ROMEO & JULIET
ATHENS
weekly
The Classical Russian Ballet of Moscow presents the masterpiece of classical ballet, Romeo and Juliet, featuring 40 of the best dancers of the ballet company with wonderful costumes and amazing scenery. Music by Sergei Prokofiev and choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky. April 29 at 8.30 pm at Megaron. Tel. 210.728.2367, megaron.gr
Weekly supplement by Insider Publications • www.insider-publications.com • No 7 • Friday, April 25, 2014 LO REAL – LE RÉEL – THE REAL
TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF CRETE
Celebrated dancer and choreographer Israel Galvan tackles the persecution of the Roma in fascist Spain during the 30s and 40s through flamenco. ‘He dances the reality’ of a free spirited ethnic group that remains singled out to this day. Until April 27 at 8.30 pm at the Main Stage, Onassis Cultural Centre. Tel. 210.900.5800, sgt.gr
solving the problems of the world, reading the newspaper, and enjoying the beautiful sights–shapely ones that are 20 years old and sculptured ones that are 2,500 years old.” Examining the short, frothy history of frappé is an opportunity to reflect on the long, weighty history of the Greeks.
Frappé... is a French word for a Greek invention usually made with a Swiss coffee from the Ivory Coast. The word frappé is French for “hit”, “struck”, or, as applied to drinks like champagne and coffee, “iced”. Nescafé, the instant coffee brand irrevocably linked to frappé is Swiss, the coffee is largely African, with robusta beans cultivated in the Ivory Coast. The original Frappé was invented In 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair. At the exhibit for the Greek distributor of Nestlé products, sales representative Dimitrios Vakondios grabbed a shaker meant for a cocoa drink, filled it instead with cold water, and shook it vigorously. The unexpected burst of foam spilled onto his business suit, a messy mishap that heralded the birth of frappé. First Thing many foreigners see when they arrive at Athens Airport. Even before they reach passport control, travellers are greeted by an long illuminated sign displaying an enticing frappé ad. One Frappé As Strong As Four Espressos. A single frappé prepared with two level tablespoons of instant coffee may contain over 400 mg of caffeine, making it as potent as four espresso shots. Biggest Frappé Greek Myth. That, Lentzos Café in the Pangrati district of Athens
(now, sadly closed) added beaten egg whites to their frappés to make them extra creamy. The assertion was denied by legendary owner Christos Lentzos. His “secret” formula relied only on optimum dosage and “batch” blending techniques. Basic Frappé Recipe 1) Place 1 rounded teaspoon instant coffee, 1-to-2 teaspoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons water in a shaker, jar, or drink mixer. Cover and shake well for 30 seconds or, if using a standing or hand-held drink mixer, process for 15 seconds to produce a thick, light-brown foam. 2) Place a few ice cubes in a tall glass. Slowly pour the coffee foam into the glass. Add 1-to-2 tablespoons milk (whole, lowfat or evaporated) and then enough water to fill the glass.
Info: Frappé Nation, by Vivian Constantinopoulos and Daniel Young, is published by Editions Potamos in a single, hardcover, 192-page, bilingual English-Greek edition. 32 euros. To learn more, go to: frappenation.com
TRAVEL
Charming Nafplio
With the Easter cholesterol fest under our belts (literally), the beckoning beaches call for quick, effective and inexpensive ways to shape up fast. You know the detox drill (more water and veg; less of everything else), but try allocating a few minutes in your week to the following exercises, add in some running too, and watch your svelter, stronger self emerge from that winter chrysalis.
1) Burpees: An unpleasant name for an unpleasant exercise. But it sure gets the job done. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out, squat, and place your hands on the floor. Then kick back your legs so you are in plank position, do a push-up, jump your legs back in again, and jump up as high as you can from the squat position. Start with 5 sets of 10 burpees twice a week, and you’ll soon begin feeling – and seeing – the difference. 2) Plyometric squats: Seeing a pattern here? There’s nothing like squats for getting those glutes out of their comfort zone. If you want to look like Beyonce from behind (or Beckham, for that matter), try these enhanced squats, which start as low as you can go and then leap up explosively as high as your legs can propel you. You’ll be panting for breath after 6-8 sets of 12-15 squat-jumps. Note to self: avoid stairs the next day.
