The MANASIS School of Greek Dance and Culture in Melbourne, Victoria has announced the commencement of its single most ambitious project to date: ‘Destination Patrida 2024.’ This endeavour is a dream come true, the last remaining item on the school’s bucket list, and the culmination of a decade’s worth of planning and preparation.
As Australia’s official representative Greek cultural group, MANASIS has consistently ensured that Greek identity and customs are presented, acknowledged, and respected with the prominence and dignity they deserve. Since its establishment in 1979, MANASIS has elevated Greek dance beyond its traditional roots to the international stage, becoming a recognised name in the mainstream realm of Performing Arts.
‘Destination Patrida 2024’ has received official recognition and endorsement from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Australian Embassy in Greece, as well as from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greece) via the Office of the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy.
The “Famous 15” Manasis dancers will take part in ‘Destination Patrida 2024.’ From mid-June to mid-July, the MANASIS troupe will explore their ancestral homeland, spending an entire month traveling, performing, and experiencing all that Greece has to offer.
This journey is part of a bespoke and unique cultural, spiritual, physical, and psychological multifaceted program, years in the making.
In recognition of its contribution to the preservation and dissemination of cultural identity throughout the diaspora, UNESCO’s Council of International Dance (CID) will formally induct MANASIS as an official member at a ceremony during its 61st World Congress of Dance Research. This event will be hosted at the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre in Athens, a revered epicenter of Greek Dance.
