Larsen C Event Program - Perth Festival 2025

This interactive program gives you some behind the scenes info about this work and it's creator.

Christos Papadopoulos Larsen C

Image: Pilelopi Gerasimou for Onassis Stegi

Contents

Perth Festival acknowledges the Noongar people who continue to practise values, language, beliefs and knowledge on kwobidak boodjar. Noongar people remain the spiritual and cultural birdiyangara of this place and we honour and respect the caretakers and custodians and the vital role Noongar people play for our community and our Festival to flourish. We also acknowledge all First Nations people, whose contributions make our Festival culturally and artistically richer. Our hearts are happy that you are here, on the traditional lands of Whadjuk, part of the Bibbulmun nation and its people. Perth Festival Noongar Advisory Circle Roma Yibiyung Winmar, Vivienne Binyarn Hansen, Richard Walley, Carol Innes, Barry McGuire & Mitchella Waljin Hutchins

2 Show details

4 About the show

6 An interview with Christos Papadopoulos

10 Credits

12 Biographies

18 Acknowledgements

Show details Christos Papadopoulos Larsen C

GREECE Australian exclusive Thu 20 – Sat 22 Feb

Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA Yandilup/Northbridge

Duration 60mins

Thu & Fri 7.30pm Sat 2 & 7.30pm

Contains haze and smoke effects.

Join us after the show on Fri 21 Feb for a Q&A session. Hear directly from the artists and creators of the work.

About the show The dancers are constantly moving, their movements are suggestive and fluid-like vibrations resonating in space, like waves pulsating along with all other elements – the lighting, the set and the sounds. The movement is not meant to happen only on stage, it is an invitation to the public, a mesmerising operation on perception. Landscapes, bodies and sounds come and go; approach and withdraw. The transformation happens rather gradually, catching us off guard multiple times, pretending that nothing happens while everything spins. The aim is to take us through the end, not so much to a different place but rather to a new state.

An interview with Christos Papadopoulos

It got me thinking about how we can bring trust to our senses. What I perceive and what I experience in everyday life or in the right moment – is it trustworthy? Is it solid? Or if I move small elements will my whole perception change? I started thinking how this could be the core and the idea of a new imagination, a new performance. And then I started thinking about how I could apply this to the body. What are the specific certainties that we have for our body that if we change something, this will fade immediately. So the way that I might observe or

The beginning of the idea for Larsen C was a small sensation that I had. I was driving with my car in the forest, and I was listening to classical music. And because of this – the amazing landscape and the classical music – I had the feeling that I was somewhere in Austria, in the Alps. While I was driving, I changed the music and I started listening to Greek folk music. And immediately this Austrian feeling vanished, and I felt like I was going to my grandfather’s house for Easter holidays. I even had the sense of taste change in my mouth.

I think that choreography for me is the natural laws that apply to this universe. Let’s say that, we are all in a train or in a bus. Within the group someone can read, someone is standing, someone is observing out of the window. But we all react to a sudden break of the train or to a sudden, sharp turn. So for me, this bigger movement of the world around the system is choreography. What I’m asking my dancers is that they constantly execute the choreography, but they have to hide it so much inside the core of their body, as if it’s a small vibration that actually unites them all. On the surface, on their limbs and in their articulation, everybody is free to interpret and to bring their own flavour and their own version of the choreography. In dance theatre we talk so much about the control of the body, and I think we neglect the opposite. We neglect the way that we can permit our body to be, to just let it be. My tendency is to say that it’s better to let go and things will eventually flourish. We don’t need to control it, but we need to understand it and let it go. Extract from a video interview with Christos Papadopoulos for The Rose International Dance Prize 2025, with thanks to Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.

discover an unknown territory, an unknown space is the same way I should discover the unknown territory that is the body. This is the main idea behind Larsen C . In the rehearsals, working with my dancers, I found myself talking to them again and again about ice and icebergs. We considered the idea that when we see an iceberg, we always think that it’s a solid form of ice, that it’s still and without any kind of transformation. But if we give it time and, let’s say that we go in a time lapse, we will actually see that this solid form, it keeps on transforming and changing. That’s how I ended up with this title, with Larsen C , because the ice itself has been a tool for us.

