Interview · 30 August 2026
There's no such thing as 'I can't'. There's only 'I don't want to'
Ioanna Mavroeidi Alexiou
Interview by Eleni Lazaridou
Behind every successful dance school there is also strong family support. Ioanna Mavroeidi Alexiou, mother of Aliki Mavroeidi and head of Administration & Management at Choroaktis, talks to 5 Stigmes about her own path, the support she gave to her daughter's dream, and the message she wants to leave for the generations to come. We put 5 questions to her.
Question 1
Most people know you through Choroaktis. What they may not know is that before you became actively involved with the school, you had a different professional path. What was it?
Ioanna
That's right, before I got involved with the school I worked as a civil servant. After I retired, I decided to devote more time to supporting Aliki and her work.
Even before that, though, I was always someone who took an active part in community life. I served as president of the Parents' and Guardians' Association at the school, I took part in local cultural associations, and in general I was an active member of various activities and initiatives.
From 2000 I began helping at the school more systematically, mainly taking on secretarial support. Little by little the school became part of my daily life and, when it was needed, I left my other activities behind to devote myself to it completely.
Question 2
When Aliki told you she wanted to pursue dance professionally, what was your first thought? Did you ever worry about the difficulties she might face?
Ioanna
Like every parent, I had my worries too. But I never wanted to deprive her of her dream. The only thing I asked of her was to finish her university studies first and then to follow the path she truly loved.
I wanted her to have one more asset in life, a safety net, a "cushion", should she ever need it. Beyond that, I knew how much she loved dance and I believed she should chase her dream.
Question 3
Behind every dance class lies a demanding daily routine, full of organisation, responsibilities and countless obligations. How do you manage, in the midst of all that, to keep the same passion and the same spirit every day?
Ioanna
I think that has to do with my character. I was never someone who could sit still. From a young age I wanted to be constantly active, to create, to learn and to try new things.
I never stopped growing. I always wanted to go one step further.
In fact, from a young age I used to say something I still believe to this day: "There's no such thing as 'I can't'. There's only 'I don't want to'." If I really wanted to do something, there was no way I wouldn't keep trying until I succeeded.
Now, of course, as I get older and sometimes tell my children "I can't", they laugh and reply: "You don't want to!" I tell them that these days I really do get a little more tired! (laughs)
Even within my own family I was different. I have two other sisters and they always told me I was nothing like them. I was always in the thick of everything, I didn't give up easily and I never let anything beat me.
Question 4
How do you envision Choroaktis in the years ahead? What more would you like it to have offered, both to its students and to the local community?
Ioanna
My greatest wish is to live to see my granddaughters grow up, flourish and, if they so choose, distinguish themselves through dance.
Above all, I hope that the work Aliki has built over all these years will carry on. It would be the greatest joy for me to see my grandchildren love the school and, if they wish, to carry this beautiful journey on into the next generations.
Question 5
If your granddaughters read this interview in a few years' time, what is the most important message you would want them to hold on to?
Ioanna
I would like them always to remember one thing: there's no such thing as "I can't", there's only "I don't want to".
When we truly want something, it is worth fighting for it to the very end. Not everything may turn out the way we imagined, and that is part of life. But what must never happen is giving up without having tried.
I want them always to be able to say: "Maybe it didn't happen, but I gave my very best and I fought for it right to the end." That is the most important life lesson I would like to leave them.
