Greek artist Dimitris Papaioannou burst fully-formed as a choreographer and director onto the international stage with his stunning triumph directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympics in 2004. He has been popular ever since, yet his work consistently retains an avant-garde edge with his experimental stage productions. He'll bring one of his most recent works, "The Great Tamer," to Japan later this month.
It's the first time for Papaioannou to perform in Japan, although he has special connections to Japanese theater.
In 1986 in New York, Papaioannou was greatly inspired by butoh dance after working with the free-spirited dancer and choreographer, Min Tanaka, on a butoh-inspired version of "Oedipus Rex."