Agudo Dance Company – Silk Road
In collaboration with the renowned classical Indian dancer Mavin Khoo, Jose Agudo weaves his Flamenco roots with a unique, contemporary style in this universal and personal story of East meets West. Guest choreographers Rafael Amargo and Nahid Siddiqui bring their Flamenco and Kathak influence to this exquisite production.
Performed with an evocative live score, Silk Road is a fascinating exploration of the rituals along nomadic routes, conjuring images of the pilgrims, monks, traders and urban dwellers who made their way from China to the Iberian Peninsula. It is a celebration of diverse cultures and dances, as strong and as delicate as silk itself.
Key Information
When
Thursday 1 November & Friday 2 November 2018
Where
DanceXchange, The Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome
Part one (West to East)
Flamenco solo
Choreographed by Rafael Amargo
Performed by Jose Agudo, with composer and performers Bernhard Schimpelsberger and Giuliano Modarelli
Kathak solo
Choreographed by Nahid Siddiqui
Performed by Jose Agudo, with composer and performers Bernhard Schimpelsberger and Giuliano Modarelli
Part two (Full circle)
Duet
Choreographed by Jose Agudo
Performed by Jose Agudo, Mavin Khoo, with composer and performers Bernhard Schimpelsberger and Giuliano Modarelli
The two opening solos – one flamenco, one Kathak – are pure and focused. Accompanied by guitarist Giuliano Modarelli and percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Agudo’s unadorned movement is lit by precise shafts of light. It offers a mesmeric, almost reverent, introduction to his art.
The Stage ****
Co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells, ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble, DanceEast, Dance4, Akademi. Supported by Arts Council England, Impulstanz Vienna, DanceXchange, Teatros del Canal, University of Roehampton, Stratford Circus Arts Centre, The Place, University of East London Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund, Swindon Dance, One Dance UK, Unity Space, Office for Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of Spain. Special thanks to Akram Khan, Assis Carreiro, Susannah Burke, Basilio Garcia, Silvia del Barrio, Roberto Gonzalez, Bee Roy, Encarnita Agudo, Vanessa Guevara, Fiona and Andy le Vien, The Waterside Centre
Jose Agudo
Jose started his career in Andalusia where he began performing as a Flamenco dancer. Slowly the world of contemporary dance became more visible as he worked throughout Europe performing with Charleroi/Danses, Ballet de Marseille, T.R.A.S.H, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and Akram Khan Company. As a rehearsal director and assistant choreographer Jose has worked on several creations for Akram Khan Company, including DESH, iTMOi, TOROBAKA, Until the Lions, Chotto Desh, London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, and Sylvie Guillem’s farewell tour Life in Progress. In 2011, Jose started to study Kathak under Akram’s guidance. Finding many parallels between this training and his early studies of Flamenco, Jose reconnected with his roots and began to explore traditional forms in a contemporary context. As a result he created three works: Paradiso focused on Indian dance; Silk Road with Bharatanatyam artist Mavin Khoo; and Carmen with its strong influences from the Mediterranean and Flamenco. Jose’s independent choreographic commissions also include, Ki for Phoenix Dance Theatre and English National Ballet School; Selah and Carmen for ZfinMalta Dance Ensemble; A Thousand Shepherds for ACE Dance and Music, later restaged with Cape Dance Company; Arctic for LCDS; and Regnum for Festival International de Music y Danza de Granada, amongst several other creations. During 2018 Jose will create commissions for Area Jeune Ballet (Switzerland) and Norrdans (Sweden), premiere his first short film Selah with co-director Matthew
Beckett, and perform in the UK and international tour of Silk Road.
Mavin Khoo
Mavin is internationally recognised as a dance artist, teacher, choreographer and artist scholar. He studied bharatanatyam with the legendary dance maestro, Padma Shri Adyar K.Lakshman in India, Cunningham technique at the Cunningham studios in New York and classical ballet. As a contemporary dance artist he has worked with Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company and others. Commissioned works include creations for Venice Biennale, Canada Dance Festival and The Royal Ballet Artists’ Development Initiative. Mavin was the artistic director of ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble from 2014-2018. He is currently rehearsal director to Akram Khan Company and in creation for his own production Man to Monk.
