Akram Khan
Acting
Biography
Akram Khan is an English dancer and choreographer.
Born: July 29, 1974
Place of Birth: London, England, UK
Known For
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder
The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.
Move
Discover the brilliant dancers and choreographers who are shaping the art of movement around the world in this documentary series.
The Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Indian epic based on the history of India, Mahabharata directed by Peter Brook. Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television. Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours for theatrical and DVD release. The screenplay was the result of eight years' work by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne. For the casting an international selection of actors was intentionally chosen, to show that the nature of the Indian epic is the story of all humanity.
Sacred Monsters
This major work brings together two of today's pre-eminent dance talents, Akram Khan, world renowned for developing his own 'contemporary Kathak' style, and international superstar Sylvie Guillem, as they explore the dynamics and language of two great classical dance forms, kathak and ballet.
One Night In 2012
Co-produced by Rogan Productions and BBC Studios. London. The Summer of 2012. As rehearsals take place in a rainy Dagenham car park, Director Danny Boyle reveals a glimpse of his Opening Ceremony to the press. Some denounce it as the “Tellytubby Olympics” - others fear that it can never compete with the spectacle of Beijing. Everything pointed to an embarrassing failure. So how did one night in 2012 become 'The Greatest Show on Earth'? This is the story of a unique night when the Brits began to believe in themselves again. A night which showed the country what it could achieve when extraordinary people pulled together. A night which went beyond everyone’s expectations. For the first time since that night, Danny Boyle and the creative team behind the ceremony reunite in the company of Alan Yentob to explain the thinking that went into creating one of the country’s finer moments.
The Curry House Kid
Choreographer Akram Khan returns to the curry houses of his youth and creates a poetic dance piece that tells a story of the immigrant experience as a Bangladeshi in Britain.
Can We Live with Robots?
As robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) become increasingly prevalent, questions arise around their impact on human relationships. Travelling the world from the UK to Japan and the USA, Akram Khan meets with scientists and their creations of AI that already coexist with humans. In doing so, he confronts his own scepticism of how we can form emotional connections with machines. This film gives rise to an exhilarating duet performed by Khan and Ching-Ying Chien.
Extreme Combat: The Dancer and the Fighter
Plunged into a realm of ultra-masculinity, Akram faced his fascination with aversion and physicality of violence by spending time with three British professional mixed martial artists in the weeks leading up to career defining fights. Digging into what extent violence is intrinsic in human nature and in himself, he drew on this to create a dance piece to accompany one of the fighters on his walk out to the ring.
Dancing Nation
Sadler’s Wells & BBC Arts present a three-part celebration of dance featuring many of the UK’s leading dance companies and the most exciting new emerging talent. Presented by Brenda Emmanus as part of BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine, this unique festival has been curated in lockdown by Sadler’s Wells, London - one of the world’s leading dance houses.
Filmography
as Dancer ("Mud of Sorrow: Touch")
as Himself
as Himself
as Ekalavya