Olympic star Khan dance
His choreography was part of the dazzling opening ceremony of London’s 2012 Olympics, but even before that global showcase he had acquired a reputation as one of the world’s foremost dance artists.
So this venue is privileged indeed to host the only two performances this year of his intensely-personal, one-man dance work, DESH. It coincides with an exhibition he has curated, ‘One Side To The Other’, in the Lowry’s gallery space, .
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Hide AdJust as the Olympics’ opening set out to identify just what sums up Great Britain, so DESH is a single character’s quest to capture the essence of his family’s homeland in Bangladesh and its connections to his native Britain.
An 80-minute odyssey into an exotic cultural identity.
Through sound and movement Khan creates a whirling kaleidoscope that ranges from the traffic chaos of Dhaka to more peaceful moments that involve relating stories to a child.
Along the way he struggles with a call centre and communes with a stooped elderly character he creates, simply by painting a face atop his bald head. It’s a little bit of music hall ‘magic’ with which the dancer has a great deal of fun.
Through repeated rhythms and movements he induces trance-like effects as well as invoking all the mayhem and mysticism of the sub-continent.
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Hide AdThe imagery may not always be instantly accessible, but a central section – in which he synchronises with visual artist Tim Yip’s projected digital designs – is a magical moment of story telling. One that’s bound to be emulated by many more theatre professionals.
It all adds up to a strange and enchanting style of visual narrative by a highly-skilled performer able to translate cultural differences into enlightening entertainment.
David Upton