KALAMATA – The research choreographic program ‘Smala – A Choreographic Workshop in the Mediterranean’, co-organized by the International Dance Festival of Kalamata with the French Institute of Greece, the French Institute of Cyprus and the Accrorap group of choreographers Kader Attou and Sophie Bulbulyan was held October 21-30.
The Greek National Opera (GNO) travels to Kalamata in November. Shadow opera, operetta, dance, musical for the whole family and a series of educational programs, within the framework of the two-year memorandum of cooperation between the GNO with the Municipality of Kalamata and the Public Benefit Corporation FARIS and with the support of the donation of Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to strengthen the artistic extroversion of the GNO.
The 30th Anniversary exhibition ‘Kalamata, City of Dance’ highlights the 30-year history of the Kalamata International Dance Festival and continues at the Kalamata Dance Hall through December.
Consistent in implementing the vision for the activation of the Kalamata International Dance Center throughout the year and the transformation of the unique Dance Hall in Greece into an active core of artistic creation throughout the year, the Mayor of Kalamata Thanasis Vassilopoulos and the Artistic Director of the Kalamata International Dance Festival Tzeni Argyriou, announce the program of activities that will take place at Kalamata Dance Hall from October to December 2025.
The exhibition is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The GNO in Kalamata begins on November 1 with two educational programs for children, ‘Dad… Are We Dancing?’ designed and implemented by Yannis Stavropoulos and Thenia Antoniadis, and Musical Narratives from Goats Know the Way (Elli Giannaki, Dimitris Kourtis, Nikos Karydis) which invite young and old alike on a unique journey into the magical world of fairy tales.
On November 4, the GNO Alternative Stage presents two morning performances for schools (at 9:30 AM and 11 AM) of the musical for the whole family by Nikos Kypourgos, ‘Silence, the King Is Listening’ with a libretto by Thomas Moschopoulos and directed by Thodoris Ambazis, with Haris Andrianos, Vasias Zacharopoulou and Nikos Stefanou in the main roles and the participation of a small musical ensemble: a musical theatre experience that introduces the audience to the basic concepts of music as a game.
On November 6, the GNO’s new shadow opera ‘Karagiozis Rigoletto’, with a musical adaptation by Lina Zachari and a text by Dimitris Dimopoulos and Alexandros Melissinos, is presented for schools at 9:30 AM and 11 AM. The show stars the soloists Manos Kokkonis, Yiannis Selitsaniotis, Marilena Striftombola and the clown Alexandros Melissenos. The most famous and beloved hunchbacked jester of shadow theatre, Karagiozis, is called upon to carry out a lyrical mission to interpret the most famous hunchback of opera, Rigoletto.
On November 6, at 6:30 PM and 9 PM, Theophrastos Sakellaridis’ operetta ‘I Want to See the Pope’ will be presented, directed by Natasa Triantafylli, orchestrated by Michalis Papapetrou, with Dimitris Sigalos, Vangelis Maniatis, Julia Souglakou, Chrysa Maliamani, Nikolas Marazioti, Marisia Papalexiou, Antonis Kyriakakis and the participation of a small musical ensemble.
On November 22 and 23, the GNO Ballet will present the dance triptych ‘Return of the Summer’, with the choreographies ‘Bolero’ by Konstantinos Rigos to music by Maurice Ravel, ‘Point of No Return’ by Yannis Mantafounis to music by Giorgos Koumendakis and ‘Les Nuits d’été’ by Konstantinos Rigos to the music of Hector Berlioz, composing an impressive contemporary dance program that overflows with dynamism and energy.
On November 23, the opera ‘Pocket Rigoletto’ will be presented, an educational program for infants and toddlers from one to three years old. The Pocket Rigoletto Opera Workshop is an original multi-sensory experience specially designed for infants and toddlers aged 1 to 3 years old and inspired by Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’. The action attempts to create a multimedia world of sound, image and movement with the aim of introducing children to the world of opera, through sensory exploration and active participation.
All performances to be given in Kalamata are free to the public with priority tickets from www.ticketservices.gr.
