Dance in the Museum | The Benaki Museum 2018-2019


Dance in the Museum

Main Benaki Museum annexes
2018-19























Designed & implemented by Vassiliki Spachou

Organised & produced by the Education Department of the Benaki Museum


Χορός στο Μουσείο / Dance in the Museum

A unique approach of the Benaki Museum through movement.


Each program consisted of an introduction and a discussion around the themes of every meeting, as well as video and examples from iconic choreographic works from the history of dance. There is also a mild warm up that help participants to familiarise themselves with the vocabulary of contemporary dance. A more creative section with composition exercises based on the subjects of each meeting allows participants to express themselves physically and interact with key pieces from the collections.


1. Symbols and the body: Dance at the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture


The symbolisms that exist in the Greek tradition meet the symbolisms of the body. A different experience at the Museum dancing among textiles, wood carvings, jewelry and costumes. This kinetic encounter draws inspiration from the economy and metaphors used in folk art iconography.


















2. Flashback to the movement of modernism: Dance at the Ghika Gallery

A letter by Rallou Manou, designs from sets and costumes by Tsarouchis and vinyls by Manos Hadjidakis give us the atmosphere of the collaborations of the '30s. In one of the first Athenian apartment buildings of the interwar period we move among works of Greek modernism and practice the abstract movement on a cork floor.


3. Arabesque: Dance at the Museum of Islamic Art
Kinetic motifs in conversation with the mood for decoration, repetition and geometry of Islamic art. Techniques that appear in non-performing arts, such as ceramics, are used as choreographic tools and help us develop movement compositions in the museum.



Geometry, clarity, sense, design, rhythm, discipline, organization of space. Guided by his works, we will develop physical dialogues and will compose kinetically in the exhibition space.

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