Culture highlight: Akram Khans Thikra inspires in the opera house!

Culture highlight: Akram Khans Thikra inspires in the opera house!

AlUla, Saudi-Arabien - In the opera house there is a fascinating artistic event: the premiere of "Thikra", a dance piece by the renowned choreographer Akram Khan. The piece celebrated its performance in the Opéra Comédie, which was opened in 1888 and is designed in the Italian style based on the Paris model. The house is characterized by opulent equipment, which includes wooden chairs made of wine red velvet, a red curtain, gold decorations and a monumental chandelier, which underlines the special atmosphere of the event, such as small ones Zeitung reported.

in "Thikra", which means "memory", 14 dancers can be seen who present both Bharatanatyam and Western contemporary dance. The impressive stage sets and costumes are designed by the Saudi artist Manal Aldowayan in earth tones. A striking element of the staging is a sculpture that represents you in red light and symbolizes the elements of the desert and a "sacred" room.

inspiration and concept

The inspiration for the piece comes from Wadi Alfann in Alula, an ancient Arab city that lies along the spice and incense road. This region is seen as a cultural hub that symbolizes connections between India, Arabia and Europe. Akram Khan expresses its dance roots in Kathak, one of the oldest Indian classic dance forms, in "Thikra", while he has only occupied the piece with women who show dynamic movements and arm gestures, reports the Akram Khan Company.

The concept behind the narrative is fragmented. In the middle of this story, a central figure appears that arouses a lifeless woman and conjures up ghosts. Gareth Fry's ominous sound design increases the emotional effect of performance. Visitors received an Ohropax at the entrance to intensify the force of the drums and the resulting tension. The audience kept the air for almost an hour before it broke out in thunderous applause.

The final performance and creative management

The premiere of "Thikra" is also the last performance of the Akram Khan Company after 25 years, which is a striking point in dance history. However, this will not mean the end of Akram Khan, which remains active. The direction and choreography come from his pen, while the visual management and costumes are responsible for Manal Aldowayan. Other creative minds are Aditya Prakash as a music composer and sound designer, Zeynep Kepekli as light designers and Blue Pieta in dramaturgy.

The older history of dance shows that dance in humanity is seen as a form of communication with the divine. In Indian mythology, God Shiva is portrayed in a dance pose, which underlines the spiritual message of art form, which has been an integrative part of human culture for thousands of years. Dance has produced numerous styles and shapes across the epochs, from ritual dances to modern interpretations that take up social issues. This is also evident in the development of Akram Khan's contemporary dance, which is characterized by innovation and joy of experimentation Lua virtual.