An Interview with Akram Khan

Celebrated as one of Britain’s most esteemed choreographers, Akram Khan is a master of his craft. Known for his unique fusion of Kathak – a form of Indian Classical Dance – and contemporary dance styles, Khan has a rare talent for crafting remarkable stories through movement. His singular style has not only earned him international recognition but has made him a sought-after collaborator. From starring in Peter Brook’s Mahabharata, at the age of 13, to creating original works alongside choreographers like Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sylvie Guillem, and visual artists such as Antony Gormley, Khan has worked with the best in the business. 

Khan not only creates ground-breaking works, he’s also an avid fan of art in all its forms, which begs the question – What would Akram Khan watch on Marquee TV? There was only one way to find out. We invited Akram Khan to create a collection of some of his favorite titles on Marquee TV, then we sat down with him to discuss his picks.

When asked about the collection as a whole Khan had this to say:

‘‘I would consider these titles to be quite varied, of course, there’s dance in there, but there’s also dance from different cultures, and different traditions, and then there’s of course a documentary and music. They’re all genres and or artists that I’m very fond of. 

I think it’s important to be as open as possible in the world that we live in, in a world that’s like a hand closing itself into a fist, we need to encourage it to do the opposite. These selections have been inspired by that concept.’’

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Collection

For his first selection, Khan chose a full collection, rather than a single title. We don’t blame him, the works of Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre are impressive, meditative, and full of impressive athletic ability. Each title easily transports you to the verdant hills and lush bamboo groves of Taiwan. 

For Khan it’s not just the dancing that draws him to these pieces, ‘‘There’s something deeply spiritual about these works, and I’ve always been connected to spirituality… It’s something that you can’t grasp, it’s not in a book, it’s something that’s not fully defined, it’s just the feeling, an inkling, a belief in something you cannot see. There’s something about the work that Cloud Gate has done that really gives space for you to imagine and to connect, even if you cannot see it.’’

Akram Khan shared that he was particularly mesmerized by Songs of The Wanderers.

Betroffenheit – Crystal Pite

Choreographer Crystal Pite has wowed audiences and critics with her unique theater-meets-dance hybrid works. Her work Betroffenheit, created in collaboration with Jonathon Young, explores the true story of a man trying to cope with the sudden loss of his daughter, niece, and nephew in a fire. Pite skillfully uses this dark subject matter to explore deep facets of the human psyche weaving tasteful moments of humor and lightheartedness to create an utterly captivating, and well-rounded work.

‘‘It’s really about modern storytelling. It’s theater, or is it? It’s dance or it is? It’s music, or is it? It’s more in the world of the Indian Classical way of looking at things. In Indian Classical, dance, music, and theater, it was all one. The genres were inseparable, and so when someone is dancing they’re also telling the story, but they’re also playing music… Betroffenheit is an example of modern storytelling where the fundamental thing about it is the storytelling rather than it being dance, theater, or music.’’ 

For Khan, Crystal Pite’s Betroffenheit is a moving example of modern storytelling. 

Lalita Lavanga

This short dance documentary from director Vikram Dasgupta gives us an exclusive glimpse into the Nrityagram Dance Village in India. Set up by Odissi dancer Protima Gauri in 1990, the remote village is a place where young dancers can come to live and immerse themselves in Classical Indian Dance. For Khan, it’s a place he’s always wanted to visit. 

‘‘I’ve heard so much about it, it’s on my bucket list really. I’ve seen Nrityagram, the company, and I’ve seen Surupa Sen perform, but I’ve never been to the space. When you hear about the story of this place, there’s something about lineage, about heritage, and you really see the practice that is taught and that is passed down in the place where it belongs, not in the fancy studio, but very much in nature… It’s a bit like a pilgrimage really, I haven’t made that pilgrimage funnily enough, so when I saw the documentary I was so moved by it.’’

Lalita Lavaga offers a rare glimpse into the dance village, Nrityagram. 

Adam’s Passion 

This piece is a stunning collaboration between two masters of slow motion,  Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, and American director and universal artist Robert Wilson. Based on the biblical story of the fall of Adam – for anyone who may be opposed to nudity, be warned for the first half of this piece Adam is sporting his ‘Birthday Suit’’. The work is a true melding of opera, movement, visual effects, and theater that unfolds in mesmerizing slow motion. For Khan, this is precisely what makes this work so captivating. 