Credits

A project by Christos Papadopoulos // LEON KAI LYKOS

Creator & Choreographer Christos Papadopoulos Performers Maria Bregianni Georgios Kotsifakis Sotiria Koutsopetrou Alexandros Nouskas Varelas Danai Pazirgiannidi Adonis Vais Composer & Sound Designer Giorgos Poulios Set Designer Clio Boboti Lighting Designer Eliza Alexandropoulou Costume Designer Angelos Mentis Dramaturgy Consultant Alexandros Mistriotis Choreography Consultant Martha Pasakopoulou Assistant Set Designer Filanthi Bougatsou Production Managers Rena Andreadaki & Zoe Mouschi

Produced by Onassis Stegi, Athens (GR)

Supported by the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès within the framework of the New Settings Program Coproduced by: A-CDCN (Les Hivernales - CDCN d’Avignon, La Manufacture - CDCN Nouvelle- Aquitaine Bordeaux · La Rochelle, L’échangeur - CDCN Hauts-de-France, Le Dancing CDCN Dijon Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Chorège I CDCN Falaise Normandie, Le Pacifique - CDCN Grenoble - Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, Touka Danses - CDCN Guyane, Atelier de Paris / CDCN, Le Gymnase CDCN Roubaix - Hauts-de-France, POLE-SUD CDCN / Strasbourg, La Place de la Danse - CDCN Toulouse / Occitanie, La Maison CDCN Uzès Gard Occitanie, La Briqueterie CDCN du Val-de- Marne)(FR); La Briqueterie - CDCN du Val- de-Marne (FR); Théâtre de la Ville, Paris (FR); Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels (BE); Julidans, Amsterdam (NL); Romaeuropa Festival (IT); Théâtre Jean Vilar de Vitry-sur-Seine (FR); NEON Organization for Culture and Development (GR); Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport (GR); Festival Aperto / Fondazione I Teatri – Reggio Emilia (IT); Festival de Otoño de la Comunidad de Madrid (ES) In collaboration with Département du Val-de-Marne, as part of the creation residency aid (FR), the Lavanderia a Vapore choreographic residencies projects (IT).

Tour Lighting Head Alexandros Mavridis

Set & Sound Technician Marilena Kalaitzantonaki Tour Manager Konstantina Papadopoulou

Biographies

Creative Team

Christos Papadopoulos Creator & Choreographer

Giorgos Poulios Composer, Musician, Sound artist

Christos studied dance and choreography at SNDO (School for New Dance Development) in Amsterdam, theatre at the Drama School of Greece’s National Theatre and political sciences in Athens. He is a founding member of the dance group The Lion and the Wolf. His first works, OPUS and ELVEDON were met with great acclaim when presented at the Porta Theatre in Greece. ELVEDON was the first choice of Aerowaves ’16 and was later presented in Paris, Amsterdam and other European cities. OPUS was chosen by Aerowaves ’18, and soon after began its international tour. ION (2018), commissioned by Onassis Stegi and coproduced by Théâtre de la Ville, Paris and Le Lieu Unique, Nantes, continues to tour successfully. LARSEN C (2021), an international coproduction, has already been presented to more than 25 venues and festivals across Europe and recently won the inaugural Rose International Dance Prize, a brand-new biennial prize for original dance creations in any style from across the globe. In 2023 Christos created the work MELLOWING for the prestigious dance company Dance On and, later, MYCELIUM for the Lyon Opera Ballet and the Biennale de la Danse Lyon. These works are touring worldwide. In June 2024 he created a solo work for Georgios Kotsifakis for the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura and followed that with a new piece for NDT 1 in September. In May 2025 he will premiere his new work with his company at Onassis Stegi Athens.

Born in 1984 Giorgos lives and works in Athens. He has composed music for theatre, dance and experimental performances. He has also written music for short films, documentaries and exhibitions. His work has been presented in concerts, theatres and festivals in Greece and abroad such as The National Theatre, Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, Duncan International Institute, Athens Greek Festival, Foundation of the Hellenic World, Onassis Cultural Centre Athens, Benaki Museum, NovArt Festival France, Cimatics Festival Brussels, deSingel International Arts Campus, Italy, Sweden, Chile, Brazil, Serbia, Singapore and more. Giorgos’ collaborations include composers, choreographers and theatre directors such as Dimitris Papaioannou, Euripides Laskaridis, Cort Lippe, Stavros Gasparatos, Roula Paterakis, Katerina Evangelatos, Dimitris Karantzas, Argyris Pantazaras, Sylvia Liouliou, Dimitris Lignadis, Petros Gallias, Angeliki Stellatou, Patricia Apergi, Ermira Goro, Nana Vachla, Tzeni Argyriou, Jessica Henou and the French dance companies Sisters and The Plant.

Clio Boboti Set Designer

Born in Athens with Greek-Italian heritage, Clio holds a BA and MA in theatre design and scenography from Central Saint Martin’s College, London. Her MA studies in Krakow and Wroclaw focused on the works of director Tadeusz Kantor, influencing her subsequent exploration of sculpture, drawing and mechanical structures. Returning to Athens in 2006, Clio seamlessly integrated these elements into her scenography practice, contributing to productions in theatre, dance and cinema. Her diverse portfolio graces renowned venues globally, from the National Theatre and National Opera of Greece to the Serpentine Gallery in the UK and Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. Additionally, she served as art director for films like Boy Eating the Bird’s Food (2012) and Moderation (2017) and has showcased her work in various art exhibitions across institutions, museums and galleries.

