Dance students visit The Lowry Theatre to watch Desh

Dance students visit The Lowry Theatre to watch Desh

Dance students from Rochdale Sixth Form College recently visited The Lowry Theatre at Salford Quays to watch Desh, a one man dance performance choreographer and performed by Akram Khan.

The renowned British choreographer performed an 80 minute show based around his heritage. The performance took students on a journey from Khan’s Bangladeshi roots, through to his western upbringing. The show explained the challenge of finding his identity and the importance of valuing his parents and background.

The students appreciated the show as a remarkable piece of art and had the opportunity to develop their understanding of this genre of dance. The group of 28 students are studying Khan’s training and style, with Desh appearing on the A-level specification.

Dance teacher Gabs Hill said: “The dance students came away from the show inspired and motivated to start their own choreography. After seeing the outstanding performance by Akram Khan they couldn’t believe the standard of the work across an 80 minute period! They also demonstrated their interpretive and evaluative skills post performance by discussing what content represented certain elements of his life and how it compares to other pieces he has created.”

Molly Crabtree, who is studying the course, said: “I loved how Akram Khan managed to create such an engaging atmosphere even though it was a solo. His strength and ability to shift across the space was amazing, and I particularly liked the story telling moments.”