About Us

Fotini Kardakou is a Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher, Reformer and Clinical Pilates instructor, from Athens. She is also the Founder of Aiorisis (Dance School) based in Ikaria island.

Fotini graduated from “Rallou Manou” Higher Professional Dance School. She studied in workshops under Chet Walker and Milton Myers (Jacob’s Pillow), Mavin Khoo, Linda Kapetanea and Josef Frusek (Fighting Monkey/RootlessRoot), Dimitris Kaminaris, Markella Manoliadi, Andonis Foniadakis, Hermes Malkotsis Betty Dramisioti and Kiki Baka (Sinequanon dance company), Sofia Mavragani (Fingersix) and others.

She has performed in “Birthplace”of Dimitri Papaioannou in the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Also at the 2nd Athens Biennale. In performances by Goerg Hobmeier with Kinitiras (artistic network), in the global interdisciplinary performance “Animal Kingdom” by Akram Khan X Numeridanse. In the film “Tsiou…” and in its theatrical adaptation “Tsiou…Live” by Makis Papadimitratos. She is currently leading classes of Ballet, Contemporary Dance and Pilates.

Fotini is the co-founder & co-Artistic Director of Ikaria Dance Festival.

Marianna Varviani is a Greek dance theater artist currently based in Los Angeles, USA. She is the artistic director of Selcouth Dance Theater Company. Marianna has a B.A. in Contemporary Theatre from E15/ University of Essex and an M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA.

With Selcouth, she has created works that were amongst others performed at Highways Performance Space and the Odyssey Theatre, UCLA Kaufman Hall, ‘Keshet Center for the Arts’, am’The Other Art Fair’, ‘San Pedro Festival of the Arts’, ‘Ebb and Flow Festival’ in the USA, ‘Arc for Dance Festival’, ‘European Dance Network’, and Festival of Rematia ‘Our Festival’ in Greece.

She has performed internationally in Greece, UK, Spain, Brazil and USA in projects by Salia Sanou, Friidom, Ghislain Grellier, Stella Spyrou, Ohi Paizoume, Brian Astbury, Uri Roodner, Ken Cambel, Ian Morgan, Tobby Clarke, Stella Spyrou, Murto Delimichali, ‘Ohi Paizoume’, Erin Cooney, ’Patari Project’ and others. She is the co-founder of ‘Ha! Theatre Ensemble’, ‘LA Dance Calendar’, and ‘Global Choreographers’.

She is a member of the Krump Demolition Crew 100/ DCX, since 2021.​She has been teaching dance and theater internationally. She is currently a Lecturer at two Cal State Universities, Fullerton & Channel Islands. Marianna is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Ikaria Dance Festival.​​