Day 19: Pop-Up Performances : Thessaloniki and The Island of Ithaca.

 The past few days have been a blur of sweaty out-of-door performances and travel. We are so fortunate to have beautiful accommodations to make the challenging aspects of tour more amenable. In Thessaloniki, Masha and I enjoyed rehearsing “Diversion of Angels” in the pool - a stark contrast to the blazing hot stage!!

Butterfly jumps and tilts are both easier in the pool :)

Thanks Pei Ju for taking these pictures!

 

 

The outdoor market in Thessaloniki.

An audience member captured a moment from the end of Graham's Rite of Spring.

After our two shows in Thessaloniki we boarded a bus and hopped on a ferry heading for the Ithaca - the storied island of Odysseus. This is our second year performing on the island and many, if not most, of the islanders remember us. What a treat! The dancers were hosted by different hotels and thus saw varied views of the island life.  I love my hotel!! My room is called “Red Passion” !

Dancers search for Wifi while waiting in a cafe for the ferry to arrive.

Arriving to Odysseus' island of Ithaki.

The audience in Ithaca was stupendous - cheering "Thank You" at the end of the show. I can imagine how special it must be for them to host dancers from around the world for a performance on their remote island. Special - yes! At the end of the night, the islanders hosted a street party in our honor with homemade food, local wine, music and of course DANCING AND BREAKING PLATES! OPPA! (not sure about the spelling of oppa). Here are a few more pictures from this adventure.

Port of Vathi, Ithaki.

Poolside view from my hotel.

The beautiful entrance to our hotel. I love the colors here. 

View from the harbor.

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To all of the people of Ithaki... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!