WSL Dance Intensive March 23 – 26 2024
with teachers: Rafael Molina and Penny Diamantopoulou
Ms. Diamantopoulou was born and raised in Athens, Greece where she started her dance training in Classical ballet and Modern dance. She graduated with a dance teacher’s BA degree from “Anna Petrova” Professional Dance School.
In 1995, after graduating from the Athens University (Department of French Language and Literature), she moved to NY to study at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, completing the Post Certificate Program, as well as her Teaching Training with Diane Gray and Joyce Herring.
She is a former member of the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble under the direction of Kazuko Hirabayashi, Joyce Herring and Kenneth Topping (1996-2000) and a Faculty member at the Martha Graham School (1998-2000).
She has been a Faculty member at the Greek National School of Dance (2002-2021) and at "horohronos" Professional Dance School since 2017, where she teaches Graham Technique and Repertory. She teaches Master classes to students/dancers in Greece, Cyprus and other European countries.
In collaboration with the Martha Graham Center, she teaches, reconstructs and restages pieces or excerpts of the Graham repertory in New York (City Center), Greece (Herod Atticus Ancient Theatre, Athens Concert Hall, Athens Festival), France (Conservatoire de Paris), Bosnia (Tanzelarija/Sarajevo), Belgium, Hungary (Hungarian Dance University for the Budapest Dance Festival) and Turkey (Izmir International Festival).
She has an on-going collaboration with Graham for Europe, teaching Graham technique and repertory for the Summer and Fall Intensive workshops in France (July & November 2023) and for the Summer Intensive workshop in Italy (July 2024).
She is the founder, choreographer and artistic director of ARTHROSIS Dance Company (based in Athens), with which she presents her work since 2003 at various venues and festivals in Europe and the US.
Penny Diamantopoulou - (GR)
Rafael Molina is a French Artist, and Graham technique teacher based in Paris. Trained at the Conservatoire National de Région de Saint-Etienne, Rafael Molina graduated in classical ballet and contemporary dance. In his dance career, Rafael performed both neoballet roles (Ballet Ethery Pagava, Paris Festival Ballet, Cie Mouvance d’Arts) and contemporary dance new works (Cie Polypous, Cie IFunamboli, Cie le temps d’une danse), touring in France, Spain, Israel and Singapore. Since 2017, Rafael has also been working as Assistant choreographer for Fabio Crestale, Artistic Director of Cie IFunamboli in Paris.
He is the founder and Artistic Director of 'Graham For Europe', a European organisation dedicated to the work of Martha Graham. He graduated from Sciences Po Paris and the Martha Graham School in New York City, where he performed the Graham repertory with Graham 2.
In 2019, Rafael was funded by the Centre National de la Danse for the research project on Graham educational practices. Therefore, he travelled around the globe and interviewed more than 30 Graham technique instructors and Masters about Graham fundamental principles and concepts.
Rafael teaches Graham principles through technique, repertory, and composition in various institutions all over Europe. He believes in a modern and innovative pedagogy. His teaching approach respects individual specificities (bodies, histories, abilities) and encourages autonomy. He creates a safe space for his students to explore their singularities as individuals/artists, in order to unlock possibilities for artistic interpretation.
Rafael Molina - (FR)