Akram Khan is one of the most acclaimed choreographers of his generation working in Britain today. Born in London into a family of Bangladeshi origin in 1974, he began dancing at seven.
An important aspect of Kathak (classical Indian dance) is an increasing speed, aiming towards unacheivable stillness (link).
In Gnosis, combining his classical Indian dance roots and contemporary work, he brings the opposing worlds of tradition and innovation face-to-face. He's accompanied on stage by an ensemble of exceptional musicians from India, Japan, Pakistan and United Kingdom, including Yoshie Sunahata guest artist from Japanese company Kodo.
"I was fascinated by the concept of a human being who chose to blindfold herself. Yet, despite knowing that she had the choice to remove the blindfold at any given moment, because her honour, pride and vows were so strong, this character chose to remain blindfolded even through the births, marriages and death of her children. This is a fascinating, complex character that I was eager to explore. However, for me, these themes are just landscapes, images, sketches from which ideas spring and are then transformed into a more personal interpretation of the story, which I like to describe as a 'story of movements'." Akram Khan
"I was fascinated by the concept of a human being who chose to blindfold herself. Yet, despite knowing that she had the choice to remove the blindfold at any given moment, because her honour, pride and vows were so strong, this character chose to remain blindfolded even through the births, marriages and death of her children. This is a fascinating, complex character that I was eager to explore. However, for me, these themes are just landscapes, images, sketches from which ideas spring and are then transformed into a more personal interpretation of the story, which I like to describe as a 'story of movements'." Akram Khan
