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 twenty years Akram Khan Company  is now undisputedly one of the foremost innovative dance companies in  the world. The programmes 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 an  associate artist at Sadler’s Wells Theatre and Mountview Academy of  Theatre Arts in London and Curve Theatre in Leicester.

Mission

Akram Khan Company produces thoughtful, provocative  and ambitious dance productions for the international stage. Akram Khan  takes human themes and works with others to take them to new and  unexpected places – embracing and collaborating with other cultures and  disciplines. The dance language in each production is rooted in Akram  Khan’s classical Kathak and modern dance training and his fascination  with storytelling. The work continually evolves to communicate ideas  that are intelligent, courageous and new, bringing with it international  acclaim and recognition as well as artistic and commercial success.

Source: Akram Khan Company

More information: akramkhancompany.net