- What: In Between festival – a vibrant music and dance showcase;
- When: July 7 & 8, 2025;
- Where: Odeon of Gortyna, Crete;
- Who: Produced by the Ministry of Culture and the National Opera, featuring Maria Louka and acclaimed artists;
- Why: Celebrate the playful clash of old and new, tradition and invention;
- How Much: Free entry for the show, 10 euro ticket for the archaeological site, free for those under 25;
- Reserve: Pre-booking required as seats disappear quickly;
- Supported by: The Region of Crete.
Sounds and Steps Between Eras
Step into the Odeon of Gortyna, where myths and memories echo from marble and olive trees alike. On July 7 and 8, 2025, the stone columns and open-air fill with the pulse of In Between—a music and dance performance that is less a show than an experiment in time travel, produced by the Ministry of Culture with the National Opera and staged under the warm blessing of the Region of Crete.
The show weaves together Cretan sounds and contemporary music in a way that refuses to pick sides. Picture this: sharp notes from the lyra, the wild rasp of the askavlos, a bansuri flute caught in mid-phrase, and somewhere in the background, the twinkle of a pedal effect flirting with ancient percussion. Imagine traditional tunes sidling up to Western European harmonies and electronic effects, all while dancers carve improvised paths across the stage.
Sprinkled among these sonic fireworks are the old stories—“myths and tales brought to life,” as the director Maria Louka promises (and really, who dares doubt her?). Here, the “primeval sounds of Crete return to life,” folding into city beats, wind instruments from across the globe, and the surprise snap of percussion.
In a swirl of spontaneous choreography, the cast “manage to bridge opposites, connecting yesterday with today,” all while experimenting with contemporary moves and free improvisation. It is playful. It is impulsive. And it’s staged in a venue where even the stones seem to pause and listen.
People, Place, and a Pick-and-Mix Orchestra
The crew reads like a festival program curated by a mischievous archaeologist:
- Direction and Production: Maria Louka
- Lighting Design: Vasilis Dimitriadis
- Make-up: Despina Douka
- Sound: Aristotelis Telis
- Choreography: Rodoula Kraniotaki
- Live Music: Giorgos Zacharioudakis, Nikos Katritzikakis (with flute and traditional woodwinds), Zacharias Spyridakis on Cretan lyra, Yannis Papatzanis commanding percussion
- Singers/Narrators: Maria Louka herself
- Dancers: Rodoula Kraniotaki, Athina Charalambaki, Sakis Dimopoulos
- Production Company: ZALOU AMKE
Here, musicians bring together classic Cretan instruments—thiamboli, mantoura, askavlos, lyra, laouto—with flute, bansuri, bawu, and more. “Traditional instruments blend creatively with effect pedals and diverse flutes,” as the program notes, and suddenly, what seemed impossible feels as natural as a sunset over the Libyan Sea.
The show’s not just a spectacle; it’s a mood—one that drifts between nostalgia and invention, barefoot on old stones, blinking under bold lights.
In Between Festival: Why Go?
If not for the music, then for the heady mix of old gods and new stories bouncing off the Odeon of Gortyna ruins. The In Between festival threads the wildness of Cretan heritage through global influences, leaving everyone just a bit changed.
Just a warning: Book ahead. Free seats disappear fast. The performance is open to all, but entering the archaeological site costs 10 euros—unless you’re under 25, in which case it’s “free entrance for young people up to 25 years old.” The world belongs to the young and the clever, at least on these two magical nights.
The Odeon of Gortyna and its arcs of stone will wait for you. The music? That lives only in the moment, in between past and future, caught—just for a second—in the July breeze.
