About Us > Our Team

Our team

All the classes are taught by highly qualified staff. The ballet teachers are registered with the R.A.D. and have a Teaching Diploma. All ballet classes are taught with the accompaniment of a professional pianist. Our Pilates instructors are certified and specially trained to deal with special groups such as pre & post natal, athletes, dancers and people with spine problems.

	Avgi Papakyriakou B.PHIL. (HONS), RTS, RAD Teach Dip	[Classical ballet, Jazz/Hip-Hop, Babymotion, Pilates]
	Avgi was born in Morphou, Cyprus in 1966. She is an experienced teacher and choreographer of classical ballet and modern jazz. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and later on at the Broadway Dance Centre in New York. In 1988 she returned to Cyprus where she taught for two years in various schools. In 1990 she set up the Motion Art Studio. In 2003, Avgi acquired the Bachelor of Philosophy in Ballet and Contextual Studies of the University of Durham, in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Dance. In 2005, she trained for the method of Pilates and gained the Diploma from Pilates Coach. Avgi is a registered teacher and member of the Royal Academy of Dance and the Dance Cyprus Association. She is also one of the founding members of the Lefkosia Youth Ballet, founded in 1999 with the aim to promote the young talented dancers of Nicosia and dance in general. In 2009, Avgi develops ‘Babymotion’, a movement and dance program, specially designed for children of 12 months – 3 years old.

	Penelope Georghiadou	[Classical ballet, Jazz/Hip-Hop, Contemporary]
	Penelope was born in Nicosia in 1984. At the age of 5, she started taking lessons in classical ballet and modern jazz at the Motion Art Studio. For 2 years she worked as an assistant teacher at the school before going for further studies at the “Rallou Manou” Senior Professional School of Dance, in Athens. In 2006, she graduated with the Diploma of Dance Teacher and Dancer. In 2003, she was awarded the 2nd Prize at the “Eurovision for Young Dancers’’ contest and won a Ministry of Education and Culture grant to attend the New York Dance Experience.She has also attended numerous dance seminars in Cyprus, Greece, London and New York. Penelope has participated in a substantial number of dance performances in Cyprus, Greece and elsewhere. For 11 years she has been a permanent member of the Dance Group “Amfidromo Chorotheatro” of Elena Christodoulidou. For two years, she danced and taught dance to all ages, in Athens. In 2010 she was among the 12 professional dancers which were chosen to dance for the 50th anniversary celebrations since the establishment of the Cyprus Republic. In 2011 she took part in an educational musical called ''Cinema Dance Box" ,which will hopefully be performed in front of elementary and high school students in 2012. Since 2008, Penelope is teaching classical ballet, jazz/hip-hop and contemporary at the Motion Art Studio.

	Anna Dimitrova MA	[Piano accompanist]
	Anna was born in Bulgaria, studied at the Sofia Music Academy and received a Degree in Music Pedagogie. She taught at the University of Sofia Pedagogical Institute as a Chief Professor while being a permanent pianist of the National Olympic Gymnastic team of Bulgaria. Since 1993, Anna is working at the Motion Art Studio, accompanying all the ballet classes and teaching piano. She has also been the official pianist of the Royal Academy of Dance Vocational Exams, since then.

	Nicos Savvarikas	[Pilates]
	Born in Kavala, Greece, in 1970, Nicos is a fully certified Pilates instructor. He was a basketball player from a young age and a member of the Joe Wider Gym Club and the Coliseum Gym Club in Athens. He was a wind surfer, a Kung Fu and Kick Boxer for 10 years. In 2006 – 2008, Nikos received his Pilates training (mat and equipment) at Art Action and Plasma. He also followed various seminars for pregnant and people with special problems. He is also a founder member of the Greek Association of Pilates Method. In 2006 – 2010, Nicos gained valuable experience in teaching Pilates in various studios in Athens. Also in 2009 – 2010, he worked in the rehabilitation centre Arkos of doctor Costas Tzitzicostas, where he worked with people with special problems. Since December 2010, Nicos is working as a full time Pilates instructor at the Motion Art Studio in Nicosia.

