Gnosis: Akram Khan May 8, 2010

Gnosis is a new solo evening in which Akram Khan returns to his classical roots. With an emphasis on the idea of the ‘knowledge within’, it’s an exploration into the inner and outer battles of characters both human and godly. It’s a story in four parts, told using the most expressive of classical Indian dance forms, kathak. Starting out with familiar classical motifs in Polaroid Feet and Tarana, we follow Akram on a journey in which he undergoes a gradual and profound transformation, culminating in an eponymous and shattering conclusion.

Akram has long been fascinated by comic-book superheroes and villains, who are, so often, inspired by real-life characters. In parallel, collaborator Gauri Sharma Tripathi is intrigued by the characters of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and in particular by Gandhari, the wife of a blind king, who decides to blindfold herself for life to follow her husband on his journey. The final part, Gnosis, portrays the notion of clouded vision, clouded decisions, seeing darkness, and yet being blind to light.

Akram’s choreography has been developed in collaboration with internationally renowned Kathak masters Sri Pratap Pawar and Gauri Sharma Tripathi, and the show features a band of musicians including Yoshie Sunahata, a taiko drummer from Japanese company KODO.

AGE GUIDANCE: All Ages

Official Website: http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/gnosis