 Sutra. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui with Monks from the Shaolin Temple.
Published: 2009 Celebrated Flemish/Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents a new dance work inspried by the skill, strenghth and spirituality of Buddhist Shaolin monks. In the acclaimed Sutra Sidi Larbi has collaborated closely with Turner Prize winning artist Antony Gormley and Polish composer Szymon Brzoska. Gormley's striking set design and Brzoska's beautiful score set the scene for this mesmerising show. The seventeen Monks performing in Sutra are from the original Shaolin Temple, situated near Dengfeng City in the Henan Province of China and established in 495AD. In 1983 the State Council defined the Shaolin Temple as the key national Buddhist Temple and the Monks still follow a strict Buddhist Doctrine, of which Kung-Fu & Tai Chi martial arts are an integral part of their daily regime. By visiting the Shaolin Temple and working with the Shaolin Monks over several months, Sidi Larbi followed a lifelong interest in exploring the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition, its relationship with Kung-Fu, and its position within a contemporary context. |
