "WHITE MAGIC"
"White Magic" was a joint performance of a new work by choreographer Antonio Colandrea and the renowned concert pianist Martino Tirimo. Music by F.Chopin and W.A.Mozart. The dancers were: Demetra Demetriou, Mads Eriksen, Tiljaus Lukaj, Anastasia Paschali, Galatia Savva, Elsa Sabbatini and Alexander Staeger. Performances took place at Larnaka Municipal Theatre, Nicosia Municipal Theatre and Rialto Theatre in Limassol.
June 2007 - Junior Associates event
A "White Magic" lecture / demonstration took place at the Rialto Theatre. Also a class at which the new Dc Junior Associates were chosen.
June 2007 - Dc Photo Exhibition
Dancecyprus photo exhibition by Peter Figetakis at Akamantis Conference & Exhibition Centre. Photographs, posters and postcards were for sale. Orders can be placed for photos sold out.
December 2006 - OPENING PRODUCTION under the auspices of The Italian Embassy
"Ενα Ζευγάρι Φτερά Παρακαλώ?" "A Pair of Wings Please?"
A new ballet by Cypriot Choreographer Carolina Constantinou
Music: Eleni Kara-indrou, Stamatis Spanoudakis
Costume design: Ose
Lighting designer: Alexander Jotovic
Make-up: Georgia Karayianni
Dancers: Gianluca Battaglia, Bledi Bejleri, Luana Immacolata Damiano, Sergio Giacomelli, Simona Iavazzo, Grazia Striano.
A Mediterranean ballet commissioned by Dc for the opening performance of the company.
Choreographer: Antonio Colandrea
Music: A Compilation of Cypriot, Greek and Italian music by Silvio Brambilla
Violinist: Ayse Karaoglan
Soprano: Margarita Makridou
Accordionist: Nenad Bogdanovic
Set, Costume Design and Poster concept: Andy Bargilly
Lighting designer: Alexander Jotovic
Guest Coach: Jean Phillippe Halnaut
Company Pianist: Kyriakos Kyriakou
Choreographer's Assistant and Ballet Master: Alessandro Bigonzetti
Choreographer’s Assistant: Arianna Marcoulides
Make-up: Georgia Karayianni
Hair Stylist: Hugo Bauwens
Dancers: Gianluca Battaglia, Bledi Bejleri, Gloria Benedikt, Carolina Constantinou, Luana Immacolata Damiano, Sergio Giacomelli, Simona Iavazzo, Anna Lianopoulou, Olivia Ratcliffe, Grazia Striano, Galatia Savva and Davide Valrosso. Dancers were from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Austria, U.K. and Albania
An afternoon was held for members of Youth Clubs of Lania, Dhoros and Monagri in collaboration Andreas Georgiou, President Lania Youth Club, and Dc - Jacqueline Owen.
14 members of village Youth Clubs attended a rehearsal of Dc introduced by Carolina Constantinou (Dc choreographer and dancer).
They were given interesting written information, in Greek [written by Catherine Dawson, translated by Alecos Shantos]. They were asked questions at the end of the afternoon in order to win two complimentary tickets which were offered as the prize. Nicoletta Nicolaou from Dhoros won and attended a performance in Limassol. She said she really enjoyed it and was interested to see the performance on stage, having seen the rehearsal in Lophou school.
It was the first time these young people had ever seen ballet. The accompanying adult said she had never seen them sitting concentrating for so long. It was something special for them to see dancers, not much older than them, working with such dedication and professionalism.
[They sang "Happy Birthday" to one of the dancers who had her 20th birthday.] It was touching to see young people reacting to this new experience. Most, if not all, come from homes where the parents would not consider taking them to a performance. It is particularly touching now to think that the Minister was urging Dc to take dance to the villages. We hope he would have been pleased with our first steps in this direction. We shall continue.
10th December 2006 - JUNIOR ASSOCIATE PROGRAMME / WORKSHOP at Lophou School
Workshop for ballet students in collaboration with Sencan Yesilada from the British Council, and Catherine Dawson from Dc.
Serious students from all schools were welcome to register for this workshop and 12 students from Nicosia and Limassol attended. The students watched Dc company class taken by Jean Philippe Halnaut [former dancer with Paris Opera and renowned freelance Ballet Master working worldwide, and in December 2006, working with Dc.]
Then the students had a ballet class taught by Antonio Colandrea, Dc Artistic Director.
After refreshments, they watched Dc rehearsals.
Three students – Tarsia Economidou, Rachel Peters and Emily Loumba were chosen by Antonio Colandrea to become Junior Associates of Dc.
They will be allowed to take class with the company, to learn some roles as understudies, and to appear with the company if there is an appropriate opportunity e.g. it is planned that they will appear in "White Magic" the next Dc performance with Martino Tirimo.
Apart from the benefits of taking the class and watching and meeting the professional dancers, it was a new experience for most of the students to visit Lophou village which has so generously helped Dc.
8th December 2006 - FRIENDS MORNING
Friends of Dc were invited to watch class taken by J.P. Halnaut, and rehearsal taken by Colandrea and Halnaut. It was the first time they watched a professional ballet class.
Some reactions:
“It was impressive and unusual to see young people working with such discipline, dedication and enthusiasm, especially considering their salary is modest. [N.B.This is very important for society in general, especially at a time of materialism and lack of purpose in youth.]”
