Aegina Retreats
Expressive Painting & Butoh
Fluid Creativity
Painting & Butoh Intensive - Fluid Creativity
A 7 day Journey Through Painting, Movement & Creative transformation
The two workshops form a shared creative ecosystem, where the processes, explorations, and inspirations of one naturally flow into the other, creating a space of interaction, exchange, and expansion of the artistic experience.
with
Yanis Zagorianakos & Aliki Germanou
What is it About?
A transformative 6-day residential workshop that explores fluid creativity through the complementary practices of Expressive Painting and Butoh, in which you will unlearn rigid creative habits and discover a playful, imaginative state where painting and Butoh move freely through your body, breath and soul. This is not about mastering techniques; it is about letting go, surrendering to the currents and revealing the creative depths within.
Through the dual practice of painting and Butoh you will dive into the mysteries of fluid creativity, express emotions and find guidance to expand.
This is not about mastering techniques. It’s about letting go, unlearning, or even pretending – stepping into a playful, imaginative state where creativity can move freely and naturally. The process mirrors dancing in space, only this time the dancing happens in time itself.
The experience
Throughout the six days you will:
Explore how to tune into your creative expression and connecting.
Practice Expressive Painting in a fully equipped studio
Embody & Practice Butoh in a fully equiped studio.
Engage in mindfulness and focus in awareness practices.
Uncover your creative depths through theory, practice and surrender.
The tools you need are simple: the rhythm of your breath, the freedom of your body, the willingness to let go. Expect the unexpected. Surrender to the currents. Discover what lies beneath the surface.
Join us and explore Butoh and Painting
We do not spam, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Structure & Itinerary
What is included? How to Book?
Structure
Daily Schedule ( Sunday _ Friday)
6 Intensive days of practice
Morning Session: Painting 10:00-14:00
Theory on the creative process
The mysteries of tuning in
Painting exercises and practice
Fully equipped studio
Midday Break
Lunch provided
Optional continued painting practice
Rest and integration time
Evening Session: Butoh 17:00- 19:30
Butoh theory and philosophy
Warn up, Movement practice and exploration
Fully equipped dancing studio
Wednesday: Day of Integration
Road trip around the island
Connect with nature
Rest and creative digestion.
Workshop Components
Theory
Understanding the creative process, tune in and letting go, will unlock authentic expression
Painting Practice
Epressive painting guided by the creative process and a method to tune in to the flow.
Butoh
Japanese performance art built upon guided improvisation
inspired by thematic motifs.The body becomes a living sculpture,
breathing new space and shaping its own time.
Mindfulness
Present moment awareness with breath, body and creative impulse
Focused Awareness
Developing sensitivity to subtle movements, emotions, and creative currents.
What is included?
Accommodations
7 nights residential stay
Unique and convenient accommodation options
Immersive creative environment
Meals
Daily Breakfast
Lunch at the studio
Nourishment to support your creative journey
Facilities
Fully equipped painting studio
Professional dance studio
All materials and supplies included
Day Trip
Wednesday we take a break and we explore the island of Aegina. We visit chosen locations and we spend the day in nature followed by lunch.
Guidance
Expert Instruction in both disciplines
Theoretical framework
Personalized support
How to Book?
First choose your dates, then choose the type of accommodation you want, you can choose
shared at the Grapevine house,
solo/private at the Lemon house or
find your own accommodation and participate only on the workshop theory and practice, lunch and day trip included but no breakfast.
For the types of accommodation we offer please see below.
Accommodation Options
The Grapevine House
Shared and Solo option
The Grapevine House was built in the 19th century. It has two double bedrooms, the main bedroom with original painted ceiling and wooden floor, and own balcony, giving it a warm and nostalgic character. A. second bedroom which is a converted cellar, you will have to duck to enter to this interesting space. The living room, with its embedded wooden press, hints to the islands agricultural history and way of life. For additional space, there is a converted cellar, which serves as a second bedroom or study - you will have to duck to enter. A small kitchen and bathroom. Feel free to explore the house’s eclectic furniture, each piece telling its own story: lovingly restored items, painting, books and many personal objects from a life of travels... add our own personal touch, all the while preserving the house’s character and history.
