Who is Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui?
Who is Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui?
‘Sutra’, by choreographer by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, showcases Shaolin monks in an intriguing performance of martial arts, contemporary dance and ephemeral sculptural pieces. The piece traces interactions between an outsider, a delightfully youthful monk and the main corps of monks from uneasy coexistence to an integrated community.
What is Sutra?
SUTRA IS THE befitting title of this powerful and poetic piece, featuring seventeen warrior monks of the Chinese Shaolin Temple performing in collaboration with the Belgian-Moroccan choreographer, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (born 1976), who together have composed a mesmerizing aphoristic journey akin to the unfurling of a Buddhist scripture.
What can we learn from Cherkaoui’s piece ‘monks’?
The piece traces interactions between an outsider, a delightfully youthful monk and the main corps of monks from uneasy coexistence to an integrated community. It’s easy to see how Cherkaoui’s piece has endeared international audiences in 33 countries.
Is Sutra coming back to Sadler’s?
Sutra is back, 10 years after its premier at Sadler’s Wells. This is, in fact, the fourth time it has returned to London and such is the amazing popularity of this beguiling show that, in the past decade, it has been performed more than 200 times in 66 cities in 33 countries.
Initially the choreographer, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui performed in it himself; he played the role of an outsider trying to engage with the beliefs and practices of Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple in China, who are famous the world over for their expertise in martial arts.
What do you think about the production of Shaolin Temple?
The production is clever, funny, skilful and endlessly inventive. Initially the choreographer, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui performed in it himself; he played the role of an outsider trying to engage with the beliefs and practices of Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple in China, who are famous the world over for their expertise in martial arts.
What makes the Shaolin monks so special?
The stark presence of the extraordinarily disciplined Shaolin monks, unmistakably human interactions sprinkled with animal caricatures and an ever-shifting environment of boxes mesmerised the audience.
Where do Shaolin devotees practice kung fu?
As the show closes, ‘Sutra’ transports the audience to the Shaolin monks’ temples, where the devotees practise kung fu behind Stonehenge-like structures. The force of their movements is amplified as more members join the collective movement.