PERA ID (PERA Intensive Dance Workshop)

A major component of the programme is PERA Intensive Dance Workshop (PERA ID) where students work with a number of experienced and renowned dance artists/choreographers. The aim of the intensive is to support the ongoing development of the students and expose them to a variety of working methods and strategies in relation to training, improvisation and composition that reinforces choreographic thinking, creative process and performance skills. PERA ID also provides students with the opportunity to learn dynamic combinations and repertoire extracts from professional dance companies to discover new ways of generating and structuring movement material. A source of inspiration, PERA Intensive Dance Workshop encourages both self-reflection and creative exchange amongst students as well as nurturing their artistic and creative voices.

PERA ID 4

3rd-21st December 2018

Kay Crook

Joining us for week 2 of PERA ID 4- Kay Crook's workshop was based on Chhaya Collective's current work "KHAOS".

Kay Crook is a freelance dance artist and director of Chhaya Collective, a contemporary dance company working between UK and India since 2013. Her current work KHAOS, is a full length dance and live music production, featuring three musicians and six dancers.

KHAOS was developed and previewed in Portugal in Autumn 2017, with further development and tour to follow in 2018. Kay is also directing an on going Live Stream project between UK and India, allowing artists to connect, share and choreograph collaboratively across two continents.

Jason Mabana

Jason Mabana joined us in the first week of PERA ID 4, teaching contemporary technique and repertoire that culminated in a duet creation. Jason is a Belgian choreographer based in London. He is a dance teacher at Rambert School, at the Royal Ballet School and a guest teacher at University of The Arts in Amsterdam.

As a dancer, he has worked for Akram Khan Company, Wayne McGregor, Candoco Dance Company.

As a Choreographer, he has recently choreographed for Black Box Dance Company in Denmark, The University of The Arts Amsterdam, Rambert and he will choreograph this year in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Hamburg.

Maroula Iliopoulou

Covering a broad spectrum of dance, Maroula was with us both in November as a guest teacher and the 1st and 2nd weeks of PERA ID 4! Thank you for your dedication to our students!

Maroula Iliopoulou is a dance artist, originally from Greece. She currently works with the choreographer Amy Toner for the solo ‘Beneath her Eyes’ which she first performed last October at Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. She has performed in choreographies of Rosemary Lee, Simon Whitehead, Hannes Langolf, Grace Nicol, Amy Toner, Ted Stoffer, Athanasia Kanellopoulou, Harry Koushos, Pil & Galia Kollektiv, Athens Video Dance Project, Off Festival in Brussels a creation by Lisi Estaras and Nicolas Vladyslav and with David Zambrano and 30 other international artists.

She completed her MA studies in London Contemporary Dance School in 2018. Before arriving in London, she lived in Belgium for two years where she took professional classes and workshops with various teachers and companies. After following intensive trainings with David Zambrano, in 2016, she was also invited for the one-month training of Flying Low and Passing Through Techniques which took place in Spain. She has been teaching dance since 2011 in Athens, Brussels and London. In 2011 she graduated as a dance teacher in Athens and she has also graduated from University of Athens with a BA degree in Primary Education.

Harry Koushos

Born in Cyprus in 1988, he has been creating his own projects since 2010 and he has been supported by: Dance Gate Lefkosia, ARC for Dance Festival, Aerowaves Network, Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Cyprus) and Onassis Cultural Centre (Greece). He is a resident artist at the Dance House Lefkosia for the period of 2018-2020.

As a dancer he is mainly collaborating with Alexandra Waierstall since 2011 and since 2018 he is also assisting the choreographer. Harry Koushos has been a Μember of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Culture on the Dance (20016-2018). He gives workshops and master classes (University of Lefkosia, PERA School Of Performing Arts- GAU, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Tipperary Dance Platform, Dance Cultural Centre etc). He lives between Cyprus, Greece, Germany and France.

His work is generally inspired by human experiences related to violence and the oppression of the modern individual, with a sole purpose to transform them on stage into poetic abstract visuals of artistic integrity. He seeks a language of movement with clean lines and strict forms that transpose ritualistic forms of dance and explore the major brain functions relating to the connecting space between the spectator and the performer.

Alexander Stavropoulos

Alexandros was born in Patras, Greece in 1991. He studied and graduated from the State School of dance and joined Hellenic Dance Company. In 2013 he trained at P.A.R.T.S University of Brussels and attended the 2015 Martha Graham technique intensive course in New York.

He has worked with choreographers including Jasmin Vardimon, Andonis Foniadakis, Tono Lachky, Linda Kapetanea, Fenia Apostolou, Christine Gouzelis and Paul Blackman, Fotis Nikolaou, Alexis Vasiliou.

