Dimitris Papaioannou

Dimitris Papaioannou is an Athenian born in 1964 who emerged from the Greek underground art scene as a defining figure. Starting as a comics creator, he became a director, choreographer, performer, and designer of sets, costumes, and lighting.

His hybrid creations gained a growing dedicated audience in Greece, and in 2004 he became the youngest artist to have been assigned to direct the biggest show on earth: the Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (Athens 2004). A decade later, in 2015, he was discovered by European programmers and was invited to tour.

He is now an internationally acclaimed avant-garde theatre maker, considered "a philosopher of dance" (Τanz magazine), "one of the four most important choreographers in the world" (Le Figaro), "a masterful theatrical magician and imagist" (The Times), "the most original choreographer of our time" (La Repubblica), offering "an act of artistic magic created before our eyes" (The New York Times), and "a genre of performance unlike anything else you'll see on stage" (The Guardian).

Papaioannou's more than 30 productions range from mass spectacles with thousands of performers to the most intimate pieces. His creations have been commissioned, co-produced, and presented internationally by the most renowned festivals and theatres, enjoying sold-out performances on extensive tours worldwide.

He was a student of the iconic Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis before transitioning to the performing arts