Outwitting the Devil

“I have awakened to a new way of dancing. And that is to dance my  ideas through the bodies of others, including older dancers, who carry  their histories and complex emotional experiences within them. But what  remains unchanged is my passion for exploring old and new myths in the  context of our times.” – Akram Khan

We are thrilled to be touring our latest Company production Outwitting the Devil.  Stirring classical and contemporary, Akram Khan explores our oldest  rituals in the midst of our ever-changing planet. He brings together a  superb ensemble of six international artists sharing great differences  in their practice: Ching-Ying Chien, Jasper Narvaez, Dominique Petit, James Vu Anh Pham, Mythili Prakash and Sam Asa Pratt.

Inspired by the newly discovered fragment of the Babylonian Epic of  Gilgamesh, one of the world’s earliest surviving great works of  literature, Akram’s new work is a concentrated epic about ritual and  remembering. In a landscape of broken tablets and fallen idols, its six  characters trade their remaining wealth and stories, seeking to make  whole the fragments of ancient knowledge lost and forgotten over time.

To weave the narrative and design of this new piece, Akram has invited his close collaborators: dramaturg Ruth Little, composer Vincenzo Lamagna, rehearsal director Mavin Khoo, costume designer Kimie Nakano, and writer Jordan Tannahill – joined by lighting designer Aideen Malone and visual designer Tom Scutt. Outwitting the Devil invites us all to the table where life, death and our half-remembered myths are the bread we break together.

Source: Akram Khan Company

More information: akramkhancompany.net

The Animal Kingdom Project is an initiation between Numeridanse and Akram Khan Company. 

Inspired from the Company’s production Outwitting the Devil  that centres the human connection to the natural world, this project is  an opportunity for you to evoke the wild things that we believe, live in you.

We would like to invite all of you from wherever you are in the  world, no matter what age you are, what your physical ability is or  level of dance experience, to explore the deepest part of your  imagination. We would like you to choreograph your own performance  embodying seven animals of your choice, to a music composed by Vincenzo  Lamagna. We’re encouraging you to then film your creative genius and  send the performance video to Numeridanse. The film will then be  displayed online and will create an animal kingdom that connects each of  us around the world.

You can do it on your own, in a duet or in a group. We will guide you  through all that you need to know with the tutorial videos that you can  find below.

In a world where people are connecting through digital devices more  and more, it feels like the perfect time to invent and invest in new  ways of coming together. Join us in this adventure! Create it, film it,  share it. With all the videos we receive, we will edit a final dance  film that will represent our global community: our shared animal  kingdom. 

So, what are the animals within you? 

#OurAnimalKingdom

You have until Sunday September 13, 2020 to participate in the Animal Kingdom project!  

To find out more, join the project page here.