Dance

Ancient Indian epic The Mahabharata re-envisioned
Love and hate conjoined in a tumultuous work that cleanses the soul

Akram Khan, winner of the UK’s prestigious Olivier Award for DESH in 2012, launched his latest production, Until the Lions, at the London Roundhouse to great critical acclaim in January this year. Based on his ceaseless fascination with the classic Sanskrit poem, The Mahabharata, the celebrated Bangladeshi dancer-choreographer draws Amba, an unsung heroine in the male-dominated narrative, into the spotlight. Swirling limbs amid percussive dance sequences compellingly capture the transformation of the kidnapped princess as she moves from innocence to outrage and yearning, her tragic journey to self-immolation, and eventual reincarnation as Shikhandi, an androgynous warrior who seeks vengeance in a showdown with her abductor.

As haunting harmonies and vocals suffuse the performance with a ritualistic aura, the trio of dancers summon up breath-taking technique in an enthralling display of energy and emotional intensity. Together with Karthika Nar’s thought-provoking scenario, Tim Yip’s mistily symbolic ringed tree stump set and Michael Hulls’ luminescent lighting, a dense and timeless tale of women’s oppression and resistance to such a fate is stunningly drawn forth.