Papaioannou Dimitris

 Dimitris Papaioannou is a Greek avant-garde stage director, choreographer and visual artist who drew international media attention and acclaim with his creative direction of the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. His varied career spans three decades and has seen him conceive and direct stage works for Edafos Dance Theatre and Elliniki Theamaton, direct operas and music stage shows, work as a costume, set and make-up designer, and publish over 40 comics.Fine arts training
Born in Athens, Papaioannou showed a flair for fine art from an early age, and studied under the renowned Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis for three years in his mid-teens. At 19, he earned himself a place at the Athens School of Fine Arts, entering the institution with the highest marks attained by any student, and there studying under Dimitris Mytaras and Rena Papaspyrou.