In 'ma', SBC Associate Artist Akram Khan's second full-length production and his most ambitious to date, he and his extraordinary dancers share the stage with a cellist, a percussionist and a vocalist with a classical Sufi style of singing in a complex piece about motherhood and the fragile connections between people and their land.

'ma' takes novelist Arundhati Roy’s essays on farmers forcibly ejected from their lands in India, as one of its inspirations. In a piece of richly theatrical dance, exhilarating sequences of speed and stillness combine text penned by acclaimed writer Hanif Kureishi, music composed by composer Riccardo Nova and sculptured lighting by Mikki Kunttu.

Akram Khan has become one of the most prodigious young choreographers on the global stage today. For 'ma', he has assembled a group of collaborators from Britain, Finland, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan, Slovakia, South Africa and Spain to continue his celebrated exploration into the Indian and Western dance and music aesthetics that shape his choreographic style. Performing alongside the dancers as an integral part of the show are a Pakistani vocalist with a classical Sufi style of singing, a UK cellist and a South Indian percussionist.

The rich symbolism of the Indian musical language and its intimate relationship to the dance is enhanced by the use of the mridangam, a South Indian drum, here replacing the tabla, which traditionally accompanies kathak - the ancient North Indian style that underpins all of Khan’s work. 'ma' also features recorded music by the Brussels-based Ictus Ensemble, known for its collaborations with renowned Belgian dance company Rosas.

The performers are Eulalia Ayguade Farro, Akram Khan, Anton Lachky, Faheem Mazhar, BC Manjunath, Moya Michael, Inn Pang Ooi, Nikoleta Rafaelisova, Natalie Rozario and Shanell Winlock.

Khan's past QEH performances have been sell-outs so book early to avoid disappointment. There will be a 'Meet the Artist' discussion immediately following the performance on 1st December 2004

Top