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The History OF NEFELI

 

The Theatre Nefeli was founded in 1991 by Nancy Athan-Mylonas for the Greek Community of Toronto. 

Nancy Athan-Mylonas, came to us by way of Australia when her husband was sent to Toronto for Diplomatic Service in 1990.  Nancy, lived, breathed and thought her craft and had left behind a very successful school of Dance Theatre in Sydney, Australia to come to Canada – so it was only natural that she seek out a place to bring her craft to a new group of individuals.  Nancy, presented her scheme to the Greek Community and was immediately met with such enthusiasm that she started working at Wilkinson Public school for the Greek Heritage language Program, on a pilot Dance Theatre program.

Since its creation, 15 years ago, Nefeli has performed in numerous Cultural events.   The awards, kudos and admiration of this group have been great and spans distances from Greece to Chicago, to Washington, to Boston, to Florida, to Montreal and back to its own home of Toronto.

But the most amazing and valuable prize coveted by all those that know Nefeli is the sense of pride and love that these children of the Diaspora, have for the country of their parents or grandparents birth.  A country that gave them the history, culture, heritage and nostalgia that they live and breathe.

So you see, Nefeli is an entity.  The very embodiment of Greece’s culture and pathos within the tiny souls of the children that call the four corners of the world their home but that call Greece, their mother.

Within each of these young minds, hearts and bodies burns the flame of the Hellenic Spirit – the spirit that cannot be erased either through the ravages of time or the misdeeds of her enemies.  In the hearts of these “Children tis Diasporas” is the nostalgia and pathos and in their deeds is the future of the Hellenic culture and heritage dependent.  May Greece be worthy of the seeds that she has sown for they shall take root on distant shores and  sprout forth a new generation of Hellenes full of  the same pathos and nostalgia of their forefathers.

  Lydia Soldevila-Tombros

Writer and set designer

Community Theatre Nefeli


                                                

The Theater Nefeli of the Greek Community of Toronto has won many distinctions, including: the coveted Karolos Koun Award in the 1993 Pan Hellenic Theater Competition in Athens, Greece; the first prize in the Chin International Folklore Competition for 1996; and in 1998 the first prize of the University of Crete in a theatrical competition involving the Hellenic theaters of the U.S.A, Australia, Ukraine, Germany, and Canada. Nefeli has won the love and admiration of those in our Community who attended their performances in March 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Besides performing at home in Toronto, they have performed in Montreal, Athens, Thessaloniki, Kalamata, Boston, and Washington DC. The group's objectives are to promote   Greek      Performing   Arts    to mainstream audiences by producing bi-lingual productions, to share their experiences with people interested in Greek Theater, and to develop new scripts pertinent to the Greek Canadian experience.  

 

Nancy Athanassopoulos-Mylonas was born in Cairo, Egypt, and migrated with her family to Sydney, Australia.  A trained classical dancer, she opened her own School of Movement in 1966 where she taught classical dance, modern dance and mime.  In 1975 she founded the School of Greek Folklore Ltd. where she taught Greek traditional and modern dances, dance theater and modern dance.  Nancy has traveled throughout Australia teaching, directing and producing many cultural presentations for the various Greek Communities.  She has taught Folk dancing and Dance Theater at various public schools across Australia and has lectured to multicultural organizations and institutions on Greek culture.  As an actress, Nancy has played major roles on stage and mainstream Australian Television. She is the recipient of numerous awards while a resident of Australia, including the Order of the Medal of Australia in recognition of 25 years of service in the arts through Greek Folklore.  Since 1990 Nancy is the director and choreographer of the Greek Community Theater Nefeli.