Isles of Wonder

• Director: Danny Boyle

  Choreographer: Akram Khan

  Accompaniment: Abide With Me (Lyte & Monk) sung by Emeli Sande
• Starting Points & Themes

  Isles of Wonder – the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, attempted to capture ‘the rich heritage, diversity, energy, inventiveness, wit and creativity that truly defines the British Isles’. Khan was given the theme of Mortality by the director Danny Boyle and the Abide With Me section of the opening ceremony became a tribute to ‘absent friends and family’ and particularly the victims of the '7/7' 2005 London bombings.
• Aural Setting

  Emeli Sande sings Abide With Me, a traditional hymn of remembrance, over an amplified pulse sound, making a strong connection to the theme of mortality and providing regular rhythm for movement (direct correlation, mood enhancement).
• Performance Environment – Live broadcast performance in the round (Olympic Stadium). The choreography needed to consider that the audience would surround the performance rather than view it from one ‘front’ as they would in a conventional theatre. Also, Khan would have needed to consider the presence of cameras and the use of close-up for the screen within the stadium and the television audience. It is likely that the scale and layout of the performance environment greatly influenced Khan’s use of large group formations and unison.
• Set – The clear oval-shaped space is predominantly empty. The dancers throw dust at the start of the section which creates a hazy environment. A large yellow/orange light hangs above the space to suggest the sun.
• Costume – 50 ensemble dancers wear grey leggings and shoes with dark red/brown tunics. The tunics are distinctly non-western and South-Asian influenced. Khan and the young boy wear a cream/yellow shirt and trousers with black shoes.
• Large yellow/orange circular light used to suggest the sun
• Additional lights create an amber glow and dancers throw dust to create a cloudy atmosphere
• Central area remains lit, with pulsing variations in intensity
• 'Intelligent' lights track the movement of the ensemble
• White follow spot used to highlight Khan and the young boy as they move away from the group
• Boy reaches upwards towards the 'sun' before a swift blackout at the end of the section.
• a huddled group bent over, clenched fists, they then shoot up and release dust from their arms which swing above their heads vigorously. One dancer stays crouched. The dust is a physical representation of 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' and mortality.
• Dancers in the back do a wing motif centre stage. Akram forms a ball of energy and hands it to the child (representing knowledge and legacy) but rather than taking the said ball of energy, the child hugs him. Akram then joins the huddle and is hidden in the group of 'angels'.