Dear friend, CID Member,
Plaka, the picturesque old town under the Acropolis of Athens, is my home village, I live one block away from our office building. My great grandfather had a bakery in 1862, my grandfather and my uncle continued as bakers here. Hopefully my son will live in Plaka too as the fifth generation, though not as a baker – people nowadays buy bread from the supermarket!
I am excited to welcome you to my village. Take time to wander in the narrow streets to feel the unique atmosphere, enter the church behind our offices built by a Byzantine emperor in the 9th century. Take a picture of yourself in the most ancient dance theatre in the world which is opposite the Acropolis Museum, only a few blocks away. There are countless historical sites worth visiting within a 10 minutes’ walk – you will be tempted to skip some lectures or classes.
Which organization can boast 50 congresses within 30 years? The cream of dance researchers from all countries has attended them. It is your turn to celebrate this double anniversary with us. Do not miss the dinner party with live Greek music on Saturday evening in the central square of Plaka. Bring your musical instrument to play.
All other evenings are so full that we have had to extend the programme for the first time in our history: there will be performances on Monday evening too.
Please study the programme on the congress website to be ready. Every morning several events take place at the same time, we will all have to run from one to another. Bring a load of visiting cards and brochures to give away, we want you to speak to every other conferee, tell them what you do, see if you can cooperate in the future. Over 250 CID members from 30 countries will be around you.
I am part of a congress team of 30 dedicated volunteers, all of them CID Members, making sure you feel at home. To me CID is above all a great family, once again getting together for a grand reunion. Join us in making this an unforgettable experience!
Alkis Raftis
