Alliance of International Production Houses

After the success with the piece “The Great Tamer” in October 2018, Dimitris Papaioannou is now a guest at HELLERAU with his new work “Transverse Orientation”.

The visual philosopher, artist and choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou, who deals with existential questions of life and being human in his works, creates haunting surreal images by fragmenting and creating human body images. Referring to great themes of art history and Greek mythology, in “Transverse Orientation” the young generation turns against a huge bull that symbolises a violent, antiquated power. The bull is killed, just as the mythical hero Theseus killed the Minotaur (half-man, half-bull) on Crete: in the hope of a better future. Nevertheless, Papaioannou has admiration and compassion for the archetypes, which he values symbolically: “They have determined the course of history and given people a direction”. With a great sense of composition, timing and humour, “Transverse Orientation” is both an ode to the ancestors and a farewell to them – with potential for something new.

Dimitris Papaioannou studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts and develops large-scale total works of art for the stage as a director, choreographer, performer, set and costume designer and painter. He gained international fame through his celebrated opening production of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2017, he received the special prize of the European Theatre Award. His visual, precise handwriting with a love of detail and the absurd also brought him to Tanztheater Wuppertal. There, in 2018, Papaioannou was the first choreographer after Pina Bausch to stage a full-length piece with her ensemble.

Conceived – Visualized + Directed by Dimitris Papaioannou
With Damiano Ottavio Bigi, Šuka Horn, Jan Möllmer, Breanna O’Mara, Tina Papanikolaou, Łukasz Przytarski, Christos Strinopoulos, Michalis Theophanous
Music Antonio Vivaldi
Set Design Tina Tzoka & Loukas Bakas
Sound Composition + Design Coti K.
Costume Design Aggelos Mendis
Collaborative Lighting Designer Stephanos Droussiotis
Music Supervisor Stephanos Droussiotis
Sculptures + Special Constructions – Props Nectarios Dionysatos
Mechanical Inventions Dimitris Korres
Creative – Executive Producer + Assistant Director Tina Papanikolaou
Assistant Directors + Rehearsal Directors Pavlina Andriopoulou & Drossos Skotis
Assistant to the Set Designers Tzela Christopoulou
Assistant to the Sound Composer Martha Kapazoglou
Assistant to the Costume Designer Aella Tsilikopoulou
Special Constructions – Props Assistant Eva Tsambasi
Photography + Cinematography Julian Mommert
Technical Director Manolis Vitsaxakis
Assistant to the Technical Director Marios Karaolis
Stage Manager – Sound Engineer + Props Constructions David Blouin
Props Master Tzela Christopoulou
Lighting Programmer Stephanos Droussiotis
Costumes Construction Litsa Moumouri, Efi Karantasiou, Islam Kazi
Stage Technicians Kostas Kakoulidis, Evgenios Anastopoulos, Panos Koutsoumanis
Lighting Constructions Miltos Athanasiou
Silicone Baby made by Joanna Bobrzynska-Gomes
Props Team Natalia Fragkathoula, Marilena Kalaitzantonaki, Timothy Laskaratos, Anastasis Meletis, Antonis Vassilakis
Executive Production 2WORKS in collaboration with POLYPLANITY Productions
Executive Production Associate Vicky Strataki
Executive Production Assistant Kali Kavvatha
Props Production Manager Pavlina Andriopoulou
International Relations + Communications Manager Julian Mommert