Akram Khan: Vertical Road

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today's date: September 20, 2012
Contact: Diana Roth, (412) 471-8717, roth@trustarts.org
Electronic artwork is available: www.Trustarts.org Press Room.


Pittsburgh Dance Council presents Akram Khan: Vertical Road
Saturday, October 20, 2012, 8pm, Byham Theater

Pittsburgh, PA:  The Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, will present Akram Khan: Vertical Road on Saturday, October 20, 2012, at 8:00 p.m., at the Byham Theater. Akram Khan is celebrated for his unique ability to incorporate diversity into his productions, and Vertical Road is no exception.

Featuring dancers from all corners of the earth, this production explores the duality of physical and spiritual struggles. The story being told begins with the main dancer, Salah El Brogy separated from the other dancers by an elegant screen. His shadow’s frantic motion sets the stage for the emotional tale that lies ahead. The Vertical Road is a reference to the spiritual path that we all must travel in life.

Pat Ashworth of The Stage wrote that Khan’s piece was, “hugely inspiring and profoundly disturbing, terrible and beautiful at the same time.” Quite a reflection of the world we live in. This work is inspired by Sufi traditions, and Persian poet and philosopher Rumi. The dance is accompanied by natural melodies and heart-pulsing rhythms written by Nitin Sawhney to guide you through a path of enlightenment. After the premier on September 16, 2010 at the Curve Theatre in Leicester the Vertical Road received Best New Work in 2010 at the Melbourne Festival and continues to captivate audiences around the globe. This work, and Khan’s others are enjoyable for their intercultural motifs. His dances are designed to tell a story that is universal to the human race.

Photo by Richard Haughton

Akram Khan, a British-born Bangladesh choreographer, is one of the highest acclaimed of his generation. Since the age of seven Khan has been studying dance, particularly kathak, one of the eight forms of traditional Indian dance. In 2000 he founded the Akram Khan Company in order to choreograph artistic narratives that break cultural boundaries. His innovative ideas are expressed through a combination of modern dance and kathak. In this style he has created a great deal of works and collaborations that have gained some prestigious awards. In this company’s short history they have received:  the Olivier Awards for Best New Dance Production (2012, DESH), South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance (2011, Gnosis), The Age Critics’ Award for Best New Work (2010, Vertical Road) at the Melbourne Arts Festival and the Helpmann Award for Best Choreography and Best Male Dancer (2007, zero degrees) in Sydney.

Tickets ($19-$48) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666.  For group discounted tickets, call (412) 471-6930.  For subscriptions to this series, call (412) 456-1390. Pittsburgh Dance Council media partner is 90.5 WESA.

Each year the Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, showcases a world-class season of dance. As the largest presenter of international performances in the city, the Dance Council continues to help make our Cultural District one of the country’s leading arts and entertainment centers.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support.  The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. www.Trustarts.org
                                                                                           
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