Alexandros joined Jasmin Vardimon Company in 2016 as an apprentice dancer, postgraduate student who works with the Company as part of his coursework at London Contemporary Dance School, for the productions of Tannhäuser (Royal Opera House) and Pinocchio. He is currently working with the renowned choreographer Russell Maliphant for his new production "The Thread".

PERA ID 3

26th March-6th April 2018

Marco Da Silva Ferreira

Born in Santa Maria da Feira, Marco began his dance career in 2004. Since then he has worked with: Companhia de Dança do Norte; with Companhia Tok'art in Made in time in 2011 and You never know how things are going to come together in 2012; and with Companhia Instável in Fuga sem fim in 2011.

As a choreographer, he premiered his first solo Nevoeiro 21 in Palcos Instáveis at Campo Alegre theatre in 2012. It has also been presented in the Solos Festival (Lisboa, Évora and Torres Vedras), as well as in maisImaginarius 2012.

Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault, a co-creation with Mara Andrade, was presented in Palcos Instáveis in October 2013 and in GUIdance 2014. He was the choreographic assistant for the play Hamlet (2014) by Mala Voadora and in Veraneantes (2017) by Nuno Cardoso; was also artistic assistant of Victor Hugo Bridges in the creations Se alguma vez precisares da minha vida, vem e toma-a and Carnaval (both in 2016).

Gaga + Rep (Ohad Naharin) delivered by Ido Gidron

Ido Gidron is a performance artist, dancer, choreographer, and certified Gaga instructor based in Tel Aviv, Israel. He began his dance training in high school at The Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance and continued in Batsheva Dance Company’s Excellence Program for Outstanding Dance Students (2011-2013). When he was 17, Ido traveled to New York City to participate in The Julliard School of Dance Summer Intensive.

Ido is a certified teacher of Gaga, the movement language developed by Ohad Naharin, He teaches classes for dancers, and People. He is teaching open classes in Tel Aviv and leading workshops of Ohad Naharin’s repertoire around the world. In November 2017, Ido performed as a guest dancer with the Norwegian National Ballet in the production “Minus 16” by Ohad Naharin. Ido is a guest teacher for the company Cie Toula Limnaios in Berlin, and has taught in Fabrik Potsdam, Germany, at the Institut Za Umetničku Igru in Belgrade, Serbia, at PERA School of Performing Arts GAU in Kyrenia, Cyprus, and at Absalon in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Today, Ido is staging his own work, together with the Gaga language as a base for creation. He works with the independent choreographer Idan Sharabi and stages Ohad Naharin’s repertoire on many groups of dancers around the world.

Sabrina Gargano

Born Italy she started her dance studies in Rome attending National Academy of Rome, Dancepartout and Balletto di Roma. Moving to UK she attended the Professional Development Course by Jasmin Vardimon with a U.K. tour 2014.

Sabrina has worked with PanicLab, Companhia Instàvel, Ijad DanceCompany, Tom Dale Company, Company Idem, Ciemulator Dance Theatre in Switzerland, Beatrice Allegranti Dance Theatr, Richard Chappell, Fuora Dance Project and Infinite Project.

Sabrina is an Education Facilitator and currently dancing with Jasmin Vardimon Company.

Ugren Koulas

Dancer/choreographer Milena Ugren Koulas and musician George Koulas have been collaborating for last 11 years. They are married, family couple based in Limassol, Cyprus. Both of them graduated from Codarts academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Both of them graduated from Codarts academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They presented their work in different festivals in Cyprus and abroad in Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Germany, France, Serbia, Spain, Luxembourg.

In 2007 the piece “While Walking” received a prize from New Europe Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2012 choreography “House of Heaven II” was nominated in International Choreographic Competitions in Hanover and “No-Ballet” in Ludwigshaven , Germany. Their piece “Manlike” was selected as one of priority works by Aerowaves 2015

Opuntia Dance

Choreographer, Mafalda Deville, and visual artist, Israel Pimenta, joined together to travel in a barren art world, yet simultaneously fertile: under the weight and the shade of the rocks, strong and persistent flowers are born. The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon.

Ever so often limited to the rational, this cosmos is creatively and curricularly magnificent for the birth of a dance-theater company that plans to travel the globe from Porto, Portugal, not only geographically speaking, but also in terms of the disciplinary intersection of the stage, visual and performative arts.

The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon. An artistic horizon where the woman, her body and her struggles will highlight the work the company will still be conducting with the communities where there is a close relationship between the houses and the stage.

