“The Jungle Book” is an 1894 collection of short stories by the renowned English author and poet, Rudyard Kipling. The protagonist is a young boy named Mowgli, who was brought up by wolves in an Indian forest. Most of the stories are set there, where he lives together with various other animals including a black panther, a bear, elephants, monkeys, a mongoose and a python.
Although Disney’s 1967 animated musical adventure film is widely known in Japan, for most people this contemporary dance work based on Kipling’s characters will be the first time they have seen its popular anthropomorphic cast come vibrantly alive in three dimensions.
Created by the celebrated London-born dance artist of Bangladeshi descent Akram Khan — who won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2017 for his version of the iconic romantic ballet “Giselle” — “Jungle Book reimagined” had its world premiere in the central English city of Leicester in 2022. Since then it has toured domestically and widely abroad to great acclaim before finally arriving in Japan, where it will be performed at Saitama Arts Theater and Aichi Prefectural Art Theater.
Although at the age of 10 Khan actually played the role of Mowgli in “Adventures of Mowgli”, an Indian dance production created by the famed English director Peter Brook, that was not why he chose this subject almost 40 years later.
“Instead”, he explained, “it was more because of the three deep lessons it held within it, that I have since carried with me throughout my life. Those are the lessons of commonality
between species; the binding interdependence between humans, animals and nature; and finally, a sense of family and our need to belong”.
Furthermore, he said, “We are now living in unprecedented and uncertain times, not only for our species but for all species on this planet. And the root cause of this conundrum is because we have forgotten our connection to our home, our planet. We all inhabit it, we all take from it, and we all build on it, but we have forgotten to return our respect for it”.
Consequently, the 50-year-old artist who is also concerned about the pressing global issue of climate change has made a point of using fewer stage sets in order to travel lighter on tour.
Instead, the production features beautiful full-size animations which, along with the brilliant dancers’ imaginative movements he choreographed, immerse audiences deeply into the forest’s fantastical world.
Animation Exports. YeastCulture
Reviews:
“‘Jungle Book: Reimagined’ feels like a blockbuster cinematic experience with a powerful message for us all. It’s truly exceptional”. The Stage [5★]
“His choreography is beyond compare”. The Scotsman [4★]
“Khan’s choreography puts the Kaa in Kathak! Brilliant”. The Herald [4★]
“Simultaneously engaging, sobering, transfixing and hopeful, this beautiful work of art is worthy of gracing any stage in the world”. The Sunday National
“‘Jungle Book reimagined’ is a beautiful work. The athletic dancers are outstanding. The quality of their expressive movement is remarkable, their interpretation superlative”. Seeing Dance
Performance details:
Date: June 20 (Fri.) – 22 (Sun.)
At: Saitama Arts Theater
https://www.saf.or.jp/en/stages/detail/103429/
Date: June 28 (Sat)
At: Aichi Prefectural Art Theater
https://www-stage.aac.pref.aichi.jp/event/detail/20250628.html