Stella Zannou

Contemporary for Dancers

Training for Dancers

Bio

Stella Zannou is a choreographer, dancer and dance instructor with Greek origin, who lives in Berlin since 2009. She has studied dance and choreography at the London Studio Center and London College of Dance (England), the American College of Greece (BA) and the Greek State school of dance. As a dancer, she has collaborated with Johannes Wieland at Staatstheater Kassel, Maya M. Carrol – Lipsker, Clint Lutes, Richard Siegal, Walter Bickmann, Athina Vahla, M. Klien, Nicolas Mortimore, Kunst-stoff (Yannis Antoniou), Editta Braun, Thomas Mettler, Apostolia Papadamaki, Haris Mandafounis, K.Mixos und Prosxima Dance Company, etc. In 2006, Stella created Smack Dance company, with which she has performed her creations in festivals such as the 5th and 6th Athens International Dance Festival, “Tanzwelten 2009”, as well as in many international Theaters. She has also choreographed for the Vienna Opera house, “Bodhi Projekt” / SEAD, Staatstheater Kassel, Sozo Visions of Motion, American College of Greece, etc. Stella is offering workshops, dance classes and mentoring for dance companies, state theaters, festivals, dance and theater schools and universities, such as: Staatstheater Braunschweig und Kassel, Toula Limnaios Co., “Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance”, DancePAT, “Sozo Visions in Motion“, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz – Köln, Danceworks – Berlin, Dock 11, Marameo, Laborgrass, Tanzfabrik, Potsdamer Tanztage, B12, Hollins University, SEAD, Anton Bruckner University, “Greek State School of Dance”, “International Dance Festival of Kalamata”, opening ceremony – Paraolympic Games, Athens 2004, “The American College of Greece”, “One Small Step Festival”, Akropoditi Festival, Proda, Nachschub and Lincoln University- Gnarl Festival.

Class description

Although technical elements are going to be found in this contemporary class, my basic aim is to make dancers aware of the weight and rhythm of movement, as well as to dance without fear and hesitation by using their physicality and full energy rather than sticking to the “academic” correctness of the movement. Believing that each dancer should discover and develop his/her own way of moving, I will try to encourage personal expression and personal differences to exist by using simple improvisation exercises. These are then going to be applied in given phrases, transforming in this way a “set combination” into a quite unique personal movement material. At the same time, this class will be a very strengthening training. Influences are found from different dance techniques as well as from martial arts. Floor work is also very important, since I find it is the base for understanding fundamental movement qualities. Many acrobatics and hand stands are found but without being the main goal of the class. The focus is on the safety of the body and flow of movement. In general, this class is most often considered to be a very joyful and challenging class attracting dancers who love the physicality of dancing.