Akram Khan Company to Make Seattle Debut

The UW World Series presents the Seattle debut of Akram Khan Company from November 12-14, 2015 at Meany Hall for the Performing Arts. One of the most intriguing dance artists on the international scene today, Akram Khan is known for his fusion of the classical Indian form of Kathak with contemporary dance. As a choreographer, he stages stark visual landscapes populated by witty or mysterious figures and explores the intersection of different cultures and creative disciplines. For its Seattle debut, the company performs the revival of the 2002 evening-length work, Kaash, described as "startling, original, and beautiful" (The Guardian).

Winner of the 2002 Critics' Circle National Dance Award for Best Modern Choreography, Kaash (Hindi for "if only"), explores themes of Hindu gods, black holes, Indian time cycles, tablas, creation and destruction and is danced by an international, five-strong cast of performers. Music for the piece is by renowned composer Nitin Sawhney and sculptor Anish Kapoor provides the set design.

About Akram Khan Company

In July 1999, in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, an animated and curiosity-filled conversation took place between the young gifted dancer/choreographer Akram Khan and an ambitious former dancer and just recently graduated arts manager Farooq Chaudhry. That conversation laid the foundation stone for a dynamic collaboration, culminating in the creation of Akram Khan Company one year later.

Inspired by Akram Khan's early training in the Indian classical dance form Kathak, and the hybrid language that organically emerged when Akram's Kathak training encountered contemporary dance in his teens, a vision began to form, fuelled by a desire to learn and create through collaboration with the very best people across all the disciplines in the arts.

The rules were simple: take risks, think big and daring, explore the unfamiliar, avoid compromise and tell stories through dance that are compelling and relevant, with artistic integrity.

In just over fourteen years Akram Khan Company is now undisputedly one of the foremost innovative dance companies in the world. Performances range from Kathak and modern solos to artist-to-artist collaborations and ensemble productions. The company has a major international presence and enjoys busy tours that reach out to many cultures and peoples across the globe. Akram Khan has been the recipient of numerous international dance awards, the most notable being an Olivier Award for his solo production DESH in 2012.

A milestone in the company's journey was the creation of a section of the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in 2012.

Akram Khan Company is currently practitioner-in-residence at University of the Arts London, and enjoys artistic associations with Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, MC2: Grenoble in France and other leading venues and festivals around the world.

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