PERA ID 2

11-20th December 2017

Horácio Macuacua

Horácio is a Mozambican dancer and choreographer. He started his work in the field of Mozambican traditional dance in 1996. Funding member of CulturArte, created in 1999, one of the first Contemporary Dance Companies in Mozambique, when he participated in different performances directed by Panaíbra Gabriel.

He worked with international choreographers such as Frans Poelstra, Cristina Moura and Thomas Hauert among others. He is one of the favorite followers of David Zambrano with whom he keep working and developing flying-low technique, participating as performer in several works by the Venezuelan choreographer. He has been working as dance teacher for a long time giving classes in the best dance schools in Mozambique, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Brazil and Portugal. Since 2006 he has been developping his own works like Comum, Oca, Canais, etc.

In 2009 he created the piece Orobroy, Stop! which have won the Great Prize PUMA Creative and the 1st prize of Danse L’Afrique Danse 2010, Bamako/Mali, and took the company to a big tour in Africa, Europe anda Brasil. In 2012, he concieved the project Smile if you can, which he toured in Europe recently. All these creations are being presented in many countries around the world at the moment.

Stefania Sotiropoulou

Stefania studied and graduated from the State School of Dance in Greece in 2015. From September to December 2015 she studied in the NOD Dance Program in Turin, Italy with a scholarship.

Stefania has performed in Greece and New York as a member of Hellenic Dance Company where she worked with Anton Lachky, Martha Graham Dance Company, Akram Khan and Adonis Foniadakis.

In 2011, she performed in the opening and closing ceremony of the Special Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Stefania joined Jasmin Vardimon Company in 2016 as an apprentice dancer, postgraduate student who works with the Company as part of her coursework at London Contemporary Dance School, for the productions of Tannhäuser (Royal Opera House) and Pinocchio.

Opuntia Dance

Choreographer, Mafalda Deville, and visual artist, Israel Pimenta, joined together to travel in a barren art world, yet simultaneously fertile: under the weight and the shade of the rocks, strong and persistent flowers are born. The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon.

Ever so often limited to the rational, this cosmos is creatively and curricularly magnificent for the birth of a dance-theater company that plans to travel the globe from Porto, Portugal, not only geographically speaking, but also in terms of the disciplinary intersection of the stage, visual and performative arts.

The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon. An artistic horizon where the woman, her body and her struggles will highlight the work the company will still be conducting with the communities where there is a close relationship between the houses and the stage.

Sabrina Gargano

Born Italy she started her dance studies in Rome attending National Academy of Rome, Dancepartout and Balletto di Roma. Moving to UK she attended the Professional Development Course by Jasmin Vardimon with a U.K. tour 2014.

Sabrina has worked with PanicLab, Companhia Instàvel, Ijad DanceCompany, Tom Dale Company, Company Idem, Ciemulator Dance Theatre in Switzerland, Beatrice Allegranti Dance Theatr, Richard Chappell, Fuora Dance Project and Infinite Project.

Sabrina is an Education Facilitator and currently dancing with Jasmin Vardimon Company.

PERA ID

5th-21st December 2016

Tomislav English

Tomislav’s personal practice is informed by ongoing movement research under the teachings of Grand Master Tae Yong Lee, Ido Portal, David Zambrano, Moshe Feldenkrais, Fighting Monkey Practice, Bruno Caverna and Wim Hof, in addition to academic research at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Oxford (Department of Psychiatry).

Artistically Tomislav is currently working extensively with director Wim Vandekeybus as a member of his company Ultima Vez in Brussels. Previously he has worked with artists including Punchdrunk/National Theatre London, Luca Silvestrini’s Protein Dance, English National Ballet, AΦE, Joe Wright/Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and The Penguin Cafe. Tomislav is a graduate (1st Class BA Hons) of London Contemporary Dance School and The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.

Tomislav’s workshops are explorations into his Ferus Animi // Terra Nova research. The research seeks to examine the principles behind some of the movement techniques we have come to recognise, through the lens of evolutionary physiology and environmental adaptation. We will look to better understand our mechanics, neurological function, biological processes and the physical laws which govern our motion, in search of a richer range of possibilities in our movement and performance practice.