Performers

Eliza Alexandropoulou Lighting Designer

Eliza, a graduate from the Drama Department at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specialises in set and costume design. Her stage design prowess earned her the 1st UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts, showcased at the 2007 Prague Quadrennial Exhibition. Operating in Athens and internationally, Eliza excels as a stage lighting designer, contributing to numerous theatre plays and dance performances. Collaborating with esteemed directors like Yannis Houvardas, Euripides Laskaridis and Christos Papadopoulos, she has garnered acclaim. Her innovative lighting design for Relic at the Barbican Centre earned her recognition at the Theatre and Technology Awards in London (2017), and she clinched the gold prize for Elenit at the Greek Lighting Awards (2021). Eliza is also a founding member of the creative group Beforelight, exploring light installation and public light art.

Maria Bregianni

Born in Kalamata, Maria moved to Athens in 2007, pursuing creative and academic goals. Beginning her dance journey in 2009 at the State School of Dance, she collaborated with Dimitris Papaioannou on Nowhere at the National Theatre of Greece. After graduating from the State School of Dance in 2011 and NTUA in 2014 with a Chemical Engineering degree, she initially worked as a chemical engineer. Joining the choreographic team for the European Olympic Games in 2015 marked a shift. Since 2016 she has danced in Christos Papadopoulos’ works, participated in Suspiria , collaborated with Lenio Kaklea, joined Rootless Root and contributed to various projects, including a VR installation. Maria collaborated with Euripides Laskaridis at Onassis Stegi in April 2024 and is currently pursuing a Masters in Computer Engineering.

Georgios Kotsifak is

Born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1988, Georgios excelled in dance, graduating with distinction from the Professional Dance School of Rallou Manou in Athens and the Amsterdam School of Arts (MTD). Admitted to P.A.R.T.S. international dance school in Brussels in 2008, he earned a scholarship from the Greek State Scholarship Foundation in 2010. Notably, in 2021, he received the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship by ARTWORKS. As a dancer, he has collaborated with renowned companies and artists globally, including DV8, RAMBERT, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and the Royal Ballet of Flanders. His versatility extends to assistant choreography for Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, Dance On Ensemble in Berlin and the 1st European Games in Baku (2015). As a dance teacher, he imparts his expertise at prestigious institutions such as the Greek National Opera Professional Dance School and Brancacio Danza in Rome among others.

Sotiria Koutsopetrou

Born in 1997 in Heraklion, Crete, Sotiria graduated from the State School of Dance in Athens in 2018. Currently pursuing theory and history of art at the Athens School of Fine Arts, she has made a mark as a performer, collaborating with notable artists such as Anna Konjetzky, Christos Papadopoulos and Dimitris Papaioannou. Her international journey includes joining Germany’s MiR Dance Company in 2019 where she worked with renowned choreographers. In 2022 she showcased her choreographic prowess with the solo piece so it goes* at the Kalamata Dance Festival. Beyond the stage, Sotiria imparts her expertise, teaching contemporary dance in various settings, including the Opéra National de Lyon.

Alexandros Nouskas Varelas

Alexandros was born and lives in Athens, graduated from National School of Dance (KSOT) in 2018 and has studied Spanish Literature at Kapodistrian University of Athens. As a dancer he has worked with Hellenic Dance Company, Christos Papadopoulos, Ki Omos Kineitai Dance Company and Ioanna Portolou's Griffón Dance Company, with performances in Greece and abroad in theatres such as VIDY Theatre, Theatre de la Ville, Les Halles and International Theater Amsterdam. He has been experimenting with theatre, video and film making since 2013, with works such as MaErD, corridor, Guido, LiVing room and safe sLEEPING he combines body's movement and it's connotations with the narrative tools of the camera, editing and fiction's dramaturgy. His works have been screened in festivals around Greece and Europe.

Danai Pazirgiannidi

Danai was born in Athens in 1992. She graduated from the Department of Management Science & Technology, Athens University of Economics and Business in 2015 and the State School of Dance in 2018. Professionally she has collaborated as a performer with Christos Papadopoulos’ Leon and Wolf Dance Company (2019 – 23), Ki Omos Kineitai Acrobatics Dance Company (2023), Plefsis Physical Theatre Company (2018 – 21), Angelos Papadopoulos Dance Company (2020 – 23) and Hellenic Dance Company.

Adonis Vais

Born in Athens in 1984, Adonis discovered his love for music early in life. His journey into dance began at 17, leading him to the Greek State School of Dance. Graduating in 2009 with the Koula Pratsika Foundation Scholarship, he danced for the Hellenic Dance Company and Valasia Simeonidou during his studies. His professional debut in Dimitris Papaioannou’s NOWHERE marked the start of a remarkable career. From collaborations with Konstantinos Rigos to touring with Sasha Waltz & Guests Company, Adonis’ international impact is undeniable. Now based in Athens since 2020, he continues to shape the dance scene through collaborations with renowned artists.

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