Greek choreographer and director Fokas Evangelinos has made a rare public appearance with his long-term partner Pitsa Koutoufa at the 12th Audience Theatre Awards in Athens.
The couple were photographed together attending the ceremony at the Acropol Theatre, a historic venue in the centre of the Greek capital. The annual awards recognise achievements across the Greek theatrical season.
Evangelinos is one of Greece's most prominent creative directors, known domestically for choreographing and directing major theatrical productions, musicals and television shows.
Internationally, he is best recognised for his extensive work on the Eurovision Song Contest. He has designed the complex stage routines for dozens of national performances over the last two decades, including the winning entries for Greece in 2005 and Russia in 2008.
Despite his high public profile, Evangelinos has largely kept his relationship with Koutoufa, an established public relations professional in the Greek entertainment industry, out of the spotlight.
Decades-long partnership
The relationship began in 1993 when Evangelinos was hired to choreograph the theatrical production "Tam-tam and Tango". The play starred and was produced by Mimi Denissi, a highly successful Greek actress known for her elaborate stage shows.
Koutoufa was working as the public relations manager for Denissi at the time.
Speaking to People magazine in 2014, Evangelinos said the pair went on two or three dates after meeting before officially becoming a couple. At the time of the interview, he said they had been living together for twenty years.
He said their personal lives quickly intertwined with his professional trajectory, and Koutoufa's role expanded beyond a supportive partner to become a central figure in his career decisions.
Evangelinos said she eventually became his mentor at work, helping him navigate difficult choices and showing him the way forward.
This professional support was crucial during the founding of Evangelinos's own dance school in 1996. He said Koutoufa encouraged him to take a significant financial risk during a difficult economic period, backing his decision to take out a commercial loan of 80 million Greek drachmas to fund the venture. The drachma was the national currency before Greece adopted the euro, and the sum represented a substantial investment at the time.
Strict creative judge
Evangelinos has frequently credited Koutoufa's critical eye with keeping his work fresh and preventing him from relying on established routines.
Five years later, in a separate interview, he said he trusted Koutoufa absolutely, describing her as someone who complemented his work. Because she was very strict, he said, she always ensured he did not repeat himself and brought him back to the core creative process.
He echoed these sentiments during a television appearance with presenter Fay Skorda on December 1, 2025. Skorda hosts popular daytime entertainment and lifestyle programmes on Greek television.
Without naming Koutoufa directly on air, Evangelinos described his partner as his greatest support and most difficult judge.
He said he had good friends and his person, who always supported his choices. He said he listened to her, adding that she could point out when he was repeating himself creatively and highlight specific areas of a production that needed his attention.
Focus on career
Alongside his long relationship with Koutoufa, Evangelinos has also spoken publicly about his decision not to have children.
The choreographer said his choice was driven by the immense responsibility of parenthood and the heavy, continuous demands of his career in the entertainment industry.
He said he did not dare take on the enormous responsibility of a child, as he did not feel mature enough to devote himself fully to one.
Acknowledging that the decision might sound selfish, Evangelinos said his intense focus on his work ultimately operated at the expense of starting a family, adding that it might be the only mistake he has made in his life.
