ABSTRACT
In this contribution, the author discusses the work of Akram Khan: how he grows up in-between cultures and uses the somatic confusion of his body—having been trained in different dance languages—as a creative principle. This bodily interweaving is not a new, amorphous entity from which the original sources have been erased. It is a fundamentally bipolar state that requires great technical ability and intuitive understanding in order to switch from one energy, one body, and one culture to another, allowing oneself to get temporarily lost in the process. Akram Khan uses this somatic confusion to create new narratives in works such as bahok (2008) or Desh (2011), in which he contributes to and influences the host culture of Western, contemporary art practices by putting his own languages (Bangla and kathak) center stage. Works such a bahok or Desh create a much needed new social imagery, redefining the European identity as both becoming minoritarian and nomadic.
