Ioannis Mandafounis

Ioannis Mandafounis was born in Athens and studied dance at the Paris Conservatory. He danced with GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Nederlands Dans Theater II and The Forsythe Company. In 2004 he started his career as a choreographer. From 2009 onwards he was part of the successful Frankfurt-based collective mamaza. At the same time, he led his own company in Switzerland and toured worldwide.

Over the course of his career, he has been commissioned to create pieces for a variety of international companies, including Lyon Opera Ballet, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Corpus at the Royal Danish Ballet, the Greek National Opera Ballet, the National Theater in Athens, the Theater Junge Generation Dresden, Norrdans, the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich and Regionteater Väst. Furthermore, his works have been performed at many renowned theaters worldwide.

In 2002 he received an award from the Greek Ministry of Culture and in 2015 he was recognized with the Swiss Culture Prize in the category “Outstanding Male Dancer”. With “À la carte”, his first creation for the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, he was nominated for the prestigious German theater award DER FAUST in 2024.

Based on the choreographic method he has developed, Mandafounis’ work is characterized by a highly participatory approach and a constant search for innovative ways to involve the audience in his performances. Offering people an authentic and profound experience of dance, and thus bringing them closer to this art form, is the driving force behind his creativity.