©TCFTD
Exhibition
Exhibition
The Memory of the Body The exhibition centres on the body as a place of memory, emphasizing on how the mnemonic function is activated and transformed into art. Until May 4 at the Thessaloniki Centre of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki Port. Tel. 2310.593.270, cact.gr
A Thousand Doors NEON presents iconic works of art in the gardens and interiors of a renowned site in Athens. The exhibition explores the role of sculpture as a gateway to time travel. Until June 30 at Gennadius Library, Souidias 61. Tel. 210.721.0536, neon.org.gr
Just under 150 kms from Athens, Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, derives its name from Napoli Di Romana, revealing its past connection to the Byzantine Empire, though historically speaking, it is Nafplio’s Venetian influence that is most conspicuous. The Palamidi Fortress is one of Nafplio’s most characteristic and dominating historical sites, built on a cliff that towers over the old town. Famous for the ninehundred and ninety-nine steps that lead to the fortress, Palamidi represents a period of Greek history often overshadowed by Greece’s classical past, though here in Nafplio, the Venetian symbol of the lion can be found in every nook and cranny of the old town. Yet what makes the fortress such a poignant monument is also the fact that Thodoris Kolokotronis, one of the heroes of the War of Independence, was jailed here by the provisional Greek government in 1834. Opposite the Palamidi Fortress is the Akronafplia, a fortress boasting walls dating back to pre-classical times, with the remains of a Venetian fortress perched along a dramatic cliff. Juxtaposed against this setting, is yet another hidden gem, the Nafplia Palace hotel, the only hotel in Europe that is built within an archaeological site. It is a presence that completes the portrait of Greece that Nafplio paints – a land that once enjoyed great power and wealth, one that has been conquered and occupied by the Romans, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, and Germans, a land that liberated itself from occupation, and at one time, a land that was conquered by its own people. The beauty of Nafplio and its surroundings, which includes the sanctuary
of Olympia and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus nearby, carries with its ancient and historic past an edge of modern history that replaces breathless romanticism with stoic realism. Perhaps this is why Kolokotronis’ jail cell is somewhat of a pilgrimage for the Greek people; though Greece may be beautiful, it is a country that has experienced cruelty, and has acted cruelly itself. Something deeply embedded in the Hellenic psyche. Nevertheless, with its depth and complexity, Nafplio is still a hidden secret. The
An adrenalized drama about an outlaw motorcycle club intent on protecting their sheltered small town. In this season, Jax’s sovereignty is tested, love is lost and found, and only the strongest will survive in this battle of power and control. Mondays @ 22.20
season finale: GLEE 4
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A hopeful teacher tries to save McKinley High’s Glee club from obscurity and help talented kids realize their true star potential. Tune in for this season’s finale which finds the Glee club more determined than ever to advance to the Nationals. Tuesday 29/4 @ 21.50
WATCH AGAIN: THE BRIDGE
©SHINE INTERNATIONAL
The story kicks off when a body is discovered in two parts along the US-Mexico border. Follow Mexican Detective Marco Ruiz and his American counterpart, Detective Sonya Cross as they are forced to tackle the case together. Mondays @ 21.30
Watch FOX on NOVA, OTE TV, HOL, CYTA Watch FOX Life on NOVA, OTE TV, CYTA Watch National Geographic Channel on NOVA, HOL, CYTA
CINEMA THIS WEEK SNOWPIERCER
In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off all life on the planet except for a lucky few that boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system evolves.
