Thikra

World Premiere: Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, AlUla: 25 January 2025
World Premiere of indoor adaptation: Montpellier Danse: 22 June 2025

Thikra: Night of Remembering is Akram Khan Company’s latest production created in collaboration with award-winning visual artist Manal AlDowayan.

Thikra draws inspiration from AlUla’s ancient landscapes, mythology and cultural heritage to evoke the idea that “without a past, there is no future.”

Combining Bharatanatyam and contemporary voices, the piece is performed by an all-female ensemble, accompanied by an original score from Aditya Prakash, sound design by Gareth Fry, lighting by Zeynep Kepekli and dramaturgy by Blue Pieta.

 

"As I stand humbled within the vastness of this epic desert known as AlUla, I feel the urge to unearth the many cultures that have passed through here."

Akram Khan

Thikra: Night of Remembering

By Maxime Dos

Behind the scenes of the indoor adaptation

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Director / Choreographer Akram Khan
Visual Director / Costume and Scenography Manal AlDowayan
Narrative Concept Manal AlDowayan & Akram Khan
Music Composer and Soundscape Designer Aditya Prakash
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
Lighting Designer Zeynep Kepekli
Creative Associate / Coach Mavin Khoo
Dramaturge Blue Pieta

Rehearsal Directors Charlotte Pook, Angela Towler, Chris Tudor 

Dancers Pallavi Anand, Ching-Ying Chien, Kavya Ganesh, Nikita Goile, Samantha Hines, Jyotsna Jagannathan, Mythili Prakash, Azusa Seyama Prioville, Divya Ravi, Aishwarya Raut, Mei Fei Soo, Harshini Sukumaran, Shreema Upadhyaya, Kimberly Yap, Hsin-Hsuan Yu, Jin Young Won

Musicians (in recorded composition)
(Singers) Aditya Prakash, Ananya Ashok, Loulwa Al Sharif, Melanie Pappenheim, Sohini Alam, Sushma Soma
(Percussion) Aditya Prakash, Zafer Tawil, Praveen Sparsh, Sumesh Narayanan, N. Deepan, N. Vijay, M. Rajendran, M. Vijay.
(Strings) Aditya Prakash, Layth Sidiq, Megan Shung, Jay Julio, Naseem Alatrash, Amal Waqar, Guhan Venkataraman, Doyeon Kim
(Wind) Isaac Alderson, V. Prakash Ilayaraja

Featured music in score Gyura Beli Belo Platno by London Bulgarian Choir

Site-Specific Community Engagement Programme Director Christine Maupetit
Site-Specific Community Movement Directors Jumana Al Refai and Bilal Allaf

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