Culture Connection
Constance Stamatiou: Greek-African-American dancer with Alvin Ailey
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Alvin Ailey dance company. I took advantage to attend one of the performances. As any good Greek, I scan the credits to see if I can find any long Greek last names just to keep the ethnic pride real. Chances are eventually I do land on one even two by the end of the film credits. This time during the performance I was floored when I spotted not one but two principal dancers with Greek last names. These were not the behind-the-scenes prop makers, these were the stars front and center of the show. After probing a bit, I had the opportunity of meeting and interviewing one of the stars Constantine Stamatiou.
As it turns out, Stamatiou is more famous in Greece than in the US (but whoever can wind up dancing for Alvin Ailey is as famous in the dance world as Maria Callas was in opera.) It turns out Constance is the daughter of Barbara, an African-American and Constantine Stamatiou, who served in the Vietnam War, from Charlotte, North Carolina. She combines the grace of a Greek goddess with the strength and svelte of an African priestess.
As a brief overview, this is her bio from the Alvin Ailey website:
Constance Stamatiou (Charlotte, NC) began her dance training at Pat Hall’s Dance Unlimited and North Carolina Dance& Theatre. She graduated from NorthWest School of the Arts and studied at SUNY Purchase before becoming a fellowship student at The Ailey School. In 2009, Ms. Stamatiou received the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the performing and visual arts. She performed at the White House Dance Series and has been a guest performer on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Logo’s Trailblazer Honors, and The Today Show. Ms. Stamatiou has also danced n the films Shake Rattle & Roll and in Dan Pritzker’s Bolden. Ms. Stamatiou was a member of Ailey ll a guest artist for Darrell Grand Moultrie and Caroline Calouche & Co. She is a certified Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis instructor and a mother of two. Follow her on Instagram at constancestamatiou. Ms. Stamatiou first joined the Company in 2007 and rejoined in 2016.
Here’s a transcript of the interview she gave for greekamericangirl.com:
1) Tell us about your identity. How Greek do you feel? What pivotal formative memories do you have that have developed your sense of identity?
I am half Greek and black. My father is Constantine Stamatiou. He grew up in Athens and also in Kimi. Both of my parents pushed me to follow my dreams and they supported my love of dance since I was 5. I feel as Greek as anyone else, I may not speak the language fluently but it is something I enjoy learning and wished my father spoke only Greek to me but like many interracial/multiracial families he only spoke English to me and my brother. His family still lives in Greece and one sister lived in NC (where I grew up) as well. My father would have us in the kitchen making spinakopita and baklava. We would listen to Greek music (I even created my own dances) every year he would take us to the Greek festival where we admired the dancing, traditional clothing and eat lots of delicious Greek food. I am of Greek blood so I am Greek!
Most of the time people ask what is your background? Are you Spanish? When I tell them I’m Greek, they’re surprised. I guess it’s something they don’t hear often, and that makes me feel special.
2) Have you been fairly received by Greeks both in the diaspora and in Greece? Greece has had an ambivalent relationship with Issues of race. What has been your experience with being a dual ethnicity and dual race?
I have visited Athens, Greece four times, once as a child, the other times as an adult. I’ve received the warmest welcomes from my family that I know and those whom I’ve come to know. The last few times I’ve visited were to perform so my trip entailed a lot of interviews for papers and news channels. The amount of people I met through social media and who came to the performances to meet me was just heart warming. I was greeted with hugs, food, desserts, books about Greek dancing. People who know the Stamatious or are related have reached out. It’s just amazing. I know racism is everywhere and it’s hard to let go of something that’s been passed down and ingrained in your mind but it takes a strong, egoless person to be able to let go of that mindset or perhaps to understand what inequities, inequalities or burdens one goes through just because of the color of his skin. I grew up in the South. Even though I grew up during a time when interracial marriages were legal, as a child I was oblivious, but as I got older I saw the looks and stares. I even recognized the enslaved mentality that was brought unto blacks, the hatred between light skin and dark skin. Light skin “think they’re better because of their lighter skin tone and typically nicer hair.” It’s true society for the longest time whether in the corporate world or entertainment would favor the lighter person over the darker person. As a teenager I could definitely sense the difference and was even flat out asked if I believed in that difference. Let me be clear we are all beautiful creatures but it’s what’s inside our hearts that really determines how beautiful we are. Not the color of your skin, texture of your hair or your wealth. Inside this body we are the same.
