A Very British Rhythm

Akram Khan

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 10:53:04 GMT

Akram Khan, of Bangladesh heritage and born in London, studied Indian classical dance Kathak under the tutelage of Guru Pratap Pawar and contemporary dance at De Montfort University and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He has choreographed a wide-ranging oeuvre of performances including Jungle Book Reimagined, Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Polaroid Feet, Ronin, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. Khan has choreographed Dust, Giselle, and Creature for English National Ballet. He is the founder of Akram Khan Company established with Farooq Chaudhry, a renowned dance producer. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award for DESH, the Bessie Award, the ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and eight Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. He has been a Chancellor of De Montfort University, and he is also an Honorary Graduate of University of London as well as Roehampton and De Montfort Universities, and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban. Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London and Curve, Leicester.

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Jonzi D

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 10:52:38 GMT

Jonzi D is a skilled dancer, theatre performer, rap artist, poet and emcee. After graduating from the London Contemporary Dance School, Jonzi D. founded Breakin’ Convention - an annual festival of hip-hop dance theatre. He was an Associate Artist at The Place. His critically acclaimed performances include Lyrikal Fearta, Aeroplane Man, TAG… Just Writing My Name, Markus the Sadist, and he directed films like Our Bodies Back and its sequel, AUTOCORRECT – a running theme in all his works has been contemporary experiences of racism and displacement in Britain. In 2011 Jonzi turned down an offer of MBE for services to British dance because of the link between empire and colonialism, and later used it as inspiration for his solo performance The Letter: To Be or To MBE? In 2023, he was awarded a citation from Al Taylor of the 71st District - New York State Assembly in recognition of his efforts for advancing and advocating hip hop culture in the UK and abroad, and the De Valois Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Dancing Times Critic’s Circle.

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The Future of Dance with Steph Be & Geni Lou

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:33:39 GMT

Dance producer Farooq Chaudhry is joined by Geni Lou and Steph Be for a conversation about the future of Dance.

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Geni Lou has forged a career as a dancer and choreographer in the UK. She’s presented her work at The Place, The V&A, The Yard, Sadler’s Wells and many other prestigious venues.

Steph Be is a producer working mainly in Contemporary & Hip Hop Dance theater. Her main focus is on elevating the next generation of UK Black artists, by providing support with partnership building, fundraising and strategic planning.

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Behind the Scenes with Farooq Chaudhry

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:18:26 GMT

Farooq Chaudhry is one of the most well-known and respected dance producers working in the UK. He’s perhaps best known as the co-founder of the Akram Khan Company, but his passion for dance has led him to work with many acclaimed international artists and organizations, and he has consulted, mentored and taught emerging artists and producers around the world.

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David Hamilton

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:12:00 GMT

David Hamilton is the founder and first artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre (formerly Phoenix Dance Company) in 1981. His choreographies fused vernacular reggae dance, martial arts and contemporary dance technique with Black British cultural experiences and rose to national prominence. He established RJC Dance and is Chair of the Black History Month Sub-Hub in Leeds. He also encouraged aspiring dancers and artists in the city and beyond to explore their own artistic interests and to share their skills in educational and community settings.

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Shobana Jeyasingh

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:11:20 GMT

Shobana Jeyasingh is accomplished in Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance, in which she had honed her skills while living in India under Guru Vazhuvoor Samraj Pillai, and later in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. As a dance-maker and internationally recognised choreographer, she combines movements across genres for stage, screen, and unconventional performance sites. Known for intellectual rigour, her choreographies such as Faultline (a response to the London tube bombings), TooMortal (for historic churches), Material Men redux (of 19th century indentured labour) place the body centre stage in the dialogue of ideas. Notable commissions include work for Rambert, Ballet Black, Company Wayne McGregor, the Venice Biennale, Beijing Modern Dance Academy, Contemporary City Dance Company of Hong Kong and Opéra National du Rhin in France amongst others. Jeyasingh’s works have toured worldwide including Europe, the USA, India, and is now part of the national curriculum in the UK. As well as being a judge for BBC Young Dancer in both 2017 and 2019, she has also received honorary doctorates from the universities of Surrey, Leicester, and Chichester.

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Namron OBE

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:02:21 GMT

Born Norman Murray, Namron moved to the UK from Jamaica, and upon discovering dance, he joined the Willesden Jazz Ballet Group, a community dance group in London. After completing his training at the Rambert Ballet School on a scholarship, and then at the London School of Contemporary Dance at The Place, he danced with the new London Contemporary Dance Theatre (LCDT) and was one of the first black professionals to be employed by a British dance company. Namron was choreographed by stalwarts of contemporary dance - Sir Robert Cohan, Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Anna Sokolow, Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies amongst others. He staged Robert North's Troy Game, for Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1977, his critically acclaimed work The Bronze became part of the LCDT repertoire. A founder member of London Contemporary Dance Theatre and of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, he was appointed as Associate Artist for Adzido. He has been an impassioned teacher, and continues to teach, tour and inspire.

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Behind the Scenes with Dr. Debanjali Biswas

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:55:58 GMT

Dr. Debanjali Biswas is a researcher of anthropology and theatre, performance and dance studies and an accomplished Manipuri dancer. As lead researcher for A Very British Rhythm, she has been unearthing the stories of the performers that shaped the dance culture we know today.

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Urja Desai Thakore

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:50:55 GMT

Urja Desai Thakore is a Kathak practitioner and choreographer, and the artistic director of Pagrav Dance Company. Her thought-provoking choreographies have charted new terrains and is highly regarded by both traditionalists and modernists alike. She studied Kathak with Guru Kumudini Lakhia at Kadamb in India for over two decades and she received her BA in Kathak from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya. She completed an MA in South Asian Dance with choreography from University of Roehampton. She co-choreographed Bells for Akademi in the Trafalgar Square Festival, was an assistant choreographer to Kumudini Lakhia for the Swapnagata Festival at Sadler’s Wells (2009), and a guest choreographer for the south Asian soloist at the BBC Young Dancer competition (2015, 2022). She was appointed artistic director of the first dance festival in Milton Keynes (2012) and was selected for One Dance UK’s mentoring programme (2015). A passionate dance educator, she has been involved with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) for over two decades. Led by her, the Milton-Keynes based Pagrav Dance Company has toured the full-scale works Baharan, Hats, Anant-Endless, I, Within, Detox and Kattam Katti, nationally.

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Villmore James

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:26:37 GMT

Vilmore James is a breakdancer, dance teacher, educator, television artist formed the Phoenix Dance Theatre (formerly Phoenix Dance Company) in 1981. He choreographed Midnight Movers, Harlequins, Leave Him Be, Anniversary. He has been associated as a performance maker with Dundee Rep dance company, Tammara Mc’lord, Vivian Freaky on the Black Initiative, Royston Moldoon, London Middlesex University, Breton Wakefield and has developed dance Education curriculum within the west Yorkshire Region.

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