KAASH/DUST
Akram Khan
KAASH/DUST
Ballet
The new SND building, Opera and Ballet hall
21. 10. 2025 18:00 h - 19:10 h
KAASH (If only)
For the world première of the contemporary dance work Kaash, which took place in 2002 in Creteil, France, Akram Khan joined forces with internationally renowned Indian artists Anish Kapoor and Nitin Sawhney to present the first full-length production by the Akram Khan Company. "Hindu gods, black holes, Indian time cycles, tabla, the power of creation and destruction – these were the starting points for this work. The production Kaash (meaning "if only" in Hindi) was a continuation of Akram Khan's efforts to bridge the worlds of contemporary dance and the Indian classical dance form Kathak.
"It is important to remember the value of what we cannot touch. Isn't the space inside the cup what makes it useful? Similarly, the silence between steps, the gaps between musical phrases, and the empty spaces in the room contain all the secrets of their possible forms.“
Akram Khan
KAASH (If only)
Choreography / Artistic Direction Akram Khan
Music Nitin Sawhney
Set design Anish Kapoor
Costume design Kimie Nakano
Lighting Design Aideen Malone
Staging Nico Monaco, Mavin Khoo
Performance relighting by Paul Moorhouse
With special thanks to Richard and Tina Fagan at Light Contrast.
DUST
"A dance full of sorrow and strength"
- The Independent
Dust / Prach, a contemporary ballet inspired by World War I, was created by Akram Khan to music by Jocelyn Pook, originally for the English National Ballet. The inspiration for the score came from recordings of soldiers' conversations and songs during World War I, which the composer Jocelyn Pook found. A song by a soldier about the hardships of war, with lyrics from the poem "In Flanders Fields," was covered by the countertenor Jonathan Peter Kenny. The choreographer was inspired by the concept of trenches, where men were sent and ultimately died. The strongest inspiration was the resilience and strength of women. During World War I, a massive social shift occurred, with women representing a significant labour force in the production of weapons. The work depicts the resilience, strength, and importance of women during wartime.
They knew they were sending fathers, husbands, and sons to war; they knew they could lose them. Nevertheless, they manufactured weapons that killed the fathers, husbands, and sons of those on the other side. It didn't matter which side you were on—both sides felt loss and death. But for someone to live, someone else had to risk their life. I wanted to explore this circular matter."
Akram Khan
DUST
Choreography / Artistic Direction Akram Khan
Music Jocelyn Pook
Set Design of original production by Sander Loonen
Lighting Design of original production by Fabiana Piccioli
Staging Stina Quagebeur, Nicky Henshall, Mavin Khoo
The production is suitable for audiences aged 12 and over.
Hosted at SND
Note
Hosťovanie Národného divadla Košice
Photography
