Andonis Foniadakis is the new Director of the GNO Ballet

Greek National Opera Artistic Director Mr Myron Michailidis, notes:
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome the internationally distinguished Greek choreographer and dancer Andonis Foniadakis as Director of our Ballet. Mr Foniadakis was selected amongst 36 candidates who applied for the position following the Call for Expression of Interest. His long artistic endeavours and experience as choreographer and dancer in important dance groups, major opera houses, with leading choreographers from all over the world, gives us hope for the new era that is dawning for our Ballet, in view of the GNO’s move to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. At the same time, our decision to choose yet another Greek artist who has excelled internationally, confirms our strategy to avail ourselves of distinguished artists, active abroad. Mr Foniadakis will officially assume his duties on 1 September 2016. Until then and apart from his production entitled LINKS, scheduled for April next at the Olympia Theatre, he will participate in drawing up the programme of the Ballet for the coming season, 2016-17. The GNO Ballet, directed by Andonis Foniadakis, will continue with its classical and neo-classical repertoire, while at the same time it will present contemporary dance productions. We wish him every success in his mission and we stand by him in full support. The Administration and the GNO personnel welcome him.”

Andonis Foniadakis states:
“It is a great honour for me and also a real pleasure to be appointed Director of the Greek National Opera Ballet, more so at a time like this, when the GNO is about to turn a page in its long history and relocate itself at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
During the preparation for the new production LINKS, expected to premiere on 3 April at the Olympia Theatre, I was given the opportunity to get acquainted with the potential of our National Ballet and therefore I have reasons to be positive and I believe that if we act in unison, persist and work hard, we will attain all our goals.
The GNO’s rising course over the previous years, its growing audience and international collaborations, are challenges that I will meet as Director of the Ballet.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Artistic Director of the Greek National Opera, Mr Myron Michailidis, for the trust he placed in me, as well as to the Organisation for its warm welcome.”

BIO
Andonis Foniadakis grew up in the city of Ierapetra, in the south part of the island of Crete, in Greece. He began his dance training with Niki Papadaki at the local dance school, in his hometown. From 1990 to 1992, he studied at the State Dance School of Athens and before his graduation he received the prestigious Maria Callas scholarship to continue his studies in Rudra Bejart Lausanne, in Switzerland until 1994.

As a dancer Andonis has collaborated with:
Bejart Ballet Lausanne (1994-1996) under the direction of Maurice Bejart,
Lyon Opera Ballet (1996-2002) under the direction of Yorgos Loukos,
Saburo Teshi- gawara / Karas Co. (2004) under the direction of Saburo Teshigawara,
as well as, with his own dance company “Apotosoma”.

During the years of his professional engagement with the above companies he has performed
choreographic works of:
Maguy Marin, Jiri Kilian, William Forsythe, Dominique Boivin, Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, Maurice Bejart, Ohad Naharin, Frederic Flamand, Bill T Jones, Herve Robbe, Tero Saarinen, Lionel Hoche, Joachim Schlomer, John Jasperse, Saburo Teshigawara etc.

As a freelance choreographer he has collaborated with:
Royal New Zealand Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Aterbaletto, Luzern Ballet, CCN Ballet de Lorraine, Martha Graham Dance Company, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Geneva Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Bern Ballet, Ballet du Rhin, Maggio Danza, National Dance Company of Wales, Dansgroep Amsterdam, MDTIstanbul, Cia Sociedade Masculina Brazil, Bale da Cidade of Sao Paulo Brazil, Helsinki Dance Company Finland, National Ballet of Greece, National Theater of Northern Greece, Benjamin Millepied Dance Company USA, Washington Ballet, Bejart Ballet Lausanne, Ballet Junior Geneva, Hellenic Dance Company, CNSMD Lyon, Copenhagen International Dance

Foniadakis has been commissioned to choreograph for three operas.
Theatre de Champs Elysees Paris- Castor et Pollux by Rameau
Opera National du Rhin – Les boreades by Rameau
GRAME Lyon – Il canto de la pelle by Claudio Ambrosini

In 2014 he collaborates as a moving coordinator with Darren Aronosfky on his new film NOAH. As well in 2012 he received the Danza and Danza Award for the “Best Choroegrapher 2012” in Italy, for the creation Les Noces in Maggio Danza.

In addition to creating and performing, Andonis Foniadakis is teaching seminars based on his personal dance technique. He has been teaching in the State Dance School of Greece, DAN.C.CE studios and Baile de Barrio in Athens, DOCK11 in Berlin, CND and CNSMD in Lyon, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Henny Jurriens Studio Amsterdam, Kuopio Dance Festival, CCN Lorraine, Martha Graham Dance Studios, Broadway Dance Center.

In 2003, Foniadakis created his own dance company "Apotosoma", in Lyon, France and since then he has shown his work in France, Greece, Italy, Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, England, and USA.

Until today, he has presented 7 full evening works with his own company:
Sensitive Screens Skins Intervals
USE
Rite of Spring
All Things Are Quite Silent
Romeo and Juliet
Wisteria Maiden
Priority