Akram Khan ^(GBR) Chotto Xenos 17-19 February 2022

Programme

How does war begin? And how does it end? It depends on who is telling the story. 

The Akram Khan Company is back at Dansens Hus. This time with Chotto Xenos - an imaginative masterpiece for children and adults alike. Now set in the muddy trenches of the First World War.  

Chotto Xenos is one man's account of his participation in the First World War. About the cacophony of warfare with its gunpowder-smelling mists, fired cannons and explosions that shake the air. An imagining of the terrible nature of war; the destruction of humanity, the fear and panic, the relentless noise and chaos. 

The story is portrayed by a graceful and athletic dancer who, with clear and easily interpreted choreography, masters this heavy theme with lightness and humour. Against a backdrop of moving projections, the dancer interacts with the three-dimensional images to create a powerful, poetic and visual dance performance.  

Chotto Xenos is a captivating dance production that takes audiences back in time to explore the forgotten stories of the lives and fates of colonial soldiers during the First World War - a silent and moving tribute to the 100,000s of soldiers who perished and never returned home.  

For over twenty years, the Akram Khan Company has taken its place as one of the world's leading dance companies. The dance language has its roots in Indian kathak and contemporary dance but is always characterised by a clear narrative. This approach has created accessibility as well as artistic and commercial success. In collaboration with director Sue Buckmaster, the company now takes on the grim struggles of the colonial soldiers.