We All Need Therapy | Panos Malactos

“I was never concerned with psychotherapy before. I didn’t believe that panic attacks even existed. Until it happened to me,” notes the Cypriot choreographer and performer, inviting and challenging us to an utterly confessional “rave as therapy happening” with him and musician Die Arkitekt live on stage.

A dancer in the permanent ensemble of the internationally renowned dance theater group Peeping Tom, Panos Malactos, who gave a sample of his work two years ago in Onassis Stegi, choreographing the performance “We Are in the Army Now” by Elias Adam, is now presenting his own work for the first time as part of the Onassis Dance Days.

Revolving around the meandering subject matter of mental health, Panos Malactos creates this piece drawing inspiration from his journey through trauma, acceptance, and healing. Like life, “We All Need Therapy” is a state of fun, admission, (self)care, stress, and sharing. For this new project, Malactos dives into Die Arkitekt’s music universe, seeking peace and relief in the darkest timbres. Panos Malactos and Die Arkitekt co-exist on stage to deliver and challenge this bold statement: WE ALL NEED THERAPY.

Blurring the lines between dance, performance, theater, rave, confession, and group therapy, this piece engages the audience in such a way that each viewer feels safe and free to share (optionally) their own story. A multidimensional, performative, and unpredictable experience that fathoms the vast depths of human emotions while exposing the viewer to the rawness of the Western contemporary human condition.

Special thanks to Christos Polymenakos (Body/Word Performance Writing Mentoring)

We would also like to thank Kostas Chaidos, Christos Papamichael and Melina Sofokleous for their help and support.

Supported by the Onassis Stegi “Outward Turn” Cultural Export Program.