Inspirations

Akram Khan

Background:-

He began dancing and training in the classical Indian dance form of Kathka at the age of seven. He began his stage career at the age of thirteen. Kathak is one of eight Indian classical dances, originating from India. He later studied contemporary dance.

Works:-

“Rush” seems to have nearly no music just sounds each movement is isolated and change from fast to slow movement. The movement flow into each other. Free fall is a physical state between speed and stillness.

“Scared monsters” is more dainty and free. In my opinion I would class it as contemporary with Akram Khan incorporating kathak into the dance, in a contemporary style.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

He was born in Antwerp in 1976. His career started in 2000. AT the age of fifteen he was really hooked on dance. He has had collaborations with Akram Khan, Antony Gormley and the Chinese Shaolin monks. At the same time he began to take classes in all kinds of styles – ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, flamenco.

Works:-

“Sutra” is worked with a group of monks and also with himself as an outsider. He works with props/set which are big boxes. The themes are cultural, personal, and religious and spiritual differences. He works with more network music other than narrative music. There is a lot of contact work which can turn into shadowing each other then turning into one big creature.

Collaboration between both of them:-

The show “Zero degrees” was a collaboration between Akran Khan and Sidi Larbi. They found similarities in their work and were also raised in the same way. Combining the kathak dance with the contemporary moves creating speed and precision. In August 2000, he launched Akram Khan Company. His first full-length work Kaash, a collaboration with Anish Kapoor and Nitin Sawhney, was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2002.