My Fierce Ignorant Step
The opening performance of Julidans, by renowned Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos, illustrates how movement can unfold like a song. The dancers' bodies vibrate on the waves of collective memories of a time when we believed everything was possible. How do we recapture that youthful sense of endless opportunities, invincibility and strength?
Opening performance
Programme section Julidans On Stage
Dutch premiere
Location Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Venue Grote Zaal
Run time tba
Genre Dance
Language Language no problem
My Fierce Ignorant Step
Christos Papadopoulos challenges audiences to experience music and movement in a more profound way. His highly acclaimed show Larsen C, presented at Julidans 2022, was a meditation on the human position in times of change. The performance showed the subtle, often almost invisible movements of ice masses.
For Papadopoulos, the inspiration for My Fierce Ignorant Step lies in the sounds and memories of his childhood - memories that, although subtle, are inextricably linked to the fate of his country. The choreographer focuses on the resilience of the individual. How can we recover the sense of hope from our youth and turn it into the full realisation: together we can handle anything?
Music and bodies merge on the waves of collective memories. Can sound combined with movement become a pure, indivisible experience? The dancers move as one body, their breathing becoming a voice guiding them - sometimes powerful and grand, at other times, small and subtle, yet always flowing and self-evident. A rhythm that steadily expands, like an unstoppable race through life.
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With My Fierce Ignorant Step, Papadopoulos incorporates the influence of Axion Esti, the monumental 1964 oratory by Mikis Theodorakis. This work, based on the poem by Nobel laureate Odysseas Elytis, combines classical, folk and Byzantine music and narrates the history and struggles of the Greek people. This piece of music has a strong cultural and political message and was a symbol of national identity and resistance, especially during the years of the military dictatorship (1967-1974).
Christos Papadopoulos created dance pieces for Dance On Ensemble and the Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon, among others. Last season, he created an extraordinarily well-received work for Nederlands Dans Theater. Ten years after his first choreography and shortly after receiving the prestigious Rose International Dance Prize, he presents his most personal work to date with My Fierce Ignorant Step.
More about Christos Papadopoulos
Christos Papadopoulos is a choreographer and performer, trained at SNDO in Amsterdam and the National Theatre of Greece. He is the founder of the company Leon and the Wolf. His works, including Elvedon and Opus (Aerowaves), have been shown at major international venues. He contributed to the choreography for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the 2015 European Games in Baku. Since 2013, he teaches choreography, composition and improvisation at Odeion Athinon Theatre Academy.
ABOUT JULIDANS
From July 2-13, Julidans Amsterdam puts the spotlight on international contemporary dance. Choreographers from home and abroad present work in various theaters, on the streets and in the park, with Internationaal Theater Amsterdam as the beating festival heart. Julidans is the festival that inspires both connoisseurs and curious minds. The program is full of unique dance makers - from established icons to provocateurs, from legends to groundbreakers.
Credits
concept & choreography Christos Papadopoulos
dancing and collaborating Themis Andreoulaki, Maria Bregianni, Amalia Kosma, Georgios Kotsifakis, Sotiria Koutsopetrou, Tasos Nikas, Ioanna Paraskevopoulou, Danae Pazirgiannidi, Spyros Ntogas, Adonis Vais
dramaturgy consultant Alexandros Mistriotis
original music Kornilios Selamsis
associate composer Jeph Vanger
set design Clio Boboti
costumes design Angelos Mentis
lightning design Stefanos Drousiotis
vocal training Apostolis Psichramis
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assistant to the choreographer Sevasti Zafeira
coordination and line production Zoe Mouschi, Rena Andreadaki
commissioned and produced by Onassis Stegi
co-producers Theatre de la Ville (Paris), Julidans (The Netherlands), Romaeuropa Festival (Italy), Theatre D'Orleans (France), Lac Lugano Arte e Cultura (Switzerland), December Dance Concertgebouw Brugge (Belgium), One Dance Festival (Bulgaria), Festival de Marseille (France) and I Teatri di Reggio Emilia (Italy)
supported by The Onassis Stegi "Outward Turn" Cultural Export Program
with financial support of The Ministry of Culture
Christos Papadopoulos with My Fierce Ignorant Step is nominated for the Fedora van Cleef & Arpels Dance Prize 2025