Trainers

Costas Lamproulis is a director and screenwriter, founding member and artistic director of SMouTh. He has written feature film scripts, original theatre and music theatre plays, as well as translations and adaptations of major works and authors of worldwide repertoire. He has directed more than 30 theatre, music theatre and opera performances both in Greece and abroad in collaboration with distinguished organisations and participations in numerous international festivals.

Katerina was born in Larissa. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2002 she has been a member of the SMouth participating as an assistant director and  performer in plays such as: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Rubbishs Rapsody, La Traviata, Carmen, Baptist, Politai, Walking in the Woods, Truth, Paramifiko etc. Since 2003 she has been involved in theater in education and since 2015 she is the coordinator of the theater groups of the “Laboratory of Life” of “Orfeas” Prevention Center in Larissa.

Dimitra Zacharouli is a drama and dance educator, graduate of the Department of Theatre (School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), she also graduated from the Higher Professional Dance School of Larissa and holds a Master’s degree in “Applied/Clinical Sociology and Art” (University of the Aegean & Western Macedonia). She has been working since 2004 as a trainer in the fields of dance and theatre and is co-founder of the School of Dance Expression based in Agia and later in Larissa. Since 2018 she has been working as a programme manager, educator and researcher at the Synergy of Music Theatre. In SMouTh’s educational cycles she teaches music-kinetics for children, ballet and yoga. Through her work she is involved in the use and response of art to a wide range of social purposes and issues (inclusion, accessibility, community empowerment, active citizenship, sustainability, interculturality). As a dancer she has participated in productions of classic ballet, opera, contemporary dance and aerial movement.

Despina Bounitsi was born and raised in Larissa, studied theatre at the Department of Theatre (Postgraduate – integrated master) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and dance at the Higher School of Dance of the Municipality of Larissa. Since 2006, she teaches music-kinetic and theatre education, classical and contemporary dance in artistic education spaces for children, teenagers and adults (Expression Dance School, Life Workshop of the OKANA – Larissa Prevention Center, Primary Education). Looking for a collective context that recognizes Art as a value capable of transforming the community, of connecting and liberating people, she is part of SMouTh’ s artistic team since 2012 contributing to the research of contemporary performing arts and their social role, through the choreography of original works (Here, Present), the direction of children’s shows (Walk in the forest, Rubbish’s Rubsody), through her participation as a dancer and choreographer (POLITAI, Paramyfiko), through the guidance and direction of the works of the laboratory groups (Hug, 1.5m close, Ιn a well, Openhanded, The Little Pan, The Big Nothing), through her contribution to the development of the methodology of educational and research activities in Greece and Europe (Crossroad, Body shining, Spiritus Loci, etc.) and her participation in the organization and networking of the Performing Arts Mill Festival

Filippos Zoukas was born and lives in Larissa. He studied at the Music School of Larissa and was he holds degrees in Harmony, Counterpoint and Byzantine music. He is member of SMouTh team and bassist/vocalist in the music group Hidden in The Basement. He has designed, composed and curated the sound and music in many theatrical performances, documentaries and short films. As a researcher and trainer he has participated in several Erasmus+ and Creative Europe projects related to inclusion and the aesthetics of accessibility in the performing arts.

Athina grew up in Larissa and is a graduate of the Greek National School of Dance. She was taught systems and techniques of modern dance and classical ballet by leading teachers in their respective fields, as well as martial arts, always emphasizing in the research part of the movement and in identifying dance as a therapeutic medium. Athina counts important participations as a dancer and choreographer in various dance groups performed in Greece and abroad. Dance for her is love at first sight and this is her most important teaching tool.

Athanasios Saliampouhos was born in Larissa in 1978. In 2001 he started working in the theatre through SMouTh where he remains an active member until now. He attended courses at the Acting School of Volos (2004-2005). He moved to London in 2005 where he participated in many physical theatre seminars with notable teachers: Oliviero Papi, Unai Lopez De Armentia-OBRA Theater Company, Matej Matejka, Arek Cruschiel-Song of the Goat, Christopher Silverstein – Awake Project, Drama School London etc. He participated in SMouTh performances (Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Rubbish’s Rubsody, Carmen, Walk in the Woods, POLITAI, Paramyfiko, Hug), in Theatre Crossroads of London (Penthesileia), in Thessaly Theatre (Iliad), in Expression Dance School (Tik Tok, The Missing Piece), in Off Art group. Also, he collaborated with the directors Akis Mitsoulis (Fat Men in Skirts, BUG) and Thanasis Totsikas in the short film SAID.

