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.
In this landmark edition of Artist Encounters: Anatomy of a Story, Khan will be joined by Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, who will guest facilitate an in-depth conversation exploring the ideas, influences and creative decisions that shape Khan’s artistic practice. They will be joined by former Lead Principal dancer and now Repetiteur Erina Takahashi and First Soloist James Streeter, both from English National Ballet, to delve into how storytelling, personal history and intention underpin every stage in the development of Khan’s internationally acclaimed productions.
Presented in the intimate setting of The Bhavan, a space long connected to South Asian arts and one that holds personal significance for Akram, Anatomy of a Story offers a rare opportunity to experience the thinking and philosophy behind one of the world’s leading choreographic voices, guided by one of ballet’s most respected artistic leaders, during a poignant moment in Khan’s artistic journey.
Ask a question to Akram Khan
At the close of the event, Akram will take questions from the audience. We’re inviting you to submit a question that might reveal something unexpected – a thought he hasn’t been asked before, a curiosity that has stayed with you or something you’ve always wanted to understand about his work.
We’re looking for questions that are thoughtful and personal – questions with the potential to open up a new conversation.
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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.
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Kevin O’Hare
Director | The Royal Ballet
Credit Andrew Crowley
Kevin O’Hare (he/him)
Director | The Royal Ballet
London (UK)
Kevin O’Hare was born in Yorkshire. Having started dancing at an early age, he trained at The Royal Ballet School from the age of 11 and, through an exchange programme, The Royal Danish Ballet.
On graduating he joined Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet under the direction of Peter Wright and was promoted to Principal in 1990 at the same time as the company relocated to Birmingham, becoming Birmingham Royal Ballet.
He retired from dancing in 2000 to work with the RSC, training in company management. He returned to BRB as Company Manager in 2001 and joined The Royal Ballet as Company Manager in 2004. He was appointed Administrative Director in 2009 and Director in July 2012.
He is on the board of The Royal Ballet School and the Roundhouse and is a Trustee of the Frederick Ashton Foundation and Patron of the Ballet Association, The Cecchetti Society Trust and Fallen Angels Dance Theatre. In July 2014 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Hull. He was appointed a CBE in 2018.
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Mavin Khoo
Associate Artistic Director
Credit Camilla Greenwell
Mavin Khoo (he/him)
Associate Artistic Director
London (UK)
Mavin Khoo is internationally recognised as a dance artist, teacher, choreographer and artist scholar.
His initial training was at the Temple of Fine Arts and Sri Wilayah Ballet School in Malaysia, before pursuing intensive training in Bharatanatyam under the legendary dance maestro, Padma Shri Adyar K. Lakshman, in India, Cunningham technique at the Cunningham Studios in New York, and Classical Ballet under Marian St. Claire, Michael Beare, Nancy Kilgour and Raymond Chai. As a contemporary dance artist, he has worked with Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan, Shobana Jeyasingh, Ivan Perez Aviles and others. Mavin is one of the few Bharatanatyam male soloists to have carved a niche as an international touring solo artist, whilst continuing to perform regularly at major venues in India, including the Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha and Kalakshetra in Chennai. He holds an MA in Choreography from Middlesex University and was a faculty member of the Dance Studies Department at the University of Malta.
In 2014, he was appointed Artistic Director of ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble, where he choreographed and danced until 2017.
Mavin is currently Associate Artistic Director at Akram Khan Company, where he acts as principal coach and stager for Akram’s repertory, as well as Repetiteur for Akram Khan’s work with ballet companies, coaching and staging productions including Creature and Giselle for English National Ballet and Lady Macbeth for the Royal Danish Ballet. He regularly teaches company ballet classes at leading organisations including English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Teatro alla Scala, Boston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joburg Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, whilst continuing his own touring work as a mature artist with a focus on solo Bharatanatyam concert performances.
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Erina Takahashi
Dance Artist
Photography by ASH
Erina Takahashi (she/her)
Dance Artist
Kurshiro (Japan), London (UK)
Erina Takahashi was born in Kushiro, Japan, and trained at English National Ballet School before joining English National Ballet in 1996. She rose through the company to become Principal in 2000, Senior Principal in 2007 and Lead Principal in 2012.
Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Erina has performed leading roles across the classical and contemporary repertoire, working with choreographers including William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, Johan Inger and Christopher Hampson. She has created roles for Derek Deane, Yabin Wang and Akram Khan, and has performed internationally with companies including The Australian Ballet, Tulsa Ballet and Carlos Acosta & Friends.
Erina has received the Critics’ Circle Dance Award for Best Female Newcomer and was named an Asian Women of Achievement in Arts and Culture in 2020. In 2024, she was named Best Female Dancer at the National Dance Awards.
In 2025, Erina joined English National Ballet’s Artistic Team full-time, bringing her extensive experience and artistic knowledge to the next generation of dancers.
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James Streeter
Dance Artist
Credit Siân Trenberth
James Streeter (he/him)
Dance Artist
Rochford (UK), London (UK)
James Streeter was born in Rochford, Essex, and started dancing when he was five years old. After studying at English National Ballet School he joined English National Ballet (ENB) in 2004 where he rose through the company, earning a promotion to First Soloist in 2018.
Over the years, he has established himself as a remarkably versatile dancer, highly regarded for his powerful stage presence and dramatic depth Intelligent and emotionally nuanced character, and his ability to seamlessly transition between pure classical ballet and contemporary works.
James has performed in all the major Classical Ballet’s including Swan Lake, Manon, Giselle, Raymonda, Le Corsaire, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker and many many more. His career highlights include Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle and performing Dust on r to the pyramid stage at Glastonbury, William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Pina Bausch Sacre, Matz Ek Rite of Spring, Jerome Robbins The Cage, David Dawson Four Last Songs, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Laid in Earth, Johan Inger’s Carmen and many more.
Along side his performances James has created works for English National Ballet and Opera Holland Park and won an award for his creation in partnership with Universal studio’s celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
Gallery
Highlights from Akram Khan's work as a performer and choreographer
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]
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