Constantinos Rigos named new GNO Ballet director

Acclaimed contemporary chorographer Constantinos Rigos has been named the new director of the Greek National Opera Ballet, the company announced on Tuesday.

“I have been watching and admiring his work for the past 25 years. I am confident that he will bring an air of rejuvenation to the GNO Ballet, with a distinct artistic identity and complete respect for its long history,” said Giorgos Koumentakis, the GNO's artistic director.

Rigos, whose administrative roles have also included that of artistic director at the National Theater of Northern Greece in 2001-2005, welcomed the appointment, saying that “some of the country’s best dancers are at the GNO Ballet, with incredible potential and indisputable talent.”

Rigos will take over at the GNO Ballet’s helm on February 1. His appointment comes just a few months after the company's move to the state-of-the-art opera house of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.