Akram Khan, of Bangladesh heritage and born in London, studied Indian classical dance Kathak under the tutelage of Guru Pratap Pawar and contemporary dance at De Montfort University and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He has choreographed a wide-ranging oeuvre of performances including Jungle Book Reimagined, Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Polaroid Feet, Ronin, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. Khan has choreographed Dust, Giselle, and Creature for English National Ballet. He is the founder of Akram Khan Company established with Farooq Chaudhry, a renowned dance producer. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award for DESH, the Bessie Award, the ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and eight Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. He has been a Chancellor of De Montfort University, and he is also an Honorary Graduate of University of London as well as Roehampton and De Montfort Universities, and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban. Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London and Curve, Leicester.
