IRÈNI MOVEMENT ARTS
Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
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Irèni (Irini) signifies peace in Greek. Irèni is an award-winning, critically acclaimed Greek Canadian dancer, choreographer, somatic practitioner, arts and yoga educator with over 25 years of experience. She has trained, toured, and practiced internationally, most notably in Canada, Europe, New York, and Costa Rica.
Experienced, Intuitive, creative and wise: Irèni Movement Arts is an embodied practice. Artists, students, and participants of all ages and abilities from all walks of life are welcome to take the journey home to themselves.
Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
Since the onset of COVID-19, Irèni has been a leader in using her creative and therapeutic skills to uplift diverse and disabled communities. She has designed transformative workshops in somatic movement, therapeutic yoga, barre, and dance for seniors aged 80 to 103 in Retirement homes and Enriched care facilities. Irèni has also brought her movement workshops to the Brain Injury Association and empowered women at the New Canadians Centre in Peterborough, Ontario. Her dedication to inclusivity and innovation has bridged contemporary movement arts with empathy, creating healing connections for those who need them most. Irèni is the recipient of the Teaching for Equity Award -Yoga Alliance International.
Dance Artist
Irèni (Irene) Stamou is an award-winning Canadian choreographer and soloist. Born in Athens, Greece, she moved to Canada at age five and grew up in Montreal's multicultural environment, where she developed a passion for dance and storytelling.
Irèni earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University, where she received the Outstanding Choreography Prize.
In 1994, she founded her dance company, Métaspora Danse, in Montreal and led it to international success for 15 years. Irèni created a prolific body of work as a soloist, producing solo pieces for renowned dancers and group works, collaborating with interdisciplinary and dance artists like Roger Sinha, Ken Roy, Lin Snelling, Lana Morton, Katia Gagne, Lydia Wagerer, Danny Marenco.
Archival choreographies: La couleur de ma langue, Corpus Delirium, Come Now Colossal and Uprooted/ Colosse aux Pied d'argiles, Fugitive Epiphanies, Odyssia , The Geography of My Heart and Mia Zoi.
Her performances have received critical acclaim in Canada, Europe, New York, and Costa Rica.
She collaborated with Composer Walter Hus, Dans en Kortrijk in Belgium, the Caracalla Dance Company in Lebanon (FMA)—Les Jeunes Ballet du Québec.
Her choreographies have expanded to film, theatre and television, including the Cine Qua Non-Film Composers series and the Teotro National de Costa Rica " La Orestiada."
Her movement vocabulary is a captivating blend of contemporary dance, innovative folk-mythical forms inspired by her Greek heritage, and somatic movement. This unique combination has earned her numerous grants and awards, solidifying her status as a pioneering artist.
Irèni's influence on diversity and belonging in Canadian dance is undeniable, with recognition from institutions such as the Canada Council for the Arts and the Quebec Council for Arts and Letters.
A mother and healing arts practitioner, she founded Irèni Movement Arts in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. This unique venture combines somatic movement, yoga, and dance, reflecting her innovative and accessible approach to art-making and healing offerings with empathy.
In recent years, Public Energy Performing Arts, The Electric City Culture Council, Theatre on King, and Trent Theatre have supported and presented her work in Peterborough, Ontario.
Choreographies: Inside the Sculpture, Bone Stories Re-imagined, The Anatomy of a Trio, Unearthing Medea, in collaboration with performing and interdisciplinary artists Dreda Blow, Eryn Lidster, Justin Million and Naomi Duvall.
Her current solo, Miroloi, explores diasporic grief and cultural loss with original live music by Bennett Bedoukian.
Irèni received the Ontario Arts Council Chalmers Professional Development Award 2024 to work with her mentor, Elizabeth Langley CM.
Photo: Irèni Stamou, Choreography Miroloi 2024
Photographer: Andy Carrol