Gigenis, Akram Khan Company
Akram Kahn Company in Gigenis © Maxime Dos
So far this Autumn, Sadler’s Wells has already presented one work by the renowned choreographer Akram Khan. His Giselle for English National Ballet was a dramatic retelling of the classic ballet with powerful contemporary choreography to match. Two months later Khan returns to London’s home of dance with a homage to his classical Indian routes.
Over the course of an hour, Khan and his six fellow dancers move through a big and bold work about grief. Unlike more traditional Kathak, arms often stretch out to their fullest in bolder movements featuring twisting and untwisting in rapid succession. Hands also flit through rapid fire shapes, at one point flitting like fire under a piercing spotlight. Gentler moments provide time for reflection - a soft duet between lovers features bodies that stand intimately close but rarely touch - as our vocalist takes a break from her lilting tunes with a spoken word piece that reflects on one’s changing familial roles through life.
These breaks are few however, with a live score that rages on and vibrates your very bones, while drums beat incessantly throughout. This is a work about war and loss after all, and midway through the guttural punch comes in the form of a woman silently crying over the dead while another woman sitting beside her under a separate spotlight (Zeynep Kepekli’s lighting was fantastic) lets out a silent scream on her behalf. In times of conflict there is no place for emotional indulgence, you must support those who are left behind.
In Giselle, I found Khan’s work lacking emotion in places. There was no mistaking the emotion in this. The entire work was powered by it.
Akram Kahn Company in Gigenis © Maxime Dos
Unfortunately, without a quick read of the programme on the way home, I couldn’t have given you context for this emotion. Yes, men died, but their relationships as husband and son to our mourning leading lady? Completely lost on me. As was the role of war in taking them away (the voiceover did touch on war, but the link wasn’t clear enough for me to make on my own). There was also a repeated crown hand motif, which at one point a dancer was highly resistant to receive, that I’m still not sure the reason for. Consequently, I couldn’t feel the emotions being thrown my way. A shame.
As a critic, I often struggle to decide whether a piece should be able to stand on its own without programme notes. Without them, I fear many will have left Gigenis confused. The website only gave an abstract description of the piece and mentioned ‘Mother Earth’ and ‘mythology’, incorrectly giving me the impression that it was going to be a creation tale.
The dancing and music were superb, don’t get me wrong, just don’t expect to find deeper meaning in this work without some significant hand holding.
★★★
Gigenis by Akram Khan
Sadler’s Wells, London / 20 November 2024
Press ticket
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