Press Release: Akram Khan returns to Sadler's Wells as director and performer with GIGENIS

[Jan McNulty]

Productions Sarfati   GIGENIS: The generation of the Earth               Akram Khan             Wednesday 20 – Sunday 24 November  Tickets from £15      Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan returns to Sadler’s Wells Theatre from Wednesday 20 - Sunday 24 November as director and performer in the UK premiere of GIGENIS: The generation of the Earth. Khan shares the stage with an ensemble of renowned artists of Indian classical dance including Kutiyattam artist Kapila Venu, Bharatanatyam soloists Mavin Khoo and Mythili Prakash, duo Vijna Vasudevan and Renjith Babu, and Sirikalyani Adkoli —with a score devised and performed through a collaboration of seven live Indian Classical musicians.       A choreographer and dancer rooted in the tradition of his practice, and a creative interpreter of stories that need to be experienced – Akram Khan has revolutionised the world of dance. With his bilingual mastery of Kathak and contemporary dance, he has developed a uniquely individual voice as a protagonist of cross-cultural encounters. In a career spanning over 24 years, his work – which includes inventive, highly accessible and relevant productions such as Jungle Book reimagined, Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, and Giselle – sets him apart as one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists working today.     Drawing from his deep-seated connection to traditional practices and his ability to weave narratives through movement, Khan's GIGENIS transcends time, invoking the collective memories of our civilisation. GIGENIS represents not just a performance but a profound statement— a testament to the enduring resonance of tradition in a rapidly changing world.    Although many will be familiar with Khan’s work as a choreographer, it is a rarer occasion to witness him perform. GIGENIS marks Khan’s first performance on the London stage for four years.     GIGENIS: The generation of the Earth follows a critically acclaimed run of Khan’s Giselle with the English National Ballet, which returned to Sadler’s Wells in September for the first time in five years.     Akram Khan says: “I am thrilled to be bringing GIGENIS to Sadler's Wells, my dancing home in London. This production pays profound tribute to the legacy of Indian classical dance, bridging the past and present while celebrating our shared passion for this timeless and deeply rooted art form. Born from a personal response to the fragility of tradition, I am excited to be sharing the stage with some of the most exceptional classical Indian dancers and an extraordinary ensemble of live musicians. We each look forward to sharing GIGENIS with London."     Mavin Khoo is a distinguished international dance artist and the Creative Associate for Akram Khan Company. In his role as Repetiteur for Akram Khan, he also coaches and stages productions such as Creature and Giselle for English National Ballet. Renowned as one of the few male Bharatanatyam soloists to achieve international touring status, he continues to perform at major venues across India.    Sirikalyani Adkoli started her dance training at Nrityagram when she was a little over 5 years old. She has grown under the tutelage of Pavithra Reddy attending weekend classes through the year and Residential summer camps and workshops since she was 7. Siri has performed to great appreciation at all of Nrityagram’s annual shows. She has also been recipient of the Anne Warrior Award instituted by her school - Mallya Aditi International School, for excellence in the creative and performing arts. She has performed as lead character in the school’s dance drama Chandalika in 2018.    Vijna Vasudevan and Renjith Babu are partners in dance and in life, and the duo aims to extend the boundaries of Indian traditional dance and create a new benchmark in the aesthetics of presentation by using innovative dance techniques. Known for their nuanced dancing, inspiring workshops and collaborations with leading dancers, choreographers and musicians all over the world, the couple work together as creative partners in moulding complete individuals through their brainchild Sāraswatham Foundation.    Kapila Venu is a practitioner of Kutiyattam, one of the oldest living theatre traditions in the world, from Kerala, India. For more than two decades, she has travelled the world performing, teaching and giving  workshops on Kutiyattam. She is a guest lecturer at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and a Master Teacher at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore. A film on the life and work of Kapila Venu, titled Kapila directed by Sanju Surendran, won the National Award for Best Cultural Film at the 62nd National Film Awards of the Government of India in 2014.    A second generation Indian and American artist, Mythili Prakash belongs to a new generation of classical Indian dancers. A regular collaborator of Akram Khan, she is one of the most celebrated and respected bharatanatyam choreographers and dancers today. Mythili has toured her own solo productions in the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, India, Singapore, the United States and Mexico. In February 2025 she brings her show, She’s Auspicious, to Sadler’s Wells East, exploring the relationship between “femininity” and “purity” alongside an all-female cast.    Akram Khan is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist    Listings information  Productions Sarfati    GIGENIS: The generation of the Earth                Akram Kham  Sadler’s Wells Theatre  Wednesday 20 – Sunday 24 November 2024  BSL interpreted post show talk on Thursday 21 November with Akram Khan and Sir Alistair Spalding CBE  Post show talk: An artists introspective on the process of creating GIGENIS on Sunday 24 November   Tickets from £15  Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com    GIGENIS is produced by Productions Sarfati  Presented thanks to the support of Orsolina28 Art Foundation and Muse Art Foundation. In co-production with Esplanade Theatres on the Bay Singapore, Sadler’s Wells London, The Joyce Theater with the support of its Executive Director's Fund and Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New York.  World Premiere | Grand Théâtre de Provence - Aix en Provence – 30th August 2024  Light designer - Zeynep Kepekli   Music orchestrator - Jyotsna Prakash  Sound designer - Dave Price   Sound Engineer - Mark Webber  Rehearsal director - Nicky Henshall  Technical director - Michael Cunningham  Stage Manager - Marek Pomocki  Costumes - Peggy Housset   Producer - Vony Sarfati  Dancers   Akram Khan,   Sirikalyani Adkoli, Renjith Babu, Mavin Khoo, Mythili Prakash, Vijna Vasudevan, Kapila Venu  Musicians and Vocals  BC Manjunath (percussions Mridangam) | Kalamandalam Rajeev (percussions Mizhavu)  Hariraam Lam (violin) | Nina Harries (doublebass)  Sohini Alam (vocals) | Chitra Poornima Sathish (vocals) | Rohith Jayaraman (vocals)    NOTES TO EDITORS    About Sadler’s Wells       Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.       We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.       Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.      Sadler’s Wells East    In 2025 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention.    Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions.     Supporting artists   Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.     Learning and community links   Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.       Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.       www.sadlerswells.com     Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media      Facebook: @SadlersWells      Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells      Instagram: @sadlers_wells      YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre