We are honoured to have choreographer Andonis Foniadakis in our New Zealand studios. Rehearsals have begun with our dancers on his powerful work Selon désir, performed as part of our upcoming international tour.

Andonis Foniadakis grew up in the city of Ierapetra, in the south part of Crete, Greece. He began his dance training with Niki Papadaki at the local dance school in his hometown. From 1990 to 1992 he studied at the State Dance School of Athens and before his graduation, received the prestigious Maria Callas scholarship to continue his studies in Rudra Bejart Lausanne, Switzerland.

As a dancer Andonis has collaborated with Bejart Ballet Lausanne (1994-1996) under the direction of Maurice Bejart, Lyon Opera Ballet (1996-2002) under the direction of Yorgos Loukos, Saburo Teshi- gawara/Karas Co. (2004) under the direction of Saburo Teshigawara, as well as with his own dance company Apotosoma.

During the years of his professional engagement with the above companies he has performed the choreographic works of Maguy Marin, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Dominique Boivin, Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, Maurice Béjart, Ohad Naharin, Frédéric Flamand, Bill T Jones, Hervé Robbe, Tero Saarinen, Lionel Hoche, Joachim Schlomer, John Jasperse, Saburo Teshigawara, and others.

As a freelance choreographer he has collaborated with the Sydney Dance Company, CCN Ballet de Lorraine, Martha Graham Dance Company, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Geneva Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Bern Ballet, Ballet du Rhin, Maggio Danza, National Dance Company of Wales, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Cia Sociedade Masculina Brazil, Bale da Cidade of Sao Paulo Brazil, Helsinki Dance Company Finland, National Ballet of Greece, National Theater of Northern Greece, Benjamin Millepied Dance Company USA, Washington Ballet, Bejart Ballet Lausanne, Ballet Junior Geneva, Hellenic Dance Company, CNSMD Lyon, and Copenhagen International Dance.

Foniadakis has been commissioned to choreograph for three operas:
Theatre de Champs Elysees Paris- Castor et Pollux by Rameau
Opera National du Rhin – Les Boreades by Rameau
GRAME Lyon – Il canto della pelle by Claudio Ambrosini

In 2014 he collaborated as movement coordinator with Darren Aronofsky on his new film, Noah. In Italy he received the Danza Award for “Best Choroegrapher 2012” for his creation Les Noces for Maggio Danza.

In addition to creating and performing, Andonis teaches seminars based on his personal dance technique. He has taught at the State Dance School of Greece, DAN.C.CE studios and Baile de Barrio in Athens, DOCK11 in Berlin, CND and CNSMD in Lyon, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Henny Jurriens Studio Amsterdam, Kuopio Dance Festival, CCN Lorraine, Martha Graham Dance Studios, and Broadway Dance Center.

In 2003, Foniadakis created his own dance company Apotosoma, in Lyon, France and since then, has shown his work in France, Greece, Italy, Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, England, and the USA.

To date, he has presented six evening-length works with his own company:
Sensitive Screens Skins Intervals
USE
Rite of Spring
All Things Are Quite Silent
Romeo and Juliet
Wisteria Maiden