The perfect blend of youth and experience

Founded by Vasilis Mouzakitis, our teachers have been involved in the Greek Lyceum since its inception in 1993. They are dedicated, passionate and genuinely excited to be imparting the knowledge and skill of traditional Greek dancing to both the junior and senior groups alike.

Vasilis Mouzakitis, Founder and Original Artistic Director

Vasilis retired from the school in 2015 after giving more than 40 years to nurturing and fostering not only the Greek Lyceum, but also Greek culture and tradition in South Australia and beyond.

The inspiration of the Greek Lyceum. He provided insight, passion and overall guidance and direction of the dances and performances.

Professional Bio 

Teacher, Greek folklore specialist, director, ethnic radio presenter, dance and drama instructor and choreographer. Born in Pyrgos, Ilias, Greece, Vasily migrated to Australia (Melbourne, Albury and Adelaide) at a young age with his parents. and completed his primary education at Gilles Street Primary and secondary education at Unley High School. He completed his Bachelor of Education degree at Flinders University with majors in English and Drama Studies, and went on to teach in the public education system. 

A trained modern dancer and theatre actor, Vasily has been involved with the performing arts for most of his life, appearing in Australian theatre, on club circuits, television, performing arts festivals and written/produced and presented Greek radio programs in South Australia between 1981- 2002 on 5EBI-FM and Doriforos Greek Satellite Radio. 

In 1987 Vasily was the first recipient of the prestigious Karamanlis Greek-Australian Presidential Award in the field of Greek dance and furthered his research on Greek folklore and traditions the same year with the renown folklorist Vasilios Papachristou, and in later years with Ioannis Dimas, Dimitris Kotsikas, Ioannis Prantsidis, Yvonne Hunt, Konstantinos Kamaritis, to name a few. He continued to research and travel to Greece and interstate in Australia, on numerous seminars, conventions and performances concerned with Greek traditional music and dance, researching and studying Greek folk rhythms, dance and costumes in Athens, and regional centres throughout Greece - Thessalia, Crete, Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Peloponnese, Ionian islands, Dodecannese and Eastern Aegean area.

He has worked closely with community groups in S.A., Victoria, N.S.W. and is founding director of the Hellenic Folk Theatre of Australia <<RIZES>>. Vasily established the Greek Folkloric Company of S.A. (1985) and then the Greek Lyceum of South Australia (1993) an independent and not for profit school of Greek dance and culture. He has collaborated over the past 30 years with important colleagues in the Folk dance field in Australia such as - Christos Konstantinides, Vasilis Aligiannis, Andrew and Sophie Rossides, Alkis Manasis, Guillermo Keys-Arena, as well as cultural groups like the Adelaide Folk Centre and Government departments in the direction and staging of multicultural folk festivals, concerts, seminars and exhibitions of dance, song and costumes in urban and country centres through Australia.

Vasily has been interviewed and his work with the Greek Lyceum of S.A. has been showcased several times on ERT (Greek Radio and Television) as well as Antenna Pacific, Vasily was also featured in the inaugural (first edition) of Horevo magazine in Athens through his interview on “The function of Greek folk dance in Australia”. He is a member of UNESCO’S Centre of International Dance as well as Folk Dance Australia.

His dedication and work towards the advancement and maintenance of Hellenic folk culture through the tuition and presentations of Greek dances and songs, is well-known and documented throughout Australia as well as in Europe, North America and Asia.

Marie Arvanitakis, Junior Dance School Teacher & Coordinator

A skilled, passionate and qualified teacher and dance instructor who instills the students with the confidence to learn and perform dances from various part of Greece. 

Professional Bio 

Marie has established herself as an accomplished dance teacher/ instructor in Adelaide over the past 20 years. She has been involved in Greek dance from a young age and has been dancing over 35 years. She has been involved with the Greek Lyceum School of Greek Dance and Culture of SA for 20 years and prior to that she was in Vasilis Mouzakitis Dance Group. She believes Greek dance is an expressive form of culture and the arts.

Marie has attended workshops on Greek dance at the Theatre of Doro Stratou and has assisted Greek Dance Association in Kalamata. She works very closely with Vasilis Mouzakitis, artistic director/co-founder of the Greek Lyceum and Alexandra Nikias. Marie has completed the Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Teaching and has specialised in Dance, Drama, Greek and Special Education.

Marie’s teaching style is complemented by her professional career as a school teacher, specialising in Dance and Drama as well as classroom teaching. She has been involved with Wakakirri, J Rock Eistefford, organising and directing school concerts, theatre productions and Greek dances, Dance concerts and Bebe Ballet concerts. She has performed interstate and in several regional areas in Australia.

Marie is educated in all the regions of Greece and has taught students from 3yrs to 20 plus. In the last 6 years she has focused on students from pres-school to year 7 students. She enjoys educating and motivating young students to become highly skilled in dance.

Alexandra Nikias, Junior Dance School Teacher & Senior School Coordinator

Alexandra joined the Greek Lyceum in its inception year, 1993. Dancing since the age of 3, she is experienced in many forms of dance including ballet, tap, jazz and both modern and folk Greek.

Alexandra has received training at the Greek Lyceum of South Australia as well as overseas at the Dora Stratou Theatre in Athens and the Momogeroi Folk Dancers in Athens. She has also traveled within Australia including NSW, Victoria and regional South Australia promoting the Greek Lyceum and broadening her knowledge of Greek dance.  Attending seminars such as the ‘Vimata’ Seminars in Sydney, Alexandra further broadens her knowledge and experience of dance through education from both local Sydney teachers and instructors from Greece.

Alexandra enjoys learning about and performing dances from all regions of Greece, including Modern Dance.  

Alexandra enjoys teaching the senior school and the junior school along with Marie Arvanitakis.