See more on the Grapevine House
The Lemon House
Solo or Couples
Right next to it is the newer lemon House an 85m2 spacious studio with double bed, dinning room and living room, a patio & a private balcony, large bathroom and fully equipped kitchen. Perfect for those who wish to stay solo or as a couple with out sharing the house.
We invite you to embrace the beauty of this cozy and peaceful guest house, where every corner holds a piece of the past. Enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of the courtyard and the land around it, lose your sense of time, let go and relax.
The Grapevine & Lemon house are both a great choice for solo travellers, couples or small groups of friends willing to share.
See more on the Lemon House
About the Teachers
Yanis Zagorianakos
I am a self-taught, full-time craftsman and painter. I hold a BSc in Industrial Chemistry and Design from City University London, a background that has shaped me into an artist with a strong scientific curiosity and an investigative approach to materials and process
.
I was born in Athens and grew up between Athens, Johannesburg, and London. At 17 I moved permanently to London, where I studied and later worked as a Project Scientist & Designer, conducting research. After fifteen years, I returned to Athens, left my scientific career behind, and began travelling to India. There, almost by accident, I was introduced to the world of Arts & Crafts. For the next decade, I visited India regularly and attended a wide range of craft seminars, along with numerous painting workshops in both London and Athens — all while working full-time as an artist and craftsman.
Today, I live and work between the islands of Aegina and Amorgos.
My work is driven by a deep curiosity for materials. Over the years, I have worked with wood, metal, fabric, glass, and I am always exploring new materials and unexpected combinations. In painting, I use watercolours, acrylics, oxidations, oil, collage — almost anything I can get my hands on, as long as it serves the work and the creative process.
Aliki Germanou
Dancer, Teacher, and Artistic Explorer
I grew up in Athens and first encountered dance at the age of six, forming a relationship that has remained constant ever since. After completing my studies, I trained formally in classical ballet and contemporary dance. At that time, teaching had never crossed my mind — my focus was entirely on performing and exploring the stage.
However, once I graduated, I began teaching classical ballet while also joining a contemporary dance company. A few years later, a strong need arose within me for a different kind of artistic exploration — a completely new path. That was when I discovered Butoh through my main teacher, Masaki Iwana.
Many say that Butoh is not merely dance; it exists within us regardless, as part of who we are — just as we are part of nature itself. For more than twenty-five years now, I have been engaged with this performative art, both as a teacher and as a performer, still unfolding its mysteries.
In parallel, I trained in yoga, wishing to approach Butoh through that path as well: with awareness, knowledge and care for those I teach. I work with people of all ages and levels and collaborate with artists from various disciplines to create works and experiences that move between movement and the ineffable.
For the past four years, I’ve had the blessing of living on the island of Aegina, where I’ve come into contact with a vibrant and profoundly inspiring artistic community. The exchange and coexistence with these artists — painters, musicians, dancers, writers, performers, film directors, actors and photographers — continually enrich both my life and my creative process. The island has become a place of inspiration, grounding and creation, where its beauty encourages presence and connection.
Join us and explore Butoh and Painting
We do not spam, you can unsubscribe at any time.
What is Butoh ?
Butoh is a form of contemporary Japanese dance-theater that emerged in the late 1950s through the work of Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno. It arose as a reaction to the destruction, loss, and rapid Westernization of postwar Japan, as well as a search for a more authentic, embodied way of being. Combining elements from dance, theatre, poetry, and the visual arts, Butoh challenges the boundaries of the body and expression, creating a radical language of movement based on improvisation and inner landscapes connected to nature and collective memory.
