Andreas Papadopoulos, a senior dance teacher and performer from the renowned Dora Stratou Dance Theatre in Athens will be hosted by the Kos Club of Victoria for a two-week visit.
The president of The Kos Club, Kerry Sourasis said that Papadopoulos will offer traditional Greek dancing lessons and help the club continue its “mission of promoting cultural traditions”.
“We are proud to support our community and ensure that these traditions are passed down.”
In Melbourne, Papadopoulos will visit Greek schools, community organisations, and dance groups to offer private dance lessons.
“We’ve been inundated with requests from dance teachers and dance schools to be included in this visit,” Sourasis said.
Papadopoulos can only stay in Australia for a short time, and the Club “has not been able to accommodate everyone.”
“We hope to bring him back very soon as there is obviously a huge demand and a huge need for this type of interaction and learning.”
The highlight of the visiting dance teacher’s visit to Melbourne will be a three-day traditional Greek dancing seminar at The Kos Club.
The seminar will explore dances from various regions of Greece and has attracted interest from local dance teachers as well as educators from across the country.
“We have teachers traveling from interstate to attend this seminar. It’s much easier for us to bring a teacher to Australia for professional development than for all these teachers to travel to Greece for seminars!”, Sourasis said.
Zois Tzikas, the dance teacher at The Kos Club, is “thrilled that he and his students will be participating in this milestone visit.”
“This workshop is more than just a series of dance lessons for me. It’s an opportunity to connect deeply with my roots, celebrate our traditions and share the joy of Greek dancing,” said Tzikas, who grew up watching videos of the Dora Stratou Dance Troupe.
“It’s a dream come true for me – I always reference the theatre’s teaching philosophy in my weekly dance lessons. I’m immensely grateful for this opportunity and look forward to learning some new dances.”
In a letter Papadopoulos sent to the President of The Kos Club, he wrote:
“Born fifty years ago, in a house with a yard… With my grandparents gathering us and telling us stories… And every Sunday… for any reason or occasion, the whole family would gather and throw parties out of nowhere…
“I couldn’t help but be influenced by the traditional dances I started learning in Year 4… and at 19, I became a professional dancer at the ‘Dora Stratou Theatre’ in 1993, where I still work today, and I’ve been a teacher in the theatre’s departments since 2017!
“At 21, I started trying not just to teach… or show dance… but to give people the feeling and ability to get up, join in, and dance at every party.
I hope to continue inspiring people by showing them what love for traditional dances means and to make more and more people fall in love with it, just as I have.
“With lessons in clubs and schools, seminars within Greece, performances abroad, and teaching to Greek communities in Europe… the time has come for me to feel your love for traditional dance and your heritage from its roots… something I am sure you have and protect like the apple of your eye.”
