Alkis Raftis
Alkis Raftis was born in Athens, in 1942. He speaks 6 languages and holds degrees from 4 universities (engineering, sociology, political sociology and management) in Athens and in Paris. After being a senior executive in American multinational corporations, he served as professor at universities: Patras School of Engineeting, Patras School of Education, Paris-Dauphine and Paris-Sorbonne. He has given lectures in another 14 universities.
He served as vice-governor of a national bank, and finally decided to concentrate on dance.
Family History
"My great grandfather came to Athens around 1860 from Vissani, a mountain village in Epirus, south of Albania. As tradition had it, each village in that region was turned to a different trade or craft, and his village produced bakers. He opened a bakery in the Monastiraki neighborhood of Athens. Constantine, my father, played national league soccer with the "Apollo" team and became an electrician. He started his own motor winding workshop but later bought a printing shop. He joined the Resistance against dictator Metaxas in the 1930s. During the German occupation he organized the network of clandestine printing shops producing leaflets calling the people to revolt. He took part in the Civil War and in 1946 was caught by the royalists and court-martialed "for conspiring to overthrow the regime." He was condemned to death and spent several months in the death cell, while he was offered the chance to save his life by signing a declaration against his beliefs. His brothers finally bribed the military judges, who revised his sentence to life imprisonment. He was released 10 years later under the reconciliation measures, together with two other members of his family who had also fought in the Resistance and the Civil War.
My maternal grandfather, Theodore Meziltzoglou, had a grocery store in a town called Saranda Eklisies (Kirklise in current usage), in Eastern Thrace, north of Istambul. He spoke Turkish, Bulgarian and Ladino, and traveled frequently to procure his supplies. Each time the Greeks were displaced after a lost war he opened a new shop further, in Xanthi, in Drama and in Salonica. My mother Fotini, the eldest of three sisters, was among the first Greek women to study mathematics. She became a high school teacher, an early feminist and a member of the Resistance. She raised her two children without any outside help. Forty years later she was decorated with the Medal of the Resistance.
My sister Lucia is a pharmacist employed by the Greek Social Security Institution.
In 1971 I married in Douala, Cameroon, Chariklia Drossi, a dentist-orthodontist from Kriekouki in Boeotia, Greece. We divorced in Paris in 1975. In 1984 I had a son, Alexis, with Dr. Florence Oualid, social psychologist in Paris. Alexis has studied engineering and European studies in France. Between their holidays in Greece I visit them often in Paris."
Career
He has carried out ethnographic research on traditional dancing in villages, historical research on Greek dance since Antiquity, as well as research on dance in world art and poetry. Prof. Raftis is considered the leading authority on dance in Greece since the Antiquity, as well as on dancers around 1900 such as Isadora Duncan and La Belle Otero. His Dance History Gallery series is considered the most valuable tool for dance historians. He is currently working on the history of dance in the Eastern Mediterranean before 1900.
Authoring
He has authored more than 28 books on dance, culture and management, and more than 100 articles in 32 languages. He has edited other 30 books, 11 CD-ROM volumes, 6 CDs, 2 DVDs and a bi-monthly review “Dance - Tradition and Art” with over 110 issues.
The International Dance Council (CID)
Dr. Raftis is currently president of the International Dance Council CID at UNESCO, Paris. Since 1987 he is president of the national Dora Stratou Dance Theatre and Company in Athens.
Curriculum Vitae
Qualification
- Doctor of Management Science: (Doctorat d'Etat ès Sciences de Gestion),
- University of Paris-IX-Dauphine, 1977
- Postgraduate Diploma in Sociology
- School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), Paris, 1976
- Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Sociology
- University of Paris-VIII-Vincennes, 1977
- Diploma in Engineering
- National Technical University, School of Mechanical Engineering,
- Industrial Engineering Section, Athens, 1966
- Certificate in English
- Greek-American Cultural Institute, Athens, 1960.
Languages
Greek
English
French
German
Spanish
Italian
Studies
- 1954-59 Varvakion Model High School, Athens : Sciences Section
1954-58 Greek-American Cultural Institute, Athens : English language course
1956-57 Institut Français d'Athènes, Athens : French language course
1960-62 Goethe Institut, Athens : German language course
Graduate Studies
- 1960-66 National Technical University, Athens: School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering Section.
1974-77 University of Paris VIII, :Department of Sociology
Post Graduate Studies
- 1969-70 Economics University of Athens
- Post-Graduate Section on Management Science
- 1974-77 School of Higher Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris
- ''Department of Political Sociology (director: Raymond Aron).
- Course: Sociology of Self-Management (director: Yvon Bourdet)
- 1973-77 University of Paris IX Dauphine
- Post-Graduate Unit of Teaching and Research on Management Sciences,
- Doctoral Section of Organization Science, Doctoral course,
- 2 years full-time Professors: Jacques Delors, Michel Rocard, Max Pages etc.
-
- Theoretical courses: Management I (Business Administration),
- Management II (General and Analytical Accounting), Macroeconomics,
- 'Microeconomics, Social Psychology, Business Law, Data Processing, English Terminology.''
- ''Research workshops: "Sociology of Participation", "Labour relations in the English-speaking
- countries", "Modern contractual practices in management".''
-
- Doctoral thesis (Doctorat d'Etat) on "Management and industrial democracy.
- A critique of models" under Professor Lucien Sfez.
- Jury: Jacques Attali, Jacques Austruy, Allain Cotta, Jean-Pierre Gilli, Lucien Sfez
Other Studies
- 1969 Greek Productivity Center, Athens.
- Course in Computer Accounting.
- 1977-79 Workshops and courses on modern management methods (psychological, physical, behavioural etc.).
- Courses in various Universities in Paris.
- Workshops on various forms of dance (French, African, European folk etc.)
- 1978-82 Courses on Greek folk dance in various performing companies
- Dora Stratou Theater, Lyceum of Greek Women, Rhodes Folk Dance Theater etc.
Present Posts
- '''President, Greek Dances Theater, Athens
- '''President, International Dance Council CID, UNESCO, Paris
Past Posts
- Visiting professor, Unersity of Patras, Department of Education
- Assistant Professor, University of Patras, Department of Engineering
- Visiting Professor, University of Paris IX Dauphine, Postgraduate Department of Management
- Visiting Professor, University of Paris Sorbonne, Dance Curriculum
- Vice-Governor, National Bank for Industrial Development, Athens
- Projects Manager, Nigerian Bag Manufacturing Co., Lagos, Nigeria
- Chief Engineer, Flour Mills of Nigeria Ltd., Lagos, Nigeria
- Production Engineer, Pfizer Hellas, Athens
Publications
Books Authored
Books Edited
CD-ROMs & DVDs Compiled
Audio Records Edited
Magazines Edited
Editor of the 32-page color magazine "Dance - tradition and art" : 105 issues since 1992.
Other Publications On Dance And Culture
Articles On Management And Other Fields
References
fr:Alkis Raftis