Ozgür Adam Inanç

As a soloist dancer he worked with "Ankara State Opera and Ballet", “Contemporary Ballet Company- C.B.C., Istanbul”, “Modern Dance Turkey-M.D.T,Ankara”, “Birim Dance Theater-B.D.T.,Ankara” In his career he worked with a lot of teachers, well known choreographer and directors such as “Ceyhun Ozsoy, Nugzar Magalashvili, Gayyum Yakubov, Vladimir Toulkstouhin, Sergei Terechenko, Natalia Arobelidze, David Peden, Yannick Baquin, Julian Moss, Juhanis Terasvori, Tom Van Cauwenbergh, Christine Camillo, Oytun Turfanda, Ugur Seyrek, Mehmet Balkan, Korhan Basaran, Zeynep Tanbay, Yildiz Kenter, Robert North, Xin Peng Wang, Andre Prokovski, Valerie Panov, Miguel Angel Elias, Marco Cantopulo, Tina Fossmo, Johan Greben & Uri Ivgi, Julia Varley, Eugenio Barba”

He also worked with many different companies like “Odin Teatret,Denmark”, “Grenland Friteater, Norway”, “ Miasto City Festival,Poland”, “Kaffesieder Ball 2008, Osterreich” He completed his postgraduation M.A. by writing his thesis “An Analysis of Enrico Cecchetti and Cecchetti Education System (Cecchetti Method)” in Istanbul University Social Sciences Institute Classical Ballet Department.

Now his proffessional aim as a freelance choreographer is to make worldwide stage arts projects. And to maintain and improve his choreographic language, he puts a lot of effort in his individual works.

Mafalda Deville (Opuntia Dance)

Trained at Ginasiano dance school, Portugal and London Contemporary Dance School. She worked as a dancer and choreographer with BCN Ballet Contemporaneo do Norte in Portugal for three years before joining Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company in January 2003.

Choreographer, Mafalda Deville, and visual artist, Israel Pimenta, joined together to travel in a barren art world, yet simultaneously fertile: under the weight and the shade of the rocks, strong and persistent flowers are born. The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon.

The Opuntia Dance begins with the thorns inherent to all projects, yet with the promise to deliver the fruits that the cactus, which gives it its name places on the horizon. An artistic horizon where the woman, her body and her struggles will highlight the work the company will still be conducting with the communities where there is a close relationship between the houses and the stage.

Horácio Macuacua

Horácio is a Mozambican dancer and choreographer. He started his work in the field of Mozambican traditional dance in 1996. Funding member of CulturArte, created in 1999, one of the first Contemporary Dance Companies in Mozambique, when he participated in different performances directed by Panaíbra Gabriel.

He worked with international choreographers such as Frans Poelstra, Cristina Moura and Thomas Hauert among others. He is one of the favorite followers of David Zambrano with whom he keep working and developing flying-low technique, participating as performer in several works by the Venezuelan choreographer. He has been working as dance teacher for a long time giving classes in the best dance schools in Mozambique, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Brazil and Portugal. Since 2006 he has been developping his own works like Comum, Oca, Canais, etc.

In 2009 he created the piece Orobroy, Stop! which have won the Great Prize PUMA Creative and the 1st prize of Danse L’Afrique Danse 2010, Bamako/Mali, and took the company to a big tour in Africa, Europe anda Brasil. In 2012, he concieved the project Smile if you can, which he toured in Europe recently. All these creations are being presented in many countries around the world at the moment.

Oleg Manukovskiy

Oleg Manukovskiy received his Diploma as Ballet Artist from Vornezh Choroegraphic School, Russia (1969-1977) and became a Ballet teacher after receiving a Pedagogical Diploma from Plovdiv’s Academy of Music, Bulgaria (1995-1999) . He pursued his career as a professional dancer for the Military ensemble of Song and Dance “KZakVO”, in Tbilisi (1977-1981) and Modern Dance Theatre “RERO”, in Tbilisi (1981-1986). He taught classical ballet at Opera and Ballet Theatre of Z. Paliashvili, in Tbilisi (1986-93), Plovdiv’s Opera in Bulgaria (1993-1995) and Skopje’s Opera in Macedonia (1999-2004). He has also delivered Ballet at the Dance School of Tan Sağtürk, Diyarbakır, Turkey (2004-2007). Since 2009, he has been teaching Ballet for children as well as PERA students.

He pursued his career as a professional dancer for the Military ensemble of Song and Dance “KZakVO”, in Tbilisi (1977-1981) and Modern Dance Theatre “RERO”, in Tbilisi (1981-1986). He taught classical ballet at Opera and Ballet Theatre of Z. Paliashvili, in Tbilisi (1986-93), Plovdiv’s Opera in Bulgaria (1993-1995) and Skopje’s Opera in Macedonia (1999-2004). He has also delivered Ballet at the Dance School of Tan Sağtürk, Diyarbakır, Turkey (2004-2007).

Since 2009, he has been teaching Ballet for children as well as PERA students.