Sutra

A Sadler’s Wells Production
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Antony Gormley / Szymon Brzóska
Monks from the Shaolin Temple

Since its first sell-out London performance in May 2008, Sutra has been celebrated by audiences and critics around the world. Presented by the United Kingdom’s leading dance house, Sadler’s Wells, this stunning production brings together one of Europe’s most exciting choreographer-dancers, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui , Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley, and Buddhist monks from the original Shaolin Temple in China.

Sutra is a breathtaking sequence of movement and acrobatics, complemented by Gormley’s striking design of 21 wooden boxes. Constantly shifting, the boxes create a compelling, ever-changing environment for the performers. Polish composer Szymon Brzóska has created an original score for piano, percussions and strings, performed live on stage by five musicians. The culmination of these astonishing talents is an awe-inspiring dance work that provides a fascinating insight into the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition,and its position within a contemporary context.

Before creating Sutra, Cherkaoui spent several months at the Shaolin Temple exploring his life-long interest in the Shaolin philosophy and its intrinsic relationship with martial arts.

Sutra is a moving journey through faith and imagination – a truly miraculous creation inspired by the unwavering skill, strength and spirituality of the Buddhist Shaolin monks.

Direction and choreography Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Visual creation and design Antony Gormley
Music Szymon Brzóska

Co-produced with Athens Festival, Festival de Barcelona Grec, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, La Monnaie Brussels, Festival d’Avignon, Fondazione Musica per Roma and Shaolin Cultural Communications Company.

Image: Hugo Glendinning

Duration: 60 minutes

Event listed by festival2010

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