Alarm Khan

Isle of wonder date

2012 London Olympics

Isle of wonder themes

Mortality

Tribute to 2005 London bombing victims

Isle of wonder music

Abide with me

Performed by Emeli sande

Alarm khan contributions

Explores culture/identity in themes

Collaboration is key

Unique dance style - contemporary khatak

Audiences

Passionate about dance for young people

Khan likes to reveal ‘truth’ in a performance

Autobiographical

Audiences example

All ages

Isle of wonder performed on front of a global audience raised status of the ICDSIB

Influences

His mum - taught him khatak

Peter brooks - khan was cast in one of his plays

Johnathan burrows - helped him mix khatak and contemporary

Anthony gormley - created the two dummies for zero degrees - opposite to the person they reparsent

The media - uses this in his works

Sufi turns

Fast spins using heel and flat foot

One palm down to the earth and one palm up to the heavens with head looking up

Isle of wonder music correlation example

Release if dust to a breath like sound in the score - could reparsent dust from the bombs and rubble

isle of wonder physical setting

Circular

Sun in the background

Boy reaches to the sun represents and life and death that are key in heaven

Everyone in red - blood war khan and the boy in yellow

Isle of wonder dancers

Diverse range of cultures

52 to represent the bombing victims

Different ages

Isle of wonder example

Khan holds the ‘energy ball’ above the boys head but instead of reaching up to khan’s hands the boy hugs khan. The imagery here could represent a contrast between power and innocence.

Khan (the adult) takes hold of and tries to control the imaginary force', the boy appears to chase it but in his innocence chooses love (the hug) as opposed to power. khan passes the boy the energy ball, representing passing the baton on to the boy. This disarms Khan who forgets the imaginary ball of energy in gently taking care of the child.

Themes of ‘Zero Degrees’

Identity

Duality

Polar Opposites

Borders

Zero Degrees date

2005

Zero degrease passports

dancers sit cross legged, side by side, their hands splayed in front of their chests as they make a sweeping downward gesture - This action enhanses the narritive of explaining what the guards are wearing

zero degrease block and attack

slicing martial arts actions combined with the preciseness and pedestrian movements of kathak dance

passports

mirroring each other

influence - Johnathan Burrows

directly influenced passports - created the both sitting duet

Royal Ballet Choreographer

Hand gesture (pedestrian) both sat next to each other

Sidi Larbi

collaborated with khan on zero degrease and danced with him

style - slow and quick yoga and martial arts

identity (passports)

loss of passport

links to social inequality different coloured passports treated in different ways

shivalingam mudra

stamping gesture

Dancers block and attack

Face to face mirroring each other

Blocking each other

Contact

Block and attack physical setting

Only shadows on the ground

Two dummies lying down facing the same way

Significance of the O shape in zero degrees

The inbertween state

The middle point

The reference point. The source

The zero at life’s core

Shadows and sufis aural setting

Percussive sounds drums

Two layers of music dance to the more purucssice music

The other later sounds inspired from khatak

Change in the music then it goes silent

Block and attack

Struggle with personal identity

Inner war inside each of them

Shadows and sufis

Gives the audience the feeling of being unsettled