	Athena Xenidou	[Drama]
	Athena studied Music with the Royal Schools of Music, London, and English Literature, Music and Theatre at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. She received her Certificate in Directing from the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles and a BA in FILM STUDIES at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She holds a MA in MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. In the United States Athina wrote/produced/directed 3 awarded short films – Dead End, The Made Guy and Tripwire. Her feature film UNWITNESSED MEMORIES, won Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival. Socrates & Soc is a feature animation film, which she co-wrote with Barry Cook (director of Disney’s Mulan). Athina also directed the reality shows SURVIVOR and THE FARM for MEGA TV in Greece. A member of the jury for the International Emmy Awards for 5 years, Athina was invited by the European Union as a film director representing Cyprus at the Cannes Film Festival. She has directed several theatre productions among which The Shadow Box at the Cyprus National Theatre, nominated for 3 awards and receiving Best Actor Award for Stavros Louras at the 2010 Theatre Awards. She enjoys teaching acting/directing workshops at Motion Art Studio, Theatro Ena and at universities.

	Marina Vassiliou	[Drama]
	Marina Vassiliou graduated from the University of Cyprus to become an elementary school teacher. For the last 11 years she has been working at elementary schools in Cyprus. She studied theatre at the “Vladimiros Kafkarides” drama school where she graduated with a perfect score. She worked as a drama teacher for 5 years within the Ministry of Education program. She acted in theatre plays, short films and various TV productions. She is a founding member of the cultural organization “AMFIKTIO”, where Nicos Charalambous is the President.

	Panikos Tembriotis	[Art]
	Panikos studied at the Rome Academy of Fine Arts, Italy (1985-87), at the Perugia Academy of Fine Arts, Italy (1987-89) and at the Beijing University of Culture, China (1993-94). He worked as an Art primary and secondary school teacher. He also worked as an art director at various theatrical and movie productions. From 2001 until 2007, he was appointed at the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus at the Department of Educational Film Productions, as a set-designer and director. Panikos is the founder of the Cultural Organization “Aeschylou Arcade”. He participated in numerous group exhibitions and has done nine personal exhibitions: 1990 “Sarapart” Perugia, Italy - 1991 Festival “dei due mondi” Spoleto, Italy - 1992 Exhibition Area “Melina Mercouri”, Nicosia - 1995 Famagusta Gate - 1998 “35E – 33N”, Nicosia - 2003 “Yacht’’, Larnaca - 2005 Gallery Pantheon, Nicosia - 2006 Opus 39, Nicosia - 2010 “Tribus Hybrid’’ Aeschylou Arcade, Nicosia.

	Kleanthis Neophytou	[Babymotion]
	He studied Psychology (BSc with Distinction) at the University of Cyprus where he received an honorary award for graduating top at his class. He also studied Counselling and Psychotherapy at graduate level (MSc with Distinction) at Hofstra University (New York) while being on a Fulbright Scholarship. He specialized in Community and School Counselling and had internships both at the Manhattan Addiction Treatment Center (New York) and American Schools. Currently, he is the scientific coordinator of the "Human Touch" Counselling Center. At the Center, Kleanthis is offering individual and group counselling services to individuals, teenagers, couples and parents who are dealing with difficulties in their everyday lives. In addition, he offers various psycho-educational courses to teachers, parents, employees, managers and other interested groups both at a National and European level. Kleanthis is also the developer and facilitator of the innovative "I Succeed as a Parent with Love and Knowledge©" experiential course, which enjoys huge success throughout Cyprus.

	Myrto Meletiou	[Zumba]
	Myrto Meletiou is a dancer/singer/actress who has taken part in many musicals in cooperation with the Russian Cultural Center and the British Association of Actors and Actresses. Her most recent project was her participation in the musical THE PRODUCERS as a singer/dancer/actress. Myrto has received dance classes for over 2 decades. Her dance and singing style is greately influenced by soul, rock, pop, RnB and funk music. In 2002, she took part in a music reality called POP-STARS winning a place in the final 10 and signing a 5-year contract with Warner productions in Greece. She has a BA degree in psychology and a certificate in dance and performance by Broadway Dance Center (NY), where she was a possible candidate of the OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD. She took part in concerts and shows all over Manhattan and was selected as a member of a girl band signed by Wisdom Entertainment. She has cooperated with many artists and producers, among them BELLYHOUSE NEW YORK, producing and releasing songs as part of compilation CDS in Europe and New York, and is now about to release her second CD single with her own songs. She is a licensed Zumba, Zumbatomic, and Pilates instructor, currently teaching ZUMBA at Motion Art Studio every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Her classes combine a variety of styles, and are very much influenced by Myrto's personal artistic style. She always carries with her a great amount of enthusiasm and positive energy, and this is what her students love the most about her classes!