The great contemporary international dance will find one of its most significant expressions in Lugano, on Sunday 1st March at 17.00pm, when the stage of the LAC Lugano Art and Culture welcomes the Akram Khan Company, a globally recognized institution for its ability to combine tradition and contemporary research. On the program Thikra: Night of Remembering, recent creation which is part of the artistic path of the Anglo-Bengali choreographer, as a reflection on the value of collective memory and the link between identity and ritual.
The show is a tribute to the ancestors and symbolic practices that cross cultures, taking inspiration from the myths and ceremonies related to the desert landscape of Wadi AlFann and the communities that inhabit itIn this context, the dance gesture becomes a tool for connecting past, present, and future, in an ongoing dialogue between the spiritual dimension and contemporary experience, in which the body is the protagonist.
Imagined as a gathering that renews itself cyclically, Thikra stages a community of women who, for one night only, gather to evoke and reawaken the spirit of those who came before them. The choreography unfolds through ritual actions, repetitive movements, and shared memories, constructing a suspended space where time seems to fragment and recompose itself. What emerges is a collective act of regeneration, in which dance takes on a celebratory and ritualistic value.
The female genealogical line, protagonist of the show, makes Thikra A global, universal work: the protagonists—so characteristic of the place they inhabit and rooted in it—actually become all the women of the world, because all women in the world draw their strength from mothers, grandmothers, and ancestors. Because the female body and its energy, its capacity to communicate and expand life beyond the present, are a universal heritage.
Central figure of the international choreographic scene, Akram Khan He is considered one of the most influential artists of our time. Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Excellence in Dance in 2019, he has developed a personal language born from the encounter between Kathak, a classical form of Indian tradition, and contemporary European dance. This stylistic signature also permeates Thikra, enriched by a strong visual component.
The scenography and costumes bear the signature of Manal AlDowayan, an award-winning Saudi artist, whose work contributes to amplifying reflections on the historical and cultural legacies of a past marked by colonization. The visual structure engages with the choreographic score, reinforcing the idea of a layered and shared memory. The cast, entirely female and of international origin, intertwines contemporary dance and Bharatanatyam, one of the oldest and most codified forms of classical Indian dance, giving life to a narrative that is both universal and intimate.
The Akram Khan Company's presence at the LAC is part of a program that confirms Lugano as a hub for international dance. Not just performance, but also exploration: At 15.00 pm, in Room 3, an introductory meeting will be held by Lorenzo Conti, dance consultant for the LAC, dedicated to the figure and artistic path of the choreographer.
The event offers a cross-sectional look at Khan's work, highlighting the theme of diversity as a common thread throughout a career built through interdisciplinary collaborations. Among these are projects with the celebrated star Sylvie Guillem (Sacred Monsters), with the flamenco dancer Israel Galvan (Torobaka), with the actress Juliette Binoche, the composer Steve Reich and the DJ and musician Nitin Sawhney.
The meeting also delves into how Akram Khan has helped redefine the concept of “diaspora” in the 21st century, overcoming geographical and cultural boundaries through an intercultural and interdisciplinary approachA perspective that makes his work particularly relevant in the contemporary debate on multiple identities and on cultural heritage.
To participate in the introductory meeting, the following is required: Reservations required on the LAC website.