3) What parts of your upbringing do you attribute to your success?
My parents always kept me involved in extra-curricular activities. Dance, gymnastics, ice skating, viola lessons, Girl Scouts and church. School was the most important, of course. I remember always going on auditions. I auditioned for the Nutcracker and performed for several years. I danced in a movie called “Shake, Rattle and Roll” when I was in high school. By middle school, they sent me to audition for a magnet performing art school where I attended all through secondary school. I became really serious with concert dance and decided after graduation I would study in NYC. That’s where I pursued my undergraduate studies. I studied at SUNY Purchase before I became a scholarship student at the Ailey School for two years. I joined Ailey ll then principal dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2007. I am an Annenberg fellowship recipient. I’ve performed all over the world and on shows such as “So you think you can dance?”, “Dancing with the Stars,” talk shows, photographed for magazines and have even performed for former President barack Obama and his family.
4) What would you want your Hellenic audience to know about you maybe that is not so evident from the surface?
I am a mother of two who is trying her best to coexist between work and motherhood. I am trying to teach my kids about their heritage as well. I love being mixed, some may see it as a disgrace but I see it as love. Love is love is love. I get the best of both worlds but I also feel the pain of both. I want nothing more but for everyone to feel empathy for one another. When one is hurting, we all are hurting. Because we are humans and must take care of each other and as sappy as that sounds it worries me that humanity is lost. Until it can bc we can see something and just not do anything bc we feel it doesn’t pertain to us. How can we hope for a better future or a joyous one if we allow hatred, ignorance and carelessness to rule.
After hearing about the black American boy who was killed in Athens a few years ago I was worried about my trip, and how I would be perceived. All it takes is being I. The wrong place at the wrong time. But I am a strong charismatic respectful woman. I felt like a Greek goddess in Greece and I hope to visit more often and give back to the Greek community by teaching dance, or choreographing, something artistic.
After hearing about the black American boy who was killed in Athens a few years ago I was worried about my trip, and how I would be perceived. All it takes is being I. The wrong place at the wrong time. But I am a strong charismatic respectful woman. I felt like a Greek goddess in Greece and I hope to visit more often and give back to the Greek community by teaching dance, or choreographing, something artistic.
5) How are you raising your son in terms of identity?
My son Thanos is a very vibrant boy. He loves dance, likes super heroes and wants to be one when he grows up. He has shoulder-length hair and is oftentimes mistaken for a girl. He was not much of a talker but now he will talk your head off and has no problem correcting people to let them know he’s a boy. Anytime he sees a man or boy with long hair he gets excited I believe that’s why Thor is one of his favorite superheroes. As much as I yeah him to be strong and to never give up, I also teach him that it’s good to express his feelings when he’s feeling sad, mad or needs to cry. The world tries so hard to build strong men and teach them it’s bad to be sensitive and I think that’s just wrong. I’m teaching my children how to exist, that their voices are important and to be respectful.
6) What’s the hardest thing about being a dancer; what’s the best?
The work never ends. Constantly striving for perfection even though it for exist. But you end up finding this freedom where you can enjoy the movement really perform with passion, precision or whatever it is your going for, bc you know that you’ve worked hard and the technique is there and will carry you. I will always consider myself as a student when I’m in ballet class warming up for rehearsal or performance I’m eager to learn or be reminded of something I forgot or try something different that could help me turn better for example. The happiest moments when you danced your heart out it feels good it’s like a prayer, it’s therapeutic it’s rewarding especially when the audience is rooting and raving.
7) What is a motto you live by?
”Be better than yesterday” “Breathe” and “I’m grateful for . . . ”
8) What would be your dream dance sequence and where?
I am doing my dream dance sequence performing Mr Ailey’s ballers like “Cry” and “Revelations.” To this day I still talk about my first performance in Athens which was at the Herodius Atticus Theater and performing “Revelations” with the stars above and the Parthenon lit up. It was as if I was dancing in heaven and in front of God himself. Now if I had to choose something besides Ailey, I would have to say Beyonce!
If you haven’t seen her Instagram roll, you must! @constancestamatiou
Better yet catch her on stage at one of Alvin Ailey’s performances. Don’t worry if you don’t live in NYC. The company is about to set off on a cross-country tour hitting West coast, east coast, and most of the big cities in the middle.
