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18.Mai -- Intensive Workshop on Spring Songs & Dances of Northern Greece



Sonnabend 18. Mai

14:00 - 16:00 Uhr

Teilnahmegebühr 30,- / erm. 20,-


Spring carries a particular symbolic character, that of the rebirth of nature and the

human awareness of the delicate balance of the circle of life. In celebrations of spring

in Balkan and Mediterranean traditions, lively collective rituals hold a special place.

Exploring such folklore events from regions of Northern Greece, we will delve into

two dances that are traditionally accompanied by the voices of the dancers without

additional accompaniment of instruments. Discussing their cultural

background, themes and stories, we will approach singing and dancing as

empowering and connective communal experiences that have been historically

integrated in all facets of life.


The workshop is open to all levels of dance and singing experience.


Participants are advised to wear light, comfortable clothing.


Concept & Workshop Facilitation: Dimitra Kandia (voice) & Katerina Zafeiropoulou

(dance)

Language of Instruction: English & German


(To ensure a punctual start participants are kindly requested to arrive 15 min prior to

the official start of the workshop!)


General Admission: 30 €

Reduced Ticket (proof of eligibility required): 20€



A few words about the instructors:


Dimitra Κandia originally from Athens, Greece is based in Berlin since 2014. She is interested in folk tales and songs, “discusses” with contemporary poetics, and investigates as a doctoral candidate in Cognitive Neuroscience, the interplay of music and linguistic skills in early development. With a musical background in classical, jazz singing, and with a long interest in traditional music of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, she was first introduced to traditional polyphonic singing as a member of the former Berlin-based women's vocal group Ena Matso Kores. Since then, she enriches systematically her encounters with different oral traditions and is particularly interested in their connections to womanhood and in the vanishing cultural heritages that encompass them. She experiments in different musical contexts and explores the voice as a musical instrument, guardian of stories, and expressive storyteller. She is a co-founding member and vocal arranger of the Berlin-based Perperúna- Female Vocal Ensemble, which was formed in late 2019. Through Perperúna, she focuses on the research, contemporary interpretation, and communication of the polyphonic sound as well as on new compositions for voices. Since 2021 she collaborates with composer Andreas Levisianos in performances for voice and modular synthesizers through their project KERN. As a vocalist she is active in different folk-music collaborative projects. Apart from her academic teaching activity as a lecturer (Developmental Psychology, Music Neuroscience), she regularly facilitates singing workshops for adolescents and adults.



Katerina Zafeiropoulou is a Greek actress, dancer and musician based in Berlin. She graduated from the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece (2018), the Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology of the University of Athens (2014) and the Music School of Pireaus (2009). She is an oud player and singer of traditional Greek music. Since 2003 she has been a member of several distinguished traditional dance companies in Athens. As a professional dancer, she has performed at international festivals and competitions all over the world. She has been teaching traditional Greek dance and song to people of mixed origin in Berlin since 2021. Katerina's method is based on an understanding of the complex rhythms of the Greek musical tradition, each combined with a specific style of dancing or singing. Her approach consists of exploring the musicality of the body and the balance between teamwork and solo performance, reaching out to the roots and drawing parallels with theatrical practice in an aim to train body and mind

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