One of the most influential dance artists of his generation and multi-award winning choreographer, Akram Khan, brings his distinctive voice to this year’s Artist Encounters.
Internationally celebrated and renowned for his ability to tell stories that are both visceral and profoundly human, Khan has created a body of work that is globally celebrated and deeply personal.
This landmark event will offer a rare window into the inner workings of Khan’s artistic process. Through conversation, reflection and live discussion with collaborators, he will explore how storytelling, personal history and intention underpin every stage in developing his internationally acclaimed productions.
Presented in the intimate setting of The Bhavan, a space long connected to South Asian arts and one that holds a personal significance for Akram, Anatomy of a Story offers a unique opportunity to experience the thinking and philosophy behind the work of a leading choreographic voice during a poignant moment in his artistic journey.
Facilitator to be announced
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Akram Khan
Artistic Director of Akram Khan Company
Credit Camilla Greenwell
Akram Khan (he/him)
Artistic Director of Akram Khan Company
London (UK)
Previous Dance Umbrella credits: Panel Discussion: Creative Collaboration – Plus or Minus? (2013, Central Saint Martins); Variations for Vibes, Pianos and Strings for Dance to Music by Steve Reich: A Triple Bill (Barbican Centre, 2006); Loose in Flight / Rush / Related Rocks (Soutbank Centre, 2002); Loose in Flight / Fix / Rush (Sadler’s Wells, 2000)
Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists of today. In 25 years he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad.
His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and relevant productions such as Thikra: Night of Remembering, GIGENIS: the generation of the Earth, Jungle Book reimagined, Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees.
As an instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines. His previous collaborators include the National Ballet of China, actress Juliette Binoche, ballerina Sylvie Guillem, choreographers/dancers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Israel Galván, singer Kylie Minogue, indie rock band Florence and the Machine, visual artists Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Tim Yip, writer Hanif Kureishi and composers Steve Reich, Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook and Ben Frost.
Khan’s work is recognised as being profoundly moving, in which his intelligently crafted storytelling is effortlessly intimate and epic. Described by the Financial Times as an artist “who speaks tremendously of tremendous things”, a highlight of his career was the creation of a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that was received with unanimous acclaim.
As a choreographer, Akram Khan has built a close partnership with the English National Ballet. His short work Dust (part of Lest We Forget) led to a critically acclaimed reimagining of Giselle, followed by Creature, his latest piece for the company. Most recently, he collaborated with the Royal Danish Ballet on Lady Macbeth.
Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including two Laurence Olivier Awards, the Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award), the prestigious ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award, and ten Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for his company, AKC. He was awarded an MBE for services to dance in 2005. In 2022, Khan was announced as the new Chancellor of De Montfort University, and he is also an Honorary Graduate of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, University of London as well as Roehampton and De Montfort Universities, and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London as well as Curve.
Presented by Dance Umbrella in partnership with The Bhavan

Venue & Access +
Venue
4a Castletown Road
London
W14 9HE
The entrance to the building is in Challoner Street
Access information
The building is fully wheelchair accessible and there are lifts to all floors.
There is an induction loop installed in the main auditorium.
For any further queries, please contact +44 020 7381 3086 or email [email protected]








