Until The Lions
Dance

Description
Description
Ancient Indian epic The Mahabharata re-envisioned
Love and hate conjoined in a tumultuous work that cleanses the soul
Akram Khan, winner of the UK’s prestigious Olivier Award for DESH in 2012, launched his latest production, Until the Lions, at the London Roundhouse to great critical acclaim in January this year. Based on his ceaseless fascination with the classic Sanskrit poem, The Mahabharata, the celebrated Bangladeshi dancer-choreographer draws Amba, an unsung heroine in the male-dominated narrative, into the spotlight. Swirling limbs amid percussive dance sequences compellingly capture the transformation of the kidnapped princess as she moves from innocence to outrage and yearning, her tragic journey to self-immolation, and eventual reincarnation as Shikhandi, an androgynous warrior who seeks vengeance in a showdown with her abductor.
As haunting harmonies and vocals suffuse the performance with a ritualistic aura, the trio of dancers summon up breath-taking technique in an enthralling display of energy and emotional intensity. Together with Karthika Nar’s thought-provoking scenario, Tim Yip’s mistily symbolic ringed tree stump set and Michael Hulls’ luminescent lighting, a dense and timeless tale of women’s oppression and resistance to such a fate is stunningly drawn forth.
Choreographer:Akram Khan
Narrative Concept:Karthika Naïr
Scenario:Karthika Naïr
Text:Karthika Naïr
Visual Design:Tim Yip
Lighting Design:Michael Hulls
Dancers:Akram Khan; Chien Ching-ying; Christine Joy Ritter
Musicians:Sohini Alam; David Azurza; Yaron Engler; Vincenzo Lamagna
Composers:Beautiful Noise (Vincenzo Lamagna) in collaboration with Sohini Alam; David Azurza; Yaron Engler; Akram Khan; Christine Joy Ritter
Dramaturg:Ruth Little
Producer:Farooq Chaudhry
Note:This event record is compiled from "Hong Kong Theatre Yearbook 2016 – Dance, Drama and Xiqu" published by International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong).
Info
$140
$480
Indoor
Non-local