Chara Kotsali

Chara Kotsali is an Athens-based choreographer and performer. She has graduated from Rallou Manou Higher Professional School of Dance, where she now works as a contemporary dance technique instructor, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in Theater Studies and a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology. She has also received music training.

Her choreographic research interests are centered on the politics of sound and image, and she employs expanded methodologies from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology and documentary filmmaking. Her practice includes writing, field recordings, and DIY sound composition. In March 2023, she presented her first solo choreographic work, "to be possessed," as part of Onassis Dance Days. The work is currently touring festivals in Greece and abroad (Impulstanz Festival, Euro-scene Leipzig, Mill of Performing Arts, etc.). "To be possessed" was chosen for the [8:tension] - Young Choreographer's Series Impulstanz Festival in 2023, where it received an honorary mention from the Young Choreographers 8:tension jury and was awarded an artistic residency at Impulstanz Festival 2024.

She is Onassis Stegi's supported choreographer for 2023-2024, as part of the Grand Luxe Network. In September 2023, she was resident artist at the Between the Seas Festival (Monemvasia), where she had the opportunity to research issues surrounding the crisis of care through an expanded choreographic approach.

She has co-choreographed the work “manoeuvre _,” which premiered at the 7th Onassis New Choreographers Festival, and the promenade performance “You will find me if you want me in the gardens” under the auspices of the Moving Ground Project, while in 2021 she completed the research project “The right to unpeacefully assemble: applications of collage practices in choreographic composition” with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

She has choreographed theater performances directed by Io Voulgaraki, Argyris Xafis, Aris Biniaris, Thanos Papakonstantinou, Thomas Moschopoulos, Ektoras Lygizos, Akilas Karazisis, Anestis Azas, Sylvia Liouliou, Haris Fragoulis, and Dimitris Xanthopoulos, among others, at various festivals and venues (Αncient Theatre of Epidaurus, National Theatre of Greece, National Greek Opera, et al.).

As a performer, she has collaborated with Christos Papadopoulos, Euripides Laskaridis, Patricia Apergi, Iris Karayan, Sofia Mavragani, Tzeni Argyriou, Argyro Chioti, Simos Kakalas, Sofia Paschou, Dimitra Trypani, Ioanna Angelopoulou, Ermira Goro, Aliki Kazouri, Thomas Moschopoulos, Apostolia Papadamaki, Michalis Konstantatos, Medie Megas, Artemis Lampiri, Margarita Trikka, Vahid Evazzadeh, and Angela Brouskou, among others, performing both in Greece and abroad. She performed in the duet “A time to mourn” and the solo “Legacy”, both choreographed by Iris Karagian. Both works won first place at the Jarmila Jeřábková Award in Prague. She has also been part of the Aerowaves network with selected works by Iris Karayan (Mothers), Christos Papadopoulos (Elvedon), Sofia Mavragani (Speechless), and Patricia Apergi (D.opa).

She has also performed in the film “Suntan” by Argyris Papadimitropoulos.

She teaches contemporary dance techniques in professional dance schools (Manou, Marmarinou), and was the coordinator of movement workshops held in the Female Prison of Eleonas, Thiva, as part of the Greek National Opera's Educational Programs from 2016 to 2022.

Chara Kotsali is a participant of Onassis AiR for 2023-24 in the context of Grand Luxe Network and for 2024-25 through the Dramaturgy Fellowship.