DESH (homeland) is a new full length solo from celebrated choreographer and performer, Akram Khan, inspired by his homeland of Bangladesh. After critically acclaimed collaborations with artists including Sylvie Guillem, Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley, DESH is set to be one of Khan’s most personal works, as he seeks to reconnect with his cultural roots.

Reflecting on life in Bangladesh, Khan will portray several characters familiar in daily Bangladeshi culture through his own body and voice. For this solo performance, he has teamed up with Oscar-winning Chinese visual artist Tim Yip (production designer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), fellow Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and lighting designer Michael Hulls, Indian writer and poet Karthika Nair, Olivier Award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook and British slam poet Polar Bear. 

DESH will explore the idea of transformation - of body, land, identity and memory, while examining the contradictions of Khan’s own British-Asian identity. In Khan’s own words: “I am searching for a story that addresses both the tragedy and comedy of life in Bangladesh.”

Watch this video – Out of Asia: the future of contemporary dance?
A short film with a focus on Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Beijing Dance Theater and TAO Dance Theatre, plus interviews with Alistair Spalding and Akram Khan discussing the importance of dance in the East.

Akram Khan Company is supported by COLAS
Part of Out of Asia