CriticalDance Forum

One I was very sorry to miss. If Mavin Khoo comes to your area do go and see his astonising mastery of a range of dance forms, especially bharata natyam. He is one of the best UK male dancers in any style.<P><B>Ambiguous eroticism from Mavin Khoo</B><BR>by Judith Mackrell in The Guardian; Rating: *** (out of5) <P>The final event in the Clore Studio's mini-dance season was given over to a new work, for 10 dancers, by Mavin Khoo. Produced via the Royal Opera House's Back Garden Project, Images in Varnam has been an experiment both for the Royal Ballet (one of whose dancers appears in its Asian/western choreography) and for Khoo himself, who has rarely created work on such a large scale. It has certainly been the Back Garden's most interesting hybrid to date. <BR>The piece is based on a 12th-century Indian love poem, which has been transposed from a young girl's sexual awakening to a pungent celebration of male eroticism. At its centre is Khoo himself, a dancer of arresting exoticism and ambiguity.<P><BR> <A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,3604,562811,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A> <P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited November 21, 2001).]

<B>Mavin Khoo glides into narcissism</B> <BR>Judith Mackrell in The Guardian <BR>Rating: ** (out 0f 5)<P><BR>Solo recitals are the main performing currency of South Asian classical dance, and Mavin Khoo is one of the most fascinating artists in the genre. Yet Khoo's new one-man show, Margam - The Path, turns out to be a disappointing showcase for his talents. <BR>It's a carefully symmetrical recital that has obviously been tailored to Khoo's versatility (he is trained in modern dance and ballet as well as bharata natyam). One pure dance and one narrative piece is performed in each half, and while the first section is grounded in traditional idioms, the second gives expression to Khoo's personal contemporary style. <P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/reviews/0,6957,179380,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><BR>

You still have the chance to see Mavin Khoo tonight Tuesday. Here are the details from Akademi:<P>Akademi Associate artist Mavin Khoo is performing MARGAM at the South Bank.<P>Venue: Purcell Room <BR>Dates: Mon 19th and Tue 20th November <BR>Time: 8.00 p.m. <BR>Tickets: £12 <BR> <BR>Box office: 020 7960 4242; <A HREF="http://www.rfh.org.uk" TARGET=_blank>www.rfh.org.uk</A> <BR>

Review from The Scotsman.

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Parallel Passions
By Jann Parry for The Observer
Mavin Khoo experiments with the combination of ballet and the Indian dance form of bharat natyam in Parallel Passions, the launch programme for his small touring group. Khoo is a hybrid performer, adopting female as well as male personae. In one solo, he can be the Hindu shepherdess, Radha, summoning Krishna; in another, as Gemini (choreographed by Michael Beare), he accommodates courtly Asian and ballet moves for men and women.

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Mavin Khoo
By Sanjoy Roy for The Guardian

Mavin Khoo's Parallel Passions is in part a simple reflection of his own history. Khoo trained in both ballet and classical Indian bharata natyam, the bases of this exploration of what he calls the "bilingual body". The prologue wittily juxtaposes the rhythms of Khoo's flat-footed bharata natyam with the pointy tattoo of ballerina Alex Newton's toe-shoes.

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Review from The Independent.

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