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT
The Fast Forward Festival from April 27 to May 3 showcases theatre company Rimini Protokoll’s Situation Rooms with 20 people in a film set that recreates the globalised world of rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and drones. With the personal narratives of the ‘inhabitants’, the audience becomes entangled in the
Ballet The Winter’s Tale Live transmission of Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet based on Shakespeare’s saga from London’s Royal Opera House. April 28 at 9.15 pm at Megaron. Tel. 210.728.2367, megaron.gr
Kiss & Cry / Nanodanses Belgian choreographer and dancer Michèle Anne De Mey and award-winning film-maker Jaco Van Dormael present a dance spectacle in miniature, testing the boundaries of dance and cinema. May 2 to 4 at 8.30 pm at the Main Stage, Onassis Cultural Centre. Tel. 210.900.5800, sgt.gr
Set the tone
SONS OF ANARCHY 5
3) Push-ups: You could invest in a TRX or kettle-bells or whatever else is trendy, but for upper body strength and tone all you really need is a body-sized space on your floor where you can drop and do these bootcamp basics. Start with 3 sets of 12 and build from there. Sir yes sir! 4) Tricep dips: There’s a reason why the Queen and Paris Hilton and other women in the public eye wave in such a muted manner. Enthusiastic, full-armed waving sets those dangly triceps swinging. To tighten them up, sit on the very edge of a chair, put your hands on either side of the seat, legs stretched straight out ahead of you, and lower and raise your body in front of the chair (keeping elbows close) until your arms ache. Bye-bye bingo wings! 5) Urdhva Prasarita Padasana: Having started with Burpees, let’s end on a classier note. Lie flat on the floor, and raise both legs straight into the air, making a 90-degree angle. Hold them there, with toes flexed, for one full minute (setting your abs aquiver) before slowly lowering your heels to the floor, and then lifting them again, for 3 sets of 10 lifts. Make sure your lower back is in contact with the floor throughout the range of motion, and don’t tense the stomach. This exercise works both lower and upper abs for the complete six-pack effect. For further guidance on how to do these exercises, look on You Tube. NB: If you have any health issues, consult a doctor before starting any exercise routine.
INTERACTIVE THEATRE
EVENTS THIS WEEK
Performance
TV THIS WEEK
Fave Five by Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou
Frappé Nation Facts:
Anyone who has spent a few minutes at a café in Greece will inform you that the Frappé is so much more than just a national beverage. It is a symbol of idyllic summers in Greece. As the authors of Frappé Nation, Vivian Constantinopoulos and Daniel Young, observe, “ Frappé lifts moods, stimulates conversation, announces your connection to a lifestyle unique to Greece, and connects you to it when you’re away. Now in its fifty seventh year, it is nothing less than a modern Greek elixir.” And coffee drinking is not a rushed affair. The afore-mentioned frappe gurus call them ‘coffee marathoners’ and ‘heroes of restraint’. “Why so much time for a coffee?” In Athens and throughout Greece, communal coffee drinking is a pleasure and passion to be savored slowly – siga-siga – and in a manner that is cool and relaxed – chalara. A wet, cold antidote to dry, hot summers, the frappé is an elixir that lasts. The foam endures as long as the sipper wants it to. Making time for frappé means making time for seeing friends, relaxing, playing tavli (Greek backgammon), gossiping,
Mozart’s legendary ‘Don Giovanni’ presented as a Suitcase Opera, a flexible and mobile production form allowing operas to be presented at unusual venues and beyond traditional theatres. From April 30 at 8 pm at Cultural Space ‘Manos Loizos’, Thivon Ave. 245. Tel. 210.493.6680, nationalopera.gr
A tribute to the musical heritage of Crete. Singers, musicians and dancers from all the regions of the island, represent its diverse musical idioms and folk instruments. April 26 at 8.30 pm at Megaron. Tel. 210.728.2333, megaron.gr
FROTHY HISTORY
Anatomy of a Frappé
DON GIOVANNI
set’s labyrinth; each individual becoming part of the re-enactment. Hellenic Cosmos, 254 Pireos str. From 2 pm to 10 pm at two-hour intervals. sgt.gr
That Awkward Moment is a rip-roaring comedy about three best friends who find themselves where we’ve all been - at that confusing moment in every dating relationship when you have to decide “So... where is this going?” .
Fougaro photos © Getty Images, Photlook / Fotolia
Nafplio Archaeological museum houses an impressive collection that spans a period of 33,000 years, including the oldest example of European armour, the Dendra Panoply, which dates back to the 15th Century B.C. Attracting the arty jet-set is Fougaro, an interactive creative space developed by Florica P. Kyriacopoulos, housed in the historical Anthos canning plant. Its Anthos library comprises approximately 14,000 volumes and was established as a Centre of Hellenic Studies by Harvard University. The venue also has Exhibition and Concert facilities, Art Workshops for all ages, a Café and an ArtShop that stocks creative souvenirs and hand-crafted collectibles. Surrounded by ancient walls overlooking Bourtzi Castle as the nightlights of the town reflect off the still harbour, Nafplio remains one of Greece’s best-kept secrets.
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