Akram Khan (dancer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akram Khan MBE
Khan in 2010
Born	Akram Hossain Khan (1974-07-29) 29 July 1974 (age 50) Lambeth, London, England
Education	De Montfort University Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Occupation	Dancer, choreographer
Years active	1987–
Known for	Akram Khan Company
Style	Contemporary dance, kathak

Akram Hossain Khan, born on July 29, 1974, is a famous English dancer and choreographer. He has Bangladeshi roots. Akram is known for mixing two dance styles: classical kathak and contemporary dance. Kathak is a traditional Indian dance, and contemporary dance is a newer, more expressive style. He was also awarded the MBE for his amazing work in dance.

Akram Khan's Dance Journey

Early Life and Training

Akram Khan was born in Lambeth, England. His family came from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He started dancing when he was just seven years old. He learned Kathak, a classical dance from South Asia.

He trained with a master dancer named Pratap Pawar. Akram even became his student, learning everything he could. His first big stage role was in "Adventures of Mowgli" from 1984 to 1985.

When he was 13, Akram joined Peter Brook's Shakespeare Company. He toured the world with their play "Mahabharata" from 1987 to 1989. The play was even shown on TV in 1988.

Starting His Own Company

Akram later studied Contemporary Dance at De Montfort University. He also went to the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. In the 1990s, he started performing his own solo dance pieces.

In August 2000, Akram Khan started his own group, the Akram Khan Company. He founded it with another dancer, Farooq Chaudhry. Their first big show was called Kaash in 2002. It was a team effort with artist Anish Kapoor and musician Nitin Sawhney.

Big Performances and Collaborations

Akram became a special artist at the Southbank Centre. He performed with famous dancers like Pandit Birju Maharaj. He also worked with writer Hanif Kureishi on a dance piece.

He stayed at the Southbank Centre until 2005. He was the first non-musician to get this special role. Today, he is an associate artist at Sadler's Wells Theatre. In 2005, he received an MBE award for his contributions to dance.

In 2008, Akram danced with actress Juliette Binoche. They performed a dance-drama called in-i in London.

In 2006, pop star Kylie Minogue asked Akram to choreograph part of her tour. He appeared as a huge projection behind her as she danced. The performance had an Indian temple theme. He has also created dances for groups like the Ballet Boyz.

Akram Khan Company performing Vertical Road at Curve Theatre, Leicester in November 2010

Akram Khan and his dance company performed at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Singer Emeli Sandé performed live music during their act.

In 2014, he choreographed his first ballet for the English National Ballet. It was a World War I-themed ballet called Dust. Akram and Tamara Rojo danced the main roles.

In 2016, Akram directed a new version of the ballet Giselle. This show was a team effort with the English National Ballet and Sadler's Wells Theatre. It toured to several cities and was highly praised. In 2022, the English National Ballet brought Khan's Giselle to New York City.

In 2020, Akram Khan had an online chat with a theatre critic. He talked about how important it is to keep moving, both physically and spiritually. He encouraged everyone to "take that first step."

Awards and Recognition

Akram Khan has received many awards for his amazing dance work. Here are some of them:

See Also

• British Bangladeshi
• List of British Bangladeshis
• What Do Artists Do All Day?