Akram Khan’s Vertical Road To Receive Its US Premiere at Peak Performances

Akram Khan's "Vertical Road" will receive its American premiere at Peak Performances, February 8, 10, 11 and 12.

An injury to Khan has forced the cancellation of "Gnosis" on February 9. However, "Vertical Road," which also received Australia's Age Critics' Award for Best New Work, 2010, will replace "Gnosis" at the Sunday matinee.

About the performance: Taking inspiration from the Sufi tradition and the work of Persian poet Rumi, "Vertical Road" is part meditation, part journey, suggesting an inner search and transformation from the binding ties of earth to the divinity of spirit. It is a work about the seeking of enlightenment. The performers alternately dance with demonic speed, with breathtaking slowness or haunt the stage with their great stillness.

The music is an original score by Khan's long-time collaborator Nitin Sawhney. The lighting was designed by Jesper Kongshaug, and the costumes were created by Kimie Nakano.

Born in London in 1974, Khan, whose parents are from Bangladesh, began his formal dance training at the age of seven, studying under the great Kathak dancer and teacher Sri Pratap Pawar. In 2000, he began his own dance company, choreographing works that combine contemporary dance and classical Kathak. He was appointed Choreographer-in-Residence and later Associate Artist at London's Southbank Centre, where he worked until 2005. He is currently an Associate Artist at Sadler's Wells. His awards are many, including the prestigious Helpmann Award in Australia for "Best Choreography in a Dance Work" and "Best Male Dancer," both of which were for "zero degrees." His works often draw from a variety of cultures, including those of Japan, India, the UK, and Pakistan. He has attracted a wide range of well-known collaborators including Juliette Binoche, Anish Kapoor, Nitin Sawhney and Sylvie Guillem.

To learn more about Akram Khan Company, please visit www.akramkhancompany.net.

TICKET, TRANSPORTATION AND DINING INFORMATION

Performance times: "Vertical Road": February 8, 10 at 7:30pm, February 11 at 8pm, February 12 at 3pm

All tickets are $15 and are available at the Alexander Kasser Theater Box Office by calling 973-655-5112 or online at http://www.peakperfs.org.

Charter bus service is provided from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal – arcade on 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues – to the Alexander Kasser Theater ($10 per person, roundtrip) for the Saturday performance. Bus reservations may be made by calling 973-655-5112 or by visiting http://www.peakperfs.org.

For restaurants close to the Alexander Kasser Theater, visit http://www.destinationmontclair.com

Montclair State University is located at 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07043.

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