Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui zero degrees

"A stylishly realized and endlessly fascinating piece of dance theatre."--TIMES (London)

See zero degrees--coproduced by the Wexner Center and one of the most acclaimed works on the international dance festival circuit--in its U.S. premiere and only U.S. performance. For a preview, watch a short video clip on the wexTV page.

Come early for a Preperformance Talk with Nina Berman from Ohio State's Department of Comparative Studies.

$5 tickets for teens (ages 13-18) are available through High 5 Tickets to the Arts. Click here for details. Dancer/choreographers Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui launched this charged duet as a poetic investigation into the common ground of their personal identities and the contrasts of their dance styles. Both are young Muslim men living in Europe, Khan based in London and Cherkaoui in Ghent, Belgium. And each has already captivated audiences here, Khan with his riveting U.S. debut in 2001 and first his full-length work, Kaash (if...), in 2003 and Cherkaoui with Foi, which he choreographed for dance-theater ensemble Les Ballets C. de la B. who performed its exclusive U.S. show here in 2003.

In zero degrees, they create a dialogue in dance between Khan's eloquent, dynamic formalism and Cherkaoui's stylish distillation of kinetic street moves. Together the dancers conjure memories of a past journey that triggers reflections on borders, cultures, nations, and the stark truths of life and death. The sensuous rhythms of composer/producer Nitin Sawhney's live score propel the action, while eerie full-body casts of Khan and Cherkaoui, created by sculptor Antony Gormley, echo the dancers' exchanges and preside over the stage like sentinels.

Wexner Center Director Sherri Geldin has choosen this concert as a "Director's Pick"--an event she's selected to recommend for its sheer "must-see" quality. Her invitation to all our audiences: "I hope you will join me for this memorable evening."

Sponsor, Fellow, and Donor Circles members are entitled to two free tickets to zero degrees as a benefit of their membership (subject to availability).

Production
Akram Khan Company and Les Ballets C. de la B.

Coproduction
Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University; Sadler's Wells, London; Theatre de la Ville, Paris; deSingel, Antwerp; Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent; Hebbel Theater, Berlin; Tanzhaus, Dusseldorf; Schouwburg, Rotterdam; Teatro Comunale di Ferrara; TorinaDanza; National Arts Centre, Ottawa; Les Grandes Traversees, Bordeaux