Sufi:Zen

Sufi:Zen is a journey to the divine, inspired by the 13th-century poet Rumi.

Executed through a fusion of kathak and contemporary dance, the work explores the stillness of Zen monks and the passion of Sufi mystics, highlighting the contrasts between concentrated stillness and all-encompassing motion.

Directed and choreographed by Gauri Tripathi the group, including six dancers, draws upon multiple dance disciplines including kathak, bharata natyam, ballet, contemporary and butoh. The work features a piece of newly-commissioned music from Shrikanth Sriram.

Akademi champions and encourages excellence in the practice of South Asian dance in the UK. Through the production of innovative South Asian dance events in unusual places they create work for artists and engage the widest possible public with an art form that, while rooted in classical tradition, is at the cutting edge of contemporary culture and a particularly British creative force.