Akram Khan's Rush - Lorna Sanders

Rush was the first group piece made by Akram Khan, already a celebrated and exciting young solo performer, whose unique Contemporary Kathak style had won critical and popular acclaim. Rush was pivotal in establishing Khan's own company and launched him on a meteoric and international career. In 2003 the Arts Council England sponsored the filming of Rush. Rush is currently on the A-level dance specification. This book will be an invaluable resource. It provides material and information for both teachers and students to support study of the work. It will also be useful to those teaching dance at a range of other levels. The book provides an insight into the creation of Rush. Part 1 provides biographical information on the three collaborators, Akram Khan, Michael Hulls and Andy Cowton. It places Rush within the artistic context of their careers. Part 2 explores the background context of Kathak and the development of South Asian dance in the UK. A list of useful resources is provided for study of these aspects. Part 3 gives insight into the starting points for Rush and outlines the contributions of the choreography, music and lighting design.;Part 4 lays out an analytical overview of Rush and suggests a range of practical and theoretical tasks for the teacher to use. These include detailed questions on each section of Rush and its elements in order to guide students through an appropriate process for making an interpretation of the work. Appendices provide further contextual information, resources and a bibliography. As with White Man Sleeps, the first Creative Insights published by Dance Books, Rush: Creative Insights provides an in-depth exploration of a single dance and its background contexts. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers including teachers and students of dance and those wanting information about new developments within contemporary or South Asian dance. For those interested in Akram Khan in particular, this is the first in-depth account of his work.