Abu Dhabi Festival presented Sutra - Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Antony Gormley / Szymon Brzóska with Monks from the Shaolin Temple, a stunning blend of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and contemporary dance, to sold-out crowd at the Emirates Palace last night. Following the show’s debut at the illustrious Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, Cherkaoui’s show mesmerized the Festival’s audience with its unique style and inspired performance. The mixed cultural showcase of talent - from Flemish/Moroccan choreographer, to Polish composer and English set designer, to the performance of the Chinese Shaolin monks – unanimously excited an even more culturally diverse audience, and epitomized the cross-cultural ambition of this year’s Abu Dhabi Festival. This performance underscores the Festival’s ongoing commitment to breaking new ground and showcasing the true diversity of the arts during the annual festival.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui united with Turner Prize-winner Antony Gormley, alongside 21 Buddhist monks from the original Shaolin Temple in China, is the first true collaboration between Western artists and the Shaolin Temple. Since its first acclaimed performances at Sadler’s Wells in London in May 2008, Sutra has been seen by over 150,000 people at more than 70 performances across the world. Celebrated by audiences and critics alike, the production is a fascinating perspective on the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition.

Speaking after the show, Her Excellency Mrs Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, said: “It is very exciting to introduce the Middle East premiere of Sutra to the Abu Dhabi Festival this year. The unique performance fuses together eastern culture with contemporary dance to deliver an outstanding piece of theatre in the heart of Arabia which will be cherished by audiences from around the world.”

For this performance the award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui joined forces with Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley to present a brand new dance work inspired by the skill, strength and spirituality of Buddhist Shaolin warrior monks. Using 21 wooden boxes which are repositioned to create a striking and dynamic stage environment, Cherkaoui successfully transforms the 21 monks from a monastery in the Henan province into first-rate contemporary dancers.

Through the changing meaning of the boxes - from coffin, to flower, to wall, to temple – and the warrior monks physical interaction with them, Cherkaoui, with his own presence on stage, captures the varying shades of the relationship between the individual and group, and, like often in life, it is the child - trainee monk - who acts as the bridge between the two.
The dance performance is accompanied by live music from talented Polish composer Szymon Brzóska and weaves the spiritual and physical boundaries of modern dance with the intensity and energy of martial arts, creating something exceptionally unique on the Abu Dhabi stage.

Abu Dhabi Festival 2012
The Festival continues its commitment to showcasing the very best of the arts, with a schedule combining classical music, theatre and performing arts, jazz, ballet and fine arts. The programme crosses cultures and explores the past, present and future of artistic expression.

Amongst the performances to look forward to in the third week of the Abu Dhabi Festival is La Bayadere, a ballet from Semperoper on the 30th and 31st of March at the Emirates Palace auditorium. Tickets can be purchased online at www.timeouttickets.com/abudhabifestival; through the Abu Dhabi Festival ticket hotline number +971 50 9076158 and in person at the Emirates Palace Box Office. The Box Office will be open daily from 11am till 1pm and from 4pm till 7pm.

For further information and details of the full Abu Dhabi Festival programme, ‘like’ us on Facebook and ‘follow’ us on Twitter or visit www.abudhabifestival.ae

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