Yiannis Chatziantoniou was born in Athens in 1980. He studied photography at LEICA School. He has collaborated with the photography studio of Errikos Milioris and Alinda Mavrogenis where he took on advertising and architectural photography. He has taken part in many group and individual photography exhibitions and worked as a lighting technician in theatres, concerts and video clips. In 2005 he founded the ‘’Designer’s dot gallery’’ running art exhibitions and visual arts courses. In addition, he worked as a production assistant at ATA production companies and in the production direction of the short film Heaven on line. He has undertaken lighting design for the theatrical performances: O Karagiozis off, Neon, Surelaiken, The Door, Spithovolakis, The Marriage of Figaro, Truth, Paramifiko, Hug, Openhanded, Fidelio, Present, The little Everything, The Big Nothing. He lives in Larissa and collaborates with SMouTh and Life of film productions. In parallel, he is an art instructor at the “Life Workshop” of the Prevention Center – OKANA Larisa, where he delivers the photography workshops.

Marialena was born and raised in Larissa, constructed her first puppets as a 14-year-old teenager, and she was 17 years old when she first performed as a puppeteer. Afterwards, she graduated from the Department of Early Childhood Education of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, attended a four-year training in Gestalt Psychotherapy, and obtained a Master’s degree in Psychology. Meanwhile, she has been trained in the construction and animation of the theatrical puppet, having apprenticed alongside important puppeteers such as Stathis Markopoulos and Christos Aftsidis, and she is also trained in puppet therapy. For many years, she has worked as a puppeteer in performances and projects, while she is still working as a therapist. Since the beginning of 2022, she has been collaborating with Synergy of Music Theatre (SMouTh) in fields and projects that connect art and mental health. She has participated in the performances Little Everything, and The Big Nothing, and was responsible for the material animation in the performance of Everything is Flow. What drives and motivates her in her everyday life, as well as in the fields of education and therapy is her ongoing exploration of how puppets and people meet each other, and even more so what that relationship can bring on stage.

Dimitris Vallas has been working professionally in video and photography production since 2014, having worked mainly as a videographer in music festivals, theatre performances, documentaries, music videos and short films. He also specializes in video and photography editing. He is currently also collaborating with SMouTh and Life of Film Productions.

Marilena Lampropoulou was born in Athens and her relationship with dance and movement began at an early age. She is a graduate of the professional dance school Moriyanova Trasta and the Kapodistrian University, Department of Economics, as well as a certified classical pilates instructor 750 h 4th generation, influenced by Romana Kryzanowska and James Grimes. She has attended seminars by Greek and foreign professionals in the field of art and dance such as Hofesh Shechter, Michal Sayfan, Maya Tamir, Mavin Khoo, Ash Bulayev, Christianna Galanopoulou, Nikos Vlasopoulos, Femke Gyselinck. She has also attended fascia training seminars and has been involved in the management of cultural organizations-University of Maryland and Arts and Culture stragedy-University of Pennsylvania. Her choreography “The Calligraphy” was selected among others to be presented by schoolwaves dance festival, compartments dance festival, at the ‘’Τrain in Rοuf’’ and ‘’Pocket dance festival’’ in Thessaloniki. She has been an active member of the flux laboratory residency. Since 2018 until today, she has been working as a dancer, dance and classical Pilates instructor in professional and amateur dance schools and Pilates studios in Athens as well as at the Synergy of Music Theatre Workshops in Larissa.

Dimitris Paschalidis was born in Larissa. He studied higher theory (harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition) and since 1999 he has been working as a musician in private education. As a conductor of children’s choirs he has worked with renowned greek artists (Thanos Mikroutsikos, G. Markopoulos, M. Mitsias, etc.) and has written music for theatre productions (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Strongest Man in the World, Ornithes, etc.)