Dora Tsatsou-Symeonidi

She was born in Piraeus in August 1932 and died in Athens on 15/06/2000. She was the daughter of academic Konstantinos Tsatsos and Ioanna Seferiadi-Tsatsou. She studied law at the University of Athens. She studied dance at the Rallou Manou Professional Dance School, graduating with a diploma in 1954. Subsequently, on a scholarship from the Fulbright Foundation, she moved to New York where she studied at the Martha Graham School and participated in the school tour to the Far East. Returning to Greece, she developed an interest on promoting “Greekness,” and closely associated with the circle of Hadjidakis, Manou, Theodorakis, Moralis and Tsarouchis. She worked as a dancer and choreographer with Rallou Manou’s Hellenic Choreodrama (1950-1959). She subsequently moved to Thessaloniki, where she taught at the Mary Liatsou school and the Anatolia College, while she contributed to the establishment of the National Theater of Northern Greece (1961), working there as resident choreographer, dancer and ancient drama chorus master (1962-1975). In the six years from 1975 to 1981 she was resident choreographer with the National Theater, collaborating in many ancient drama productions. In 1982 she was appointed professor with the Greek National School of Dance, serving also as director for eight years (1980-1988). At the same time, she worked with the Yannis Metsis Athens Experimental Ballet and participated in organizing Arma Thespidos [Thespis’ Chariot] troupe. In 1992-1993 she served as director of the National Theater. She taught at the Spyros Evangelatos School, Moraitis School (1990-1996), Rallou Manou School (1996-2000) and George Theodosiadis Drama School. She has been a member of the Onassis Foundation Scholarship Committee. She worked with the GNO from 1976 to 1980 as a choreographer in the productions of: Flora Mirabilis, Parable and The fire.

Source: Greek National Opera Educational Virtual Museum