British-Bangladesh dancer choreographer Akram Khan will present iTMOi – In The Mind of Igor, a tribute inspired by the composer Igor Stravinsky and his seminal Rite of Spring. Unlike many other tributes to this work which profoundly influenced both music and dance, Khan has not created choreography to Stravinsky’s music, but rather an entire new work with three different composers: Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook, and Ben Frost. There is a brief quote from Rite of Spring within this work, yet the piece as a whole establishes a new soundscape.
On his website, Khan says of iTMOi:
“I am interested in the dynamics of how Stravinsky transformed the classical world of music by evoking emotions through patterns, rather than through expression, and these patterns were rooted in the concept of a woman dancing herself to death. This approach is a huge inspiration to me, but in a sense I hope to reinvestigate it, not just through patterns, as Stravinsky did, but also through exploring the human condition. A rupture in the mind, a death in the body, and a birth in the soul, all remind us that the mind and imagination are wild and self-generating.”
Khan merges tradition with contemporary dance. Many of his works are informed by classical Kathak (North Indian traditional dance form) dance in which he explores his Indian origins in relation to the modern Western world. Winner of many prizes, he has created choreography for Kylie Minogue and Juliette Binoche, performing a duet, which was, for the Oscar winning actress, her first performance as a dancer. This will be Khan’s third visit to Israel, the most recently at the Israel Festival in 2010 with his solo Gnosis.
Tickets are 150/299 NIS, to order call 03-6927777.
Performances: Wednesday, April 29th at 20:00; Thursday, April 30th at 20:00; Friday, May 1st at 13:00; Saturday, May 2nd at 21:00.
iTMOi
Artistic Director/Choreographer – Akram Khan; Composers: Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook, Ben Frost; Producer: Farooq Chaudhry; Costume designer: Kimie Nakano; Lighting designer: Fabiana Piccioli
