Known for a 25-year body of work that has shaped contemporary dance in the UK and internationally, Akram Khan is one of today’s most influential dance artists. His major productions include Gigenis, Jungle Book Reimagined, Outwitting the Devil, Until the Lions, Kaash and Gnosis.
Recognised as an instinctive collaborator, he has worked with a hugely diverse range of artists and companies including the National Ballet of China, Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Hanif Kureishi, Juliette Binoche, Sylvie Guillem, Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine.
His contribution to the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony remains a defining moment in his career, and he has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, currently serving as chancellor of De Montfort University. Akram Khan Company’s final production Thikra: Night of Remembering is touring until 2027.
What's everyone reading?
The first record I bought was Thriller by Michael Jackson. I saved up for it and listened to it on repeat. I didn’t take dance seriously at that age, but that album made me aware of movement as something instinctive yet universal.
The book that influenced me the most is The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. I encountered it at a point when I was questioning how to create work that moves between the real and the imagined. He builds a world with its own rules, but it still feels recognisably human.
I am currently reading The Black Count by Tom Reiss. It’s a reminder that history is often unevenly recorded and that the most interesting stories are sometimes the ones that were almost lost.
My favourite film is City Lights by Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin had an extraordinary sense of timing and continues to influence so much of my work.
The greatest TV show of all time is Succession. The writing is excellent, but it’s the dynamics between the characters that I find fascinating.
I am currently watching Shōgun. What I’m enjoying most is its patience. I feel compelled by the precision of its world – the rituals and the way people move through power.
I spend far too much time studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu tutorials. It’s something I practise with my eldest daughter, who competes at a high level. I’m fascinated by how movement and strategy work together, and how the smallest adjustments can completely change the outcome.
My favourite building is the Bouffes du Nord theatre in Paris. When you stand in the middle of that stage, you’re suddenly aware of everyone who has been there before you.
My best-loved quote is: ‘In nature, nothing exists alone.’
If I won the lottery, I would just research all day with a group of storytellers. It’s the stage of my working process when I feel most open – reading, talking, finding connections between things that don’t immediately seem related.
In 2026, I am looking forward to creating Lady Macbeth for the Royal Danish Ballet. She’s a complex character with many layers, and so working with this company gives me the space to explore that with dancers who are technically wonderful artists, but who are also open to interrogating the roles and story.
