This month (November, 2024), TTOK is thrilled to host Ontario Arts Council – Chalmers Award-winning artist Irèni Stamou as our first official Artist-in-Residence, (outside of a festival setting). I had the pleasure of speaking with Irèni about her residency, career, and the themes of grief and vulnerability woven into Miroloi – her current “in creation” project.
Shannon McKenzie: For some of our patrons who may not know you, please introduce yourself!
Irèni Stamou: Hi, I’m Irèni Stamou, a dance artist, teacher, and mother with over three decades of performance experience. I was born in Athens, Greece, and moved to Montreal when I was five, where I spent most of my adult life. My career took off after graduating with honours and outstanding achievements in Choreography from the Concordia University Contemporary Dance Program under the direction of Elizabeth Langley CM. I had the privilege to collaborate with notable Montreal producers, Tangente Danse Actuelle, Danse Cite and L’Agora de la Danse. I founded my own dance company, Métaspora Danse (meaning beyond the diaspora), touring Europe – performing in New York, as well as collaborating on incredible cultural exchange projects: creating with The Caracalla Dance Company in Lebanon and working with The National Theatre of Costa Rica.
Along the way, I faced personal challenges, which prompted me to look inward and find a deeper connection to my body and path. I studied and integrated the healing arts into my creative process. As a queer woman from the Greek diaspora, my journey has profoundly influenced my art, allowing me to transform trauma and loss into powerful expressions of storytelling through dance and poetry.
SM: Can you introduce your project, Miroloi? And what is a Miroloi?
IS: Miroloi is a Greek word Moiroloi that translates to lament or mourning. It refers to a form of expressive grief, often associated with traditional songs or rituals that honour loss and convey deep feelings of sorrow. It’s a way to express grief and love, showing that vulnerability can deepen our connections to each other.
This piece is an ode to my maternal grandmother and her own Miroloi, which honours the stories of our family and the generations that came before us. It’s also an exploration of vulnerability and a reflection of my early childhood memories and return visits to my grandmother and all that she taught me of our folklore, mythology, and antiquity in her village at the foot of Mount Erymanthos, the winds of Olympia, Greece. Despite the distance from my Canadian family, my grandmother always offered unconditional love and support. In Miroloi, I weave together my experiences, her wisdom, and the essence of storytelling through music and dance.
SM: How do your childhood memories and your grandmother influence Miroloi?
IS: My grandmother – as the last shepherdess of our family, embodied earth-centred wisdom. She had a profound intuition and connection to the land. She once saw a tree fall – her tree – she immediately started crying and wailing because she knew it to be a sign of her passing. This led her to sing her Miroloi, her lament, in response.
During COVID lockdowns, I received some of my mother’s belongings. Among old photos, there was a homemade videotape from 1986. On the tape, I saw my grandmother singing that same Miroloi in her mountain village. In her lament, she says, “I just want five more years to see my children, who have left for foreign lands.” I was there with her that summer, and she passed away that same year.
SM: How do grief and the immigrant experience show up in your choreography and storytelling?
IS: Grief is a universal experience that we often push aside, but it plays a critical role in processing personal and cultural loss. In Miroloi, I explore this through the lens of the Greek diaspora. It’s about giving reverence to what we’ve lost while finding ways to honour those experiences—for me, it is not literal but rather through creating contemporary, innovative, abstract mythos—poetic art. By sharing these stories through soul work, I can resonate with others who feel that same sense of vulnerability.
As a woman, feminist, and Greek-Canadian Artist, I want my work to speak to those who feel oppressed. It’s about creating an emotional breakthrough, allowing audiences to empathize and reflect on their experiences. My mentor, Elizabeth Langley, often says there’s nothing to prove—it’s about the ripening of expression, trust in the creative process, and humility in the face of art making.
SM: What are your hopes for Miroloi after the residency?
IS: I would like this piece to be a sustainable, theatrical creation; the Artist Residency at TTOK is the first stage where I bring together a creative team, including live music by the Armenian musician Bennett Bedoukian. I’m following a wave of intuition and vision. The transformative power during the creative process in the actual theatre – taking the time to experiment with all the elements; live music, staging, lighting, and imaging – allows everything to align and fall into place, an essential step in the Artist’s residency. I want to present Miroloi as a full-length work, sharing it over several nights and potentially touring it.
I want the piece to spark conversations about heritage, loss, and the immigrant experience as a woman. It’s essential for me that the piece connects with the community, allowing people to reflect on their stories and how we integrate the world we left behind into our lives today.
SM: What is the value, as an artist, of having this residency?
IS: Having a residency at TTOK and support from arts organizations, Public Energy, EC3, and Theatre Trent is invaluable. I am grateful and honoured to have the support! We need funding to work – I am excited to see how my piece will unfold during the residency, and I trust my collaborators and The Theatre on King artists! Having this residency and being in the theatre following studio work provides vital time to focus and immerse oneself in the theatrical context – without interruption. Too often, as dance artists, we create for months or years in the studio and are lucky if we get two hours of tech time in a theatre. That’s where all the magic happens and where the art reveals itself. Too many times, a piece risks being under-prepared for an audience. The theatre is where we create a relationship with the audience. A theatre performance residency is vital in supporting innovation and developing new ideas, pushing us beyond our comfort zone to deepen and expand our art-making.
SM: Any final thoughts?
IS: I’m excited about where this process is taking me. Miroloi is also about being true to oneself – I feel the creative flow guiding me. My 91-year-old mentor reminds me that age doesn’t define our capabilities as artists. I still feel compelled to perform and tell stories through my body and artistic direction; there’s always more to offer.
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