Over the following decades, Butoh evolved through various schools and aesthetic approaches while preserving its core: the exploration of the body as a place of memory and transformation. From Japan, it spread across the world, inspiring artists of all kinds, and continues to live and breathe as a form of embodied philosophy and spiritual practice.
Inhabiting the Body
Through appropriate practices and improvisation exercises, participants in the Butoh workshop will have the opportunity to explore the body as a vessel of time and memory and as a living sculpture that continuously reshapes itself, creating their own personal dance.
Welcoming anyone with curiosity and a willingness to explore movement, regardless of prior dance experience.
FAQ
Structure
Daily Schedule ( Sunday to Friday)
6 Intensive days of practice
Morning Session: Painting 10:00-14:00
Theory on the creative process
The mysteries of tuning in
Painting exercises and practice
Fully equipped studio
Midday Break
Lunch provided
Optional continued painting practice
Rest and integration time
Evening Session: Butoh 17:00- 19:30
Butoh theory and philosophy
Movement practice and exploration
Fully equipped dancing studio
Wednesday: Day of Integration
Road trip around the island
Connect with nature
Rest and creative digestion.
Workshop Components
Theory
Understanding the creative process, tune in and letting go, will unlock authentic expression
Painting Practice
Epressive painting guided by the creative process and a method to tune in to the flow.
Butoh
Japanese performance art built upon guided improvisation
inspired by thematic motifs.The body becomes a living sculpture,
breathing new space and shaping its own time.
Mindfulness
Present moment awareness with breath, body and creative impulse
Focused Awareness
Developing sensitivity to subtle movements, emotions, and creative currents.
Ready to Join Us? Here’s How to Book:
How to Book?
First choose your dates, then choose the type of accommodation you want, you can choose
shared at the Grapevine house,
solo/private at the Lemon house or
find your own accommodation and participate only on the workshop theory and practice, lunch and day trip included but no breakfast.
For the types of accommodation we offer please see below.
Click Book Now
Cancellation Policy:
You’ll receive a full refund if you cancel up to 30 days before the start date.
Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer a refund for cancellations made within 30 days of the start date.
Choose between
Solo/ private accommodation for solo travellers or couples
Shared accommodation with your own bedroom
Find your own accommodation but participate in all activities below except accommodation.
What is included?
Accommodations
7 nights residential stay
Unique and convenient accommodation options
Immersive creative environment
Meals
Daily Breakfast
Lunch at the studio
Nourishment to support your creative journey
Facilities
Fully equipped painting studio
Professional dance studio
All materials and supplies included
Day Trip
Wednesday we take a break and we explore the island of Aegina. We visit chosen locations and we spend the day in nature followed by lunch.
Guidance
Expert Instruction in both disciplines
Theoretical framework
Personalized support
Getting to Aegina is super easy!
Ferries run daily, all day long from Piraeus to Aegina port and back.
You can find out more here.
The Cool Projects studio is located 10-15 minutes walk from Aegina town, and a 5 minutes walk from the Grapevine and Lemon houses. You will find more about the studio here. See studio location here.
The Dancing studio is located in the centre of Aegina town, 10 min walk from the Cool Projects studio.
List of materials you will need to bring:
Creative Painting
Notebook
A5 sketchbook
A3 watercolour paper
Pencils or pens of your choice
Water-based colours, at least blue, red, yellow, white, and black
Brushes in three different sizes
Clothes you don’t mind getting messy
Good to know:
The studio has a selection of shared materials available for everyone to use.
You can also purchase larger sheets of watercolour paper or canvas directly at the studio.
There’s a local art shop nearby where you can buy any extra supplies from.
Butoh
You will need comfortable clothes and socks.
Join us and explore Butoh dancing and painting
We do not spam, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Welcome to Aegina Retreats where creativity meets playfulness and tranquility.
Contact Us
+30 2297029359
Location
5 Agias Paraskevis st.
Aegina 18010, Greece
All Rights Reserved
@thecoolprojects 2025 | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions