Akram Khan

Dancer and Choreographer

 

PERFORMING ARTS

Acclaimed choreographer and dancer Akram Khan has worked with the likes of Sylvie Fuillem. Juliette Binoche and Kylie Minogue. His expertise spans a variety of genres, from traditional Indian dance to contemporary dance and from ballet to the theatre. And it was his time at DMU that has really influenced the way he works, the way he looks at work and the direction he's moving in.

Originally part of the classic Indian dance world, Akram had never heard of contemporary dance until he spotted the DMU course. He decided to give it a go and left his home in London to move to Leicester and study Performing Arts at DMU.

And it was while he was at DMU that he learned to question himself, to aim high and to set rules only to break them and in this atmosphere he began developing his dance and developing the grounding for the acclaimed choreographer he is today.

"The way I work, the way I look at work, the direction I've moved in, was influenced by what happened there, by the atmosphere created there.

"What they offered me was teachers who were constantly asking questions. They were on a journey, they were artists themselves, so they were asking questions to themselves and we were witnessing them asking those questions. So in a way we were empowered to start asking ourselves questions, so it had a very open, creative feel about the place and the atmosphere was fantastic in that way."

Studying in an open atmosphere where creativity can flourish Akram was able to think about what he was doing and what he wanted to do with the art form and it really triggered something off for him.

"I found [the place] very fascinating as it allowed me to shift away from reality a little bit and kind of go into this nature place."

And there was one moment, which changed everything for Akram. While talking with one of his tutors he was given some advice, which has stayed with him ever since. That moment become the pivotal point for him.

"She said something very powerful to me, that I will always take with me, which kind of represented the pivotal point of how I look at work, everything changed from what she said.

"She said to me 'it's better to aim high, really high, knowing that you might fail badly, rather than aiming low and succeeding' and so I've always used that philosophy."

And the philosophy has worked for Akram. In 2000 he launched the Akram Khan Dance Company, with producer Farooq Chaudhry, giving him the opportunity to work on a variety of collaborations, he's choreographed part of Kylie's Showgirl tour and received the Helpmann Award in Australia for Best Choreography in a Dance Work, along with the award for Best Male Dancer.

"I fell I've come to a place where I'm beginning to feel what matters is 'am I happy with it?' And then it's a success for me.

"It's about creating rules in order to destroy them, and that's something I got from De Montfort, by questioning."

Akram is currently touring. He usually tours for ten months of the year but when he gets the chance he returns to DMU.