Akram Khan

Through seven key case studies from Khan's oeuvre, this book demonstrates how Akram Khan's 'new interculturalism' is a challenge to the 1980s western 'intercultural theatre' project, as a more nuanced and embodied approach to representing Othernesses, from his own position of the Other.

This study, done within the comprehensive Weberian framework, focuses on religion and social change in Bangladesh through an imaginative use of qualitative as well as quantitative methods of modern social research. It first provides a sociological interpretation of the origin and development of Islam in Bengal using historical and literary works on Bengal. The main contribution is based on two sample surveys conducted by Mrs. Banu in 20 villages of Bangladesh and in three areas in the metropolitan Dhaka city. Using these survey data, she gives a sociological analysis of Islamic religious beliefs and practices in contemporary Bangladesh, and more importantly, she studies the impact of the Islamic religious beliefs on the socio- economic development and political culture in present-day Bangladesh. She also shows how Islam compares with modern education in social 'transforming capacity'. This careful and rigorous work is a notable contribution to sociology of religion and helps to deepen our understanding of the interactions between religious and social changes common to many parts of the Third World.

"The book provides an insight into the creation of Rush. Part 1 provides biographical information on the three collaborators, Akram Khan, Michael Hulls and Andy Cowton. It places Rush within the artistic context of their careers. Part 2 explores the background context of Kathak and the development of South Asian dance in the UK. A list of useful resources is provided for study of these aspects. Part 3 gives insight into the starting points for Rush and outlines the contributions of the choreography, music and lighting design. Part 4 lays out an analytical overview of Rush and suggests a range of practical and theoretical tasks for the teacher to use. These include detailed questions on each section of Rush and its elements in order to guide students through an appropriate process for making an interpretation of the work. Appendices provide further contextual information, resources and a bibliography." "Rush: Creative Insights provides an in-depth exploration of a single dance and its background contexts. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers including teachers and students of dance and those wanting information about new developments within contemporary or South Asian dance. For those interested in Akram Khan in particular, this is the first in-depth account of his work."--BOOK JACKET.

Through seven key case studies from Khan's oeuvre, this book demonstrates how Akram Khan's 'new interculturalism' is a challenge to the 1980s western 'intercultural theatre' project, as a more nuanced and embodied approach to representing Othernesses, from his own position of the Other.

"Nearly four hundred and fifty years in, ballet still resonates-though the stages have become international, and the dancers, athletes far removed from noble amateurs. While vibrations from the form's beginnings clearly resound, much has transformed. Nowadays ballet dancers aspire to work across disciplines with choreographers who value a myriad of abilities. Dance theorists and historians make known possibilities and polemics in lieu of notating dances verbatim, and critics do the daily work of recording performance histories and interviewing artists. Ideas circulate, questions arise, and discussions about how to resist ballet's outmoded traditions take precedence. In the dance community, calls for innovation have defined palpable shifts in ballet's direction and resultantly we have arrived at a new moment in its history that is unquestionably recognized as a genre onto its own: Contemporary Ballet. An aspect of this recent discipline is that its dancemakers, more often than not, seek to reorient the viewer by celebrating what could be deemed vulnerabilities, re-construing ideals of perfection, problematizing the marginalized/mainstream dichotomy, bringing audiences closer in to observe, and letting the art become an experience rather than a distant object preciously guarded out of reach. Hence, the practice of ballet is moving to become a less-mediated and more active process in many circumstances. Performers and audiences alike are challenged, and while convention is still omnipresent, choices are being made. For some, this approach has been drawn on for decades, and for others it signifies a changing of the guard, yet however we arrive there, the conclusion is the same: Contemporary Ballet is not a style. That is to say, it is not a trend, phase, or fashionable term that will fade, rather it is a clear period in ballet's time deserved of investigation. And it is into this moment that we enter"--

A unique and authoritative guide to the lives and work of prominent living contemporary choreographers. Representing a wide range of dance genres, each entry locates the individual in the context of modern dance theatre and explores their impact. Those studied include: Jerome Bel Richard Alston Doug Varone William Forsythe Phillippe Decoufle Jawole Willa Jo Zollar Ohad Naharin Itzik Gallili Twyla Tharp Wim Vandekeybus With a new, updated introduction by Deborah Jowitt and further reading and references throughout, this text is an invaluable resource for all students and critics of dance, and all those interested in the fascinating world of choreography.

This work is a chronological account of the struggle between the Afghan Amirs of Kabul and the Manghit Dynasty of Bukhara for Balkh province (wilayat) during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Drawing extensively on India Office Records, Persian and native oral sources, the book provides a unique insight into an important, but little-studied Central Asian region. Structured around the history of Maimana's Mingid dynasty, the book details the various military campaigns, whilst also examining critically Britain and Russia's role in the 'Afghanisation' of Balkh during the period of the 'Great Game'. The work is especially significant to historians since it questions conventional perceptions of Central Asia during the era of European imperialism. It examines too Balkh's social and economic situation. It includes numerous maps, charts, photographs and dynastic charts.

The Akram Dance Company: groundbreaking interdisciplinary dance with contributions by iconic sculptors, writers and musicians Founded 20 years ago in London by the dancer and choreographer Akram Khan (born 1974) and the producer Farooq Chaudhry, the Akram Khan Dance Company has become one of the most dynamic troupes on the international contemporary dance scene. Trained at the Kathak Dance School, Khan has created an innovative choreographic language that fuses the vocabulary of traditional Indian dance with contemporary dance. His performances also feature collaborators from a vast array of disciplines: he has collaborated with the dancer Sylvie Guillem, the actress Juliette Binoche, the artists Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, the choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Israël Galvan and Kylie Minogue, among others. This beautifully illustrated book is the first monograph on Khan, appraising two decades of his ceaseless production and the 24 plays created by the Akram Khan Dance Company since its foundation.