Narrations by I Katsikes Xeroun Ton Dromo company (Elli Giannaki, Elsa Kuding, Dimitris Kourtis) will take children, teenagers, and adults on a journey across the magical world of fairy tales through stories from all over the world. The project will be held during the 2024/45 season in Athens and two other cities in Greece, with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

Narrations consists of three different music and storytelling performances with a live music accompaniment aimed at audiences of all ages, including children, teenagers, and adults. The programme promises to sweep us away on a delightful adventure full of amazing and imaginary happenings, lots of magic, goblins, Norwegian countryside trolls, queens, fairies, and weird occurrences. The performances are accompanied by traditional songs and melodies from many different parts of the world. They draw inspiration from the unique characteristics and symbolisms of fall, Christmas, and Carnival, borrowing stories from old storytellers to offer us plenty of laughter and valuable popular wisdom teachings.

The Tales of the Rainy Month

Join us to listen to tales about rain and winds. Legends about tree and flower spirits. Through our stories, the elements and spirits of nature will be revealed to you in all their glory. We will climb on enchanted trees, run among the fallen leaves, and find warmth in houses that appear to be small…. But sometimes appearances can be deceiving! Especially when Nasreddin Hodja arrives riding his donkey backward, always giving the best advice.

A while before the end of “Vrocharis” – the month known for abundant rainfall – or, in other words, “Niastis”, which means the time when people plow the land for the last time, we will listen to autumn tales that will stir up the fertile ground of our imagination and sow it with new seeds. These tales will give us directions from ancient wisdom on how to live kindly and with gratitude, using the land without destroying its vitality. They will teach us how to navigate the natural world when the wind rages, how to fearlessly move through the realm of senses and instinct when it rains, and how to safely wander across the collective unconscious when the cold is unbearable.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

 Running time: 50 minutes

FOUGARO ARTCENTER – NAFPLIO

Performance date: 23 November 2024

Starts at: 12.00

Free admission

Reservations for seats are necessary; you can contact us by phone at 27520 47370 or send an email to workshops@anthosfougaro.gr.

GREEK NATIONAL OPERA – STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION CULTURAL CENTER

Performance date: 30 November 2024

Starts at: 10.30 & 11.30

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ / per person

Tickets on sale from 14 October 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Warm Stories about Winter and Christmas

Children and grown-ups, come with us on a journey of stories and music! Three folk tales and one contemporary story will transport us to distant lands where the snow is soft and the cold is piercing. But fear not, as the stories will warm up your soul! On our journey, we will encounter goblins, frozen rivers, and the old woman Befana from Italy, who gives children presents. Seven mothers and six daughters will host us somewhere in Norway, and when we reach Scotland, we will help a queen get rid of the cold that has engulfed her heart and entire kingdom.

A select programme for the whole family featuring stories that will inspire laughter, reflection, and warmth in our hearts! In harmony with the Christmas spirit, we will all gather to listen to three folk tales and one contemporary story, accompanied by musical instruments such as the violoncello, accordion, oud, and Constantinopolitan lyre. The musical pieces we will hear are adapted songs from the traditions of the countries where the fairy tales come from. Through these stories, we will see images from magical lands with the eyes of our imagination. We will learn how important it is to be able to forgive and help each other, seize the opportunities that arise in front of us, be able to view things from many different standpoints, and not forget to seek advice from the older generations.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

Music and storytelling performance for the whole family

Running time: 50 minutes

FOUGARO ARTCENTER – NAFPLIO

Performance date: 14 December 2024

Starts at: 12.00 & 13.30

Free admission

Reservations for seats are necessary; you can contact us by phone at  27520 47370 or send an email to workshops@anthosfougaro.gr

GREEK NATIONAL OPERA – STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION CULTURAL CENTER

Performance date: 21 December 2024

Starts at: 10.30 & 12.00

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ / per person

Tickets on sale from 2 December 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Underneath the Cherry Tree

Come along with us to hear stories about private parts that speak clearly and loudly and talkative behinds that are especially revealing and extroverted! Nature awakens and runs wild, sparking popular imagination. You will encounter knights, peasant men and women in wild situations, with special demands and gifts. Fairies ready to have fun and Norwegian countryside trolls offering accessories inappropriate for minors promise you an evening you will never forget!

Our carnival fairy-tale repertoire includes legends, facetious accounts, and medieval stories, all interspersed with pure, traditional wedding songs! We will hear caustic, wise, deep, comic, and dirty stories that praise fertility and the joy of love with humor. All of them were derived from Greek folklore and the unbridled imagination of European troubadours. This year, during the Carnival season, we will laugh and celebrate without restraint underneath the cherry tree.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

Music and storytelling performance

Running time: 60 minutes

Age group: adults and teenagers aged over 16

Performance date: 16 February 2025

Starts at: 19.30 & 21.00

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ /per person

Tickets on sale from 27 January 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

GNO Learning & Participation Lead Donor &

GNO Outreach Donor