Festival Experience
2025
23-28 June, 2025
For one week, explore diverse movement vocabularies and dance in the land where social dances are part of everyday life. Join us in daily workshops, research, talks, events, screenings and performances led by professional dancers with dynamic, genuine, and unique movement practices. Expand your body's possibilities while being in contact with nature.
We offer packages depending on your level and interest!
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1 contemporary class per day x 5 days
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Dance Film Screening
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Ikaria Dance Talks
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Dance Performances Event
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Festival Gift Merch
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Transfer to & from Traditional Festival
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1 traditional dance class per day x 5 days
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Dance Film Screening
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Ikaria Dance Talks
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Dance Performances Event
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Festival Gift Merch
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Transfer to & from Traditional Festival
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1 contemporary class per day x 5 days
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1 traditional class per day x 5 days
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3 days of Research
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1 day of Rehearsal
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1 Performance at the Festival Event
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Dance Photoshoot
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Dance Film Screening
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Ikaria Dance Talks
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Dance Performance Event
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Festival Gift Merch
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Transfer to & from Traditional Festival
Come Dance with Us!
ABOUT US
Ikaria Dance Festival was born out of our love for dance and our connection with Ikaria.
In this Blue Zone where Dance is a part of every day life, we want to nurture and support creative and cultural exchanges in between different styles of dance; contemporary and traditional forms.
By connecting to the powerful nature, we wish to provide a platform where professional dancers and choreographers can share their practices and performances with the local community.
At the same time, by inviting dance practitioners & movers from all over the world, we want to share diverse perspectives enriching the energy of the island.
At Ikaria Dance Festival, we wish to create community by bridging different manifestations of dance.
Our festival aims to be an artistic platform that supports art, expression, and highlights the unique local richness of the island and its people.
The Team
Fotini Kardakou
Fotini Kardakou is a Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher, Reformer and Clinical Pilates instructor, from Athens. She is also the Founder of Aiorisis (Dance School) based in Ikaria island.
Fotini graduated from "Rallou Manou" Higher Professional Dance School. She studied in workshops under Chet Walker and Milton Myers (Jacob's Pillow), Mavin Khoo, Linda Kapetanea and Josef Frusek (Fighting Monkey/RootlessRoot), Dimitris Kaminaris, Markella Manoliadi, Andonis Foniadakis, Hermes Malkotsis Betty Dramisioti and Kiki Baka (Sinequanon dance company), Sofia Mavragani (Fingersix) and others.
She has performed in "Birthplace"of Dimitri Papaioannou in the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Also at the 2nd Athens Biennale. In performances by Goerg Hobmeier with Kinitiras (artistic network), in the global interdisciplinary performance "Animal Kingdom" by Akram Khan X Numeridanse. In the film "Tsiou..." and in its theatrical adaptation "Tsiou...Live" by Makis Papadimitratos. She is currently leading classes of Ballet, Contemporary Dance and Pilates.
Fotini is the co-founder & co-Artistic Director of Ikaria Dance Festival.
Marianna Varviani
Marianna Varviani is a Greek dance theater artist currently based in Los Angeles, USA. She is the artistic director of Selcouth Dance Theater Company.
Marianna has a B.A. in Contemporary Theatre from E15/ University of Essex and an M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA.
With Selcouth, she has created works that were amongst others performed at Highways Performance Space and the Odyssey Theatre, UCLA Kaufman Hall, 'Keshet Center for the Arts', am'The Other Art Fair', 'San Pedro Festival of the Arts', ‘Ebb and Flow Festival’ in the USA, 'Arc for Dance Festival', 'European Dance Network', and Festival of Rematia 'Our Festival' in Greece.
She has performed internationally in Greece, UK, Spain, Brazil and USA in projects by Salia Sanou, Friidom, Ghislain Grellier, Stella Spyrou, Ohi Paizoume, Brian Astbury, Uri Roodner, Ken Cambel, Ian Morgan, Tobby Clarke, Stella Spyrou, Murto Delimichali, ‘Ohi Paizoume’, Erin Cooney, ’Patari Project’ and others. She is the co-founder of 'Ha! Theatre Ensemble', 'LA Dance Calendar', and 'Global Choreographers'.
She is a member of the Krump Demolition Crew 100/ DCX, since 2021.She has been teaching dance and theater internationally. She is currently a Lecturer at two Cal State Universities, Fullerton & Channel Islands.
Marianna is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Ikaria Dance Festival.
Our Sponsors
Big Thank you
The photographers of this website:
Farida Amar
Forecast Foundation
Jack X Proctor
John Nyboer
Scott Edwards
Willa Salam
Irene Papadopoulou
Sophia Karelioti
Alexis Cohen
Iosif Drakos
Our graphic designer:
Savina Patrikiou
Our community & friends:
Virginia Nakasian
Mariska Pavlous
Nikos Mastorakis
Vasilis Missas
Isidoros Plytas
Marianna Ladopoulou
Chrysanthi Chrisogelou
Lila Voli
Marisa Antonopoulou
Constantine Varvias
Polly Kypreou
Christina Varvia
Aggeliki Machaira
Kiki Zampeta
Pavlos Ioannidis
John Victory
Featured Dancers:
Maya Peterson
Tyler Law
Ghislain Grellier
Maasai Godwin
Sophia Fan Lin
McKenzie Barkdull
Anna Simonova
Ariana Chavez
Marianna Varviani