PROGRESSION

Lead Donor of the GNO & Production donor

 Tour sponsor 

Sponsor of the tour’s air transportation service

As part of its 20th anniversary, the GNO Professional Dance School will present its annual performance titled Progression, on 21 and 22 June 2024 in the Stavros Niarchos Hall. The performance is curated by the School’s Director, Yorghos Matskaris. Students will have the chance to perform excerpts from the classical repertoire and work with celebrated choreographers on original modern pieces. In July, the GNO Professional Dance School will tour to Greece and Cyprus, for the first time in its twenty-year trajectory.

For this anniversary performance of the GNO Professional Dance School, internationally acclaimed choreographer Russell Maliphant has created a new choreography titled Verge. At the same time, the students of the School will also present an étude on the technique of the legendary Martha Graham titled Exceedance, choreographed by the School’s Professor Olia Tornaritou. Moreover, as far as the classical repertoire is concerned, they will also present excerpts from the iconic piece Giselle, choreographed by the GNO Ballet Soloist and Professor at the School, Fotis Diamantopoulos. His new choreography is based on the choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, featuring music by Adolphe Adam.

World-renowned and multi-awarded choreographer Russell Maliphant was trained in the Royal Ballet School in England. Upon his graduation he was accepted into Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, where he has been an Associate Artist since 2005. He has worked with DV8 Physical Theatre, Michael Clark Company, Rosemary Butcher and Laurie Booth. Since 1994 he has closely collaborated with the lighting designer Michael Hulls, developing a language where movement and light are tightly connected. In 1996 he founded the Russell Maliphant Dance Company. Since then he has collaborated with various groups and artists such as Sylvie Guillem, Robert Lepage, Isaac Julien, BalletBoyz, English National Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, and Lyon Opera Ballet. This is his first-ever commission from and collaboration with the Greek National Opera. Maliphant remarks on his new piece: “I have been excited and honoured to have this opportunity to work with dancers on the cusp of their professional careers in the artform that I have enjoyed for many stimulating years. For this piece, I have collaborated with Dana Fouras for music and Panagiotis Tomaras for lighting and video projection to create a new visual aesthetic from the possibilities of time. Drawing on a range of movement tasks and exploring a plurality of possibilities, Verge creates a work to showcase the talent and potential of the individuals in this group of 28 young dancers, on the 20th anniversary of the Greek National Opera Dance School”.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary since the foundation of its Professional Dance School, the Greek National Opera is planning a tour of the School to cities across Greece and Cyprus, for the first time. On 10 and 11 July it will visit the Municipal Theatre of Nicosia in Cyprus, on 17 and 18 July it will be at the Royal Theatre in Thessaloniki (NTNG), and on 20 July it will perform at the Amphitheatre of Siviri in Chalkidiki, as part of the Kassandra Festival. Admission to the performances of the tour will be free.  

The Professional Dance School of the GNO was launched in 2004 – under the direction of Anna Petrova and subsequently Giannis Dontsakis. Its goal is to train professionals who can contribute to the development of the GNO’s educational and artistic events, as well as to the art of dance in general. Yorghos Matskaris took over the School’s studies in 2018/19 before being promoted to Director of Studies, a position he still holds to this day. The School's educational programme is based on the philosophy of utilising movement to enhance students’ imagination and creativity, as well as to develop specific technical and artistic skills. Furthermore, the curriculum helps students gain a better understanding of the technical and artistic forms of expression of classical ballet and other types of dance. The training emphasises becoming familiar with and understanding the history of dance and the performing arts, along with their evolution over time.

Since 2017, when the School relocated to the state-of-the-art facilities of the Greek National Opera at the SNFCC, there has been a substantial upgrade in its standards. Today, renowned Greek and foreign artists and dance educators work with the School both through steady collaborations and seminars. The seminars offered include classes on classical ballet and modern dance techniques, covering both classical and contemporary repertoires, as well as on choreography and ensemble techniques. Moreover, it organises inclusive dance seminars with the participation of young individuals with disabilities along with the students of the School. As part of their training and practical apprenticeship, the students take part in rehearsals and performances of the GNO Ballet (in classical, neoclassical, and modern productions), as well as in operas, educational programmes, concerts, and other events organised by the GNO. Furthermore, the School collaborates with other Companies and Schools in Greece and abroad, such as the National School of Dance, Athens Conservatoire, and Atteballetto, showcasing its students in joint productions.

Graduates from the GNO Professional Dance School have a high rate of joining the GNO Ballet roster, after successfully passing international auditions. Honours graduates are awarded scholarships to pursue further studies in dance abroad, thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation grant to enhance GNO’s artistic outreach. To this date, seven honours graduates have had the chance to continue their studies in dance at prestigious educational institutions abroad. Over the last years, renowned artists have presented their choreographies in the School’s performances, such as Ohad Naharin, Harris Gkekas, Athanasia Kanellopoulou, Myrto Grapsa, Nancy Nerantzi, Yiannis Tsigkris, Christos Xyrafakis, and others. At the same time, composers such as Giorgos Kontovas, Loukas Tsolakian, Thodoris Regklis, and Myron Paraskevopoulos have composed original pieces for the School.

The performances of the GNO Professional Dance School are broadcast for free on the new online TV platform of the Greek National Opera, GNO TV, as part of the GNO’s educational mission, consistently receiving a high response rate from the audience.