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Climbing ladder to heaven Sufi-style
By Joyce Zhang |
May 6, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The contemporary dance "Vertical Road" by renowned UK choreographer Akram Khan depicts the journey of the soul struggling from earth to heaven.
The performance will be staged at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center on May 9.
It is part of the UK Now program organized by Cultural and Education Section of the British Council General.
Considered Khan's masterpiece, "Vertical Road" draws inspiration from the mystical Sufi tradition of Islam and the Persian poet and philosopher Rumi.
Exploring man's earthly nature, his rituals and the consequences of human actions, "Vertical Road" becomes a meditation on the journey from gravity to grace and continues choreographer's aim to explore the interfaces between different cultures and creative disciplines.
"We are experiencing an age of quick change, which even forces us to accelerate our breathing as we are pulled by lateral force," Khan says. "But I always believe that easy breathing is a home for deep spiritual energy. In this world of quick change, I would like to swim against the current, searching for causation in the vertical level."
Established in 2000, the Akram Khan Company is known for its cross-cultural innovation. Born into a British family with roots in Bangladesh, Khan was trained since he was 7 years old in traditional Indian dance, which greatly influenced his choreography.
"Vertical Road" collects a diverse cast of performers from across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, notably Spain, all expressing typical dance movements.
The dancers contribute to the choreography, according to producer Farooq Chaudhry. An idea is given to each dancer who then "annotates" and elaborates on the idea, each in their own way. Khan then absorbs their elements, synthesizes them and dances again in his own way.
"Our modern dance is more like a poem with some metaphors, signals and hints that are not that obvious," Chaudhry says. "But there's a clear start and ending in the work for audiences to find their clues, while emotional elements are added."
Date: May 9, 7:15pm
Address: 425 Dingxiang Rd, Pudong
Tickets: 80-480 yuan
Tel: 962-388
The performance will be staged at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center on May 9.
It is part of the UK Now program organized by Cultural and Education Section of the British Council General.
Considered Khan's masterpiece, "Vertical Road" draws inspiration from the mystical Sufi tradition of Islam and the Persian poet and philosopher Rumi.
Exploring man's earthly nature, his rituals and the consequences of human actions, "Vertical Road" becomes a meditation on the journey from gravity to grace and continues choreographer's aim to explore the interfaces between different cultures and creative disciplines.
"We are experiencing an age of quick change, which even forces us to accelerate our breathing as we are pulled by lateral force," Khan says. "But I always believe that easy breathing is a home for deep spiritual energy. In this world of quick change, I would like to swim against the current, searching for causation in the vertical level."
Established in 2000, the Akram Khan Company is known for its cross-cultural innovation. Born into a British family with roots in Bangladesh, Khan was trained since he was 7 years old in traditional Indian dance, which greatly influenced his choreography.
"Vertical Road" collects a diverse cast of performers from across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, notably Spain, all expressing typical dance movements.
The dancers contribute to the choreography, according to producer Farooq Chaudhry. An idea is given to each dancer who then "annotates" and elaborates on the idea, each in their own way. Khan then absorbs their elements, synthesizes them and dances again in his own way.
"Our modern dance is more like a poem with some metaphors, signals and hints that are not that obvious," Chaudhry says. "But there's a clear start and ending in the work for audiences to find their clues, while emotional elements are added."
Date: May 9, 7:15pm
Address: 425 Dingxiang Rd, Pudong
Tickets: 80-480 yuan
Tel: 962-388
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