‘‘There’s something about the light, space, movement, and music that’s really special. What’s incredible about this work is that it slows down everything. It’s in deep time. Every time I see it I feel like I’m in deep time. 

There are two types of time. There’s the Man-Made time which is a masculine time, which is a patriarchal time, which is clock time, it’s industrial time, it’s pretend time because it’s man-made, it doesn’t exist in nature. Then there’s Deep Time, which is ocean time, nature time, feminine time, ritualistic time, spiritual times, sacred, deep, life, and death time. It reminds me very much of working with Peter Brooke when I was a young actor, he wasn’t afraid of time in his work. Every time I see Robert’s work or listen to Arvo Pärt there’s something magical about it that encourages me to surrender.’’

Masters of slow motion, Arvo Pärt and Robert Wilson collaborated to create a stunning blend of opera, music, light, and movement in Adam’s Passion. 

Sutra – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Like Khan, choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a master of combining dance styles. Cherkaoui collaborated with famed sculptor Antony Gormley and a talented troupe of Buddhist Shaolin monks to create this fascinating dance work.  First premiering in 2008 at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the piece has become one of Cherkaoui’s most popular works. 

‘‘ I’m biased towards this work of course because both Antony Gormly and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui are my friends, and I love them both. But what’s really special about this work is that it’s an example of something that can have such mass appeal without ever losing its integrity, or sense of itself. It’s, for me, like Charlie Chaplin. Just because Charlie Chaplin is so popular doesn’t mean there isn’t a craft there. There’s sometimes a misunderstanding that something popular -from the elite artistic perspective- is no longer good. It has to be unpopular, or it has to be niche to be art…I’ve never liked that attitude, and I don’t agree with that. Sutra breaks the notion that if it’s popular, or if it’s successful in a commercial way, then it doesn’t have integrity. It absolutely does have integrity. It’s a brilliant coming together of different genres.’’ 

 

Inspired by his time spent in a Shaolin Temple, choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui created Sutra. 

Zero Degrees 

A collaboration between Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Antony Gormley, and composer Nitin Sawhney, Zero Degrees is a fusion of creative minds. The piece, performed by Khan and Cherkaoui, explores borders – between countries, cultures and, most importantly, between life and death. Although it was a project close to Khan’s heart, but, this wasn’t the reason he selected it. 

‘‘ I chose Zero Degrees because it really is about three things: Identity, which is something that we’re all in some way dealing with right now as a civilization, and Life and Death. These are core to the work.’’

A collaboration between Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Antony Gormley, Zero Degrees is a fascinating exploration of identity. 

Callas directed by Tony Palmer

Prima Donna Maria Callas was more than just a superstar opera singer. Her life was a rollercoaster of hardships and triumphs that shaped her as a woman and an artist. This intimate documentary from director Tony Palmer pieces together her turbulent life story through archival footage and expert interviews to paint a complete picture of the superstar artist. It is the ultimate documentary for Maria Callas lovers, which Akram Khan happens to be. 

‘‘ I’m a huge fan of Maria Callas. For me what was interesting about her is that her artistry was intertwined with her personal life. That’s when I call someone an artist. When it’s separate, then I would call them a dancer, or I’d call them a musician, or I’d call them an actor, but when you cannot separate your personal life from the art, that is when you are an artist. For Maria Callas there’s nothing else, everything in her personal life feeds back into her art, it was inseparable. She was an artist.’’ 

This documentary paints an intimate portrait of Maria Callas revealing not just Callas the singer, but Maria the woman. 

Overall, Akram Khan has chosen pieces that are total works of art, or Gesamtkunstwerks. Each piece is a showcase of the full spectrum of artistry, where dancers, musicians, and creatives of all kinds collide to create something fantastic.

You can watch each of these incredible performances anytime on Marquee TV. You can find all of these titles in our Akram Khan Guest Curator collection, as well as Akram Khan’s works in the Akram Khan Collection, including his latest cinematic five-star masterpiece, Creature.