WORLD CLASS CHOREOGRAPHER UNITES DANCE COMPANIES ACROSS THE GLOBE
Akram Khan announces major collaboration with National Ballet of China

12 November 2007: Akram Khan, the award-winning dancer and choreographer, is collaborating with the prestigious National Ballet of China, on a major new international work, bahok. It will premiere in Beijing on 25 January 2008 at Beijing's leading theatre Tianqiao, touring to Shanghai and Bangkok before its UK premiere at the Liverpool Playhouse on 7 March 2008 as part of Liverpool's Year as European Capital of Culture. This is a unique collaboration for both Akram Khan Company and China's classical ballet flagship company. Khan will draw together the two companies' differing cultural perspectives and diverse dance styles to ensure bahok is one of the most exciting cultural events of 2008 anywhere in the world. bahok is also part of CHINA NOW - the UK's largest ever festival of Chinese culture - taking place in 2008 to coincide with the Chinese New Year and continuing through to the Beijing Olympics.

The collaboration with the National Ballet of China represents a continuation of Khan's interest in combining different dance traditions to create new and original dance vocabulary.
bahok, a Bengali word meaning 'carrier', includes four dancers from the National Ballet of China and five dancers from Akram Khan Company. Together they come from many different cultures, dance backgrounds and traditions: Chinese, Korean, Indian, South African and Spanish. It is being choreographed by Khan and this is the first time he will not be appearing in one of his own productions.

bahok will combine the dynamics of modern China, elements of Chinese folk dancing and Kathak, as well as western/modern and classical dance influences. Two of Khan's long time collaborators, acclaimed writer Hanif Kureishi and multi-award winning composer Nitin Sawhney are also involved in the realisation of bahok.

Akram Khan is one of the most acclaimed choreographers working on the international stage today. He is also one of the most outstanding male dancers of his generation, renowned for his inter-cultural, inter-disciplinary collaborations and for challenging conventional ideas of traditional dance forms. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honours including an MBE for services to dance and in 2007 he was awarded 'Excellence in International Dance' by the International Theatre Institute. He has been an Associate Artist of Sadler's Wells since March 2005.

At only 33 years of age he has already created a substantial body of critically acclaimed work crossing different cultures, dance disciplines and traditions. His international collaborations to date have included major artists: Sylvie Guillem, the French prima ballerina; Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Flemish Moroccan contemporary dancer; and choreography for Kylie Minogue. A collaboration with the Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche is also planned for 2008. Khan is celebrated for the originality of his vision, which has been informed by his training in the north Indian classical dance form Kathak and contemporary dance.

Akram Khan said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to explore how different cultures express themselves through dance. Working in China has long been an aspiration of mine - it's one of the most dynamic and exciting countries in the world. It's so far been a fascinating exploration of dance language amongst a range of highly versatile and talented dancers."

Zhao Ruheng, Head of the National Ballet of China, said: "We have never worked so closely with a dance company outside of China before and it is a wonderful experiment. I look forward to seeing the results in January."

Alastair Spalding, Artistic Director, Sadler's Wells, said: "I'm delighted that Sadler's Wells will be furthering its relationship with both Akram Khan as an Associate Artist, and National Ballet of China who saw great success at their last visit with us in 2003. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the result of this exciting new co-production, which features as a fitting final part of our contribution to CHINA NOW and compliments our continued interest in developing cross-cultural dance projects."

After the premiere at Tianqiao Theatre in Beijing, bahok will tour worldwide.

	UK Dates for bahok:
	Liverpool Playhouse (as part of LEAP 08 Festival and Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008) Dates: 7 & 8 March 2008 Address: Liverpool Playhouse, Williamson Square, Liverpool, L1 Booking Information: 0151 709 4776 / www.everymanplayhouse.com NB. Show information available and tickets on general sale from 3 December 2007
	The Forum, Malvern Theatres Dates: 11 & 12 March 2008 Address: Grange Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 3HB Ticket prices: £12 - £18, under 25s, £8 (£1 concessions, over 60s, unwaged) Booking information: 01684 892277 / www.malvern-theatres.co.uk
	Brighton Dome, as part of Brighton Festival Dates: 9 & 10 May 2008 Address: Church Street, Brighton, BN1 Booking information: 01273 709709 / www.brightonfestival.org / www.brightondome.org
	Birmingham Repertory Theatre as part of International Dance Festival Birmingham Dates: 13 & 14 May 2008 Address: Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP Booking Information: 0121 236 4455 / www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
	Snape Maltings Concert Hall Dates: 16 May & 17 May 2008 Address: Snape Suffolk IP17 1SP Booking Information: 01728 687110 / www.aldeburgh.co.uk
	Tramway Dates: 22-24 May 2008 Address: 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 2PE Booking Information: 0845 330 3501 / www.tramway.org
	Sadler's Wells Dates: 11 - 14 June 2008 Address: Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN Booking Information: 0844 412 4300 / http://www.sadlerswells.com Ticket prices £10 - £35
	Derby Playhouse Dates: 8 & 9 July 2008 Address: 15 Theatre Wk, Eagle Centre, Derby, DE1 2NF Booking Information: 01332 363275 / http://www.derbyplayhouse.co.uk/