“It was amazing to see such strength and athleticism in the boys of the company”.
“It was very nice to see the Cypriots and others working so well together”.
“It would help you appreciate and understand the performance better, having watched class and rehearsal”.
“It was surprising how difficult, tough and tiring a classical ballet class is”.
13 June 2006 - DANCECYPRUS FRIENDS EVENING
A Dancecyprus Friends cocktail party was organised by Lilia Larcos, at the National Bank of Greece (Cyprus) in Nicosia. The evening was attended by many dance enthusiasts who enjoyed watching a documentary about Royal Ballet Principal, Darcey Bussell. Jacqueline Owen, Dc coordinator, spoke about the future Dc plans and introduced Anastasia Paschali, a young talented Cypriot dancer, who is a member of the Royal Danish Ballet company, and hopes that one day she can return to Cyprus to have a future with Dancecyprus.
An auction also took place with prizes kindly donated by Crown Resorts, Filfar Liqueur, Tsiakkas Winery and the Early Learning Centre. Christina Arestis, soloist of the Royal Ballet and Honorary Dc Founder, very kindly donated a pair of her autographed pointe shoes and an autographed book of photos of Royal Ballet dancers.
Special thanks to Mr & Mrs Antoniou for their kind help and support on this evening.
2 June 2006 - LONDON LAUNCH
Dancecyprus held an introductory and fundraising evening in London at the Hellenic Centre in the West End. About a hundred wellwishers, sponsors and ballet enthusiasts heard the company's aims and reasons for being.
Its genesis was explained by Founder Board Member, Catherine Dawson, who was one of the first professionally trained teachers to set up an academy on the island, nearly thirty years ago. Other speakers lending their backing to Dancecyprus were Bryony Brind, a former star dancer with the Royal Ballet, Martino Tirimo, the internationally-acclaimed concert pianist and composer, up and coming composer Constantinos Stylianou, and David Pickering, a current soloist with the Royal Ballet. Mr Pickering noted that the Royal Ballet itself is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and owes its existence to the imagination and determination of a small number of visionary people led by two women, Dame Ninette de Valois and Lilian Baylis. As he put it, 'mighty oaks grow from little acorns..'.
Encouragement and understanding were expressed by Dr. Niki Katsaouni, the Cultural Counsellor from the Cyprus High Commission in London.
The evening included delightful piano interludes by Martino Tirimo, and Henry Roche from the Royal Ballet as well as dance excerpts, on film, by young Cypriot dancers and Antonio Colandrea's choreography. It concluded with a brief fundraising auction with items donated by Andreas Charalambides, a major Cypriot artist, Cyprus Airways and Filfar Liqueur. Christina Arestis, Royal Ballet soloist and Honorary Founder of Dc, kindly acquired two very valuable items for the auction - a pair of autographed pointe shoes belonging to the world-famous ballerina Darcey Bussell, and an autographed book of photos of Royal Ballet dancers.
May / June 2006 - AUDITIONS
Auditions were organised in Florence, London and Nicosia with over 200 applicants. The juries were headed by prestigious dance personalities, Elisabetta Terabust (former Principal Dancer and Director of Rome Opera Ballet, La Scala Ballet and the Ballet of Teatro San Carlo, Naples) and Alessandra Celentano (Ballet Mistress at MaggioDanza). Audition classes were taught by Bryony Brind, Antonio Colandrea, Lucia Geppi and Umberto de Luca. The Dc Artistic Director, Antonio Colandrea, was very happy with the standard and confident that Dc has found very talented dancers, including Cypriots, enabling the future presentation of excellent productions.
24 September 2005 - THE PRELUDE
Dancecyprus was launched with The Prelude - a cocktail evening for invited guests at Melina Mercouri Hall, Nicosia, with guest dancers from The Royal Ballet.
Mr. Lellos Demetriades and Mr. Christakis Christofides welcomed the guests on behalf of the Board of Directors, explaining that the necessary groundwork had been done, establishing Dancecyprus as a limited company, and preparing a Three Year Plan. They introduced Antonio Colandrea, Artistic Director of Dancecyprus and choreographer of Balleto di Toscana and MaggioDanza, Italy.
The Royal Ballet dancers appeared by kind permission of Monica Mason, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet, U.K.. Christina Arestis, Soloist, and Gary Avis, Character Principal, danced the Tango from "Facade" choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton to music by Walton. Edward Watson, Principal, danced a commissioned solo choreographed by David Fielding to music by Handel. This was a world premiere.
Martino Tirimo, Honorary Founder, was unable to attend The Prelude as he was recording the complete solo piano works of Mozart at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. His message was read out:
"I am disappointed not to be with you all today, an important day for Dancecyprus, but would like to wish everyone involved with the new company every success for a bright future. It is my hope that the company will become both an inspiration for and a major employer of talented young Cypriot dancers and that this special evening will mark the beginning of a glorious era for Dance in our country."
David Pickering, himself a soloist with The Royal Ballet, came to assist the Royal Ballet dancers, and Lisa Friend, manager for Antonio Colandrea and Professor of Musicology / Music Events Coordinator at Syracuse University in Florence, was present to assist Mr. Colandrea. Yiangos Hadjiyiannis, Technical Director, generously donated his expertise at The Prelude.
These eminent dance figures from London and Florence have shown great generosity and trust in coming to Cyprus, as their contribution to Dancecyprus.