Co-producers:
Sadlers Wells Theatre, London
British Council
The Liverpool Culture Company with Merseyside Dance Initiative
DanceXchange, Birmingham
Theatre de La Ville, Paris
Tanzhaus NRW Dusseldorf
National Arts Center, Ottawa
China Now, London

Supported by:
Arts Council England
The Cultural Leadership Programme
(The Cultural Leadership Programme is a joint programme between Arts Council England, Creative & Cultural Skills and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.)
NEFA (New England Foundation for the Arts)
bahok was made possible by the Doris Duke Fund for Dance of the National Dance Project, a programme administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation and MetLife Foundation."
Jerwood Space


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Further information
www.kallaway.co.uk/akram-khan.htm

Anna Cusden
Kallaway
020 7221 7883
anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk

Charlene Lim
Akram Khan Company
Company Manager
0207 354 4333
office@akramkhancompany.net

Akram Khan Biography
Akram Khan is the most acclaimed choreographer of his generation working in Britain today. Born in London into a family of Bangladeshi origin in 1974, he began dancing at the age of seven and studied with the great Kathak dancer and teacher Sri Pratap Pawar. He began his stage career at the age of 14, when he was cast in Peter Brook's legendary production of Mahabharata, appearing in the televised version of the play broadcast in 1988.

Following later studies in contemporary dance, he began presenting solo performances of his work in the 1990s, maintaining his commitment to the classical kathak repertoire as well as modern work. Among his best-known solo pieces are: Polaroid Feet (2001), Ronin (2003) and Third Catalogue (2005).

In August 2000, he launched his own company, and among his most notable company works are Kaash (2002) a collaboration with artist Anish Kapoor and composer Nitin Sawhney, ma (2004), for which he received a South Bank Show Award (2005); zero degrees (2005), a collaboration with dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, sculptor Antony Gormley and composer Nitin Sawhney, premiered at Sadler's Wells and was nominated for a Lawrence Olivier Award in 2006. zero degrees won Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work and Akram won the award for Best Male Dancer in the prestigious annual Helpmann Awards held in Sydney, Australia on Monday 6 August 2007.

Sacred Monsters, a major new work featuring ballerina Sylvie Guillem, with additional choreography by Taiwanese choreographer Lin Hwai Min premiered at Sadler's Wells in September 2006. Another of his most recent projects is Variations, a collaboration with London Sinfonietta to celebrate the 70th birthday of Steve Reich, which premiered in Cologne in March 2006, and toured to Europe and America later that year.

Akram Khan was also invited by Kylie Minogue in summer 2006 to choreograph a section of her new Showgirl concert which opened in Australia in November 2006, and toured to the UK (London and Manchester) in January 2007.


National Ballet of China
The only Chinese National ballet, the National Ballet of China (NBC) was founded on the 31st of December 1959. Originally know as the Experimental Ballet Company of the Beijing Dance School, it quickly grew under the influence of numerous Russian masters. Over the past forty-five years, the company has attached great importance to the exploration and the accumulation of ballet knowledge. Today the NBC has an extensive repertoire and has successfully trained many generations of outstanding artists. This winning combination has attracted the attention and praise of the international world of ballet and NBC tours internationally on a regular basis. At present, the NBC has over eighty professional ballet dancers, teachers and regisseurs and its productions tour all over the world. Many of its dancers have won gold, silver and bronze medals at major international ballet competition.

CHINA NOW
CHINA NOW - the UK's largest ever festival of Chinese culture - takes place in 2008 to coincide with the Chinese New Year and continues through to the Beijing Olympics.

With over 800 events across the UK, CHINA NOW will showcase the very best of modern Chinese society and culture, and offer an insight into history.

CHINA NOW will include partnerships with many of the UK's best known cultural institutions.

The festival will encompass art, design, cuisine and culture, science, business and technology, education and sport as well as forge international connections and greater understanding between the two nations.


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