Akram Khan's "Thikra: A Night of Remembering" depicts a tribe of women uniting to awaken the spirits of their ancestors, set against the ancient backdrop of AlUla in present-day Saudi Arabia. The performance, commissioned by the AlUla Arts Festival, delves into themes of ancestral memory and the impact of a colonized past, utilizing intense physical choreography and a multi-layered soundscape.
AlUla, an ancient oasis known for its giant sandstone formations and historical carvings, served for thousands of years as a major crossroads along the incense trade route. This significant setting, now a major tourist destination supported by the Saudi government, provided the inspiration for "Thikra," a title meaning "memory" in Arabic. The production was originally performed outdoors at Wadi AlFann, a vast area within AlUla dedicated to art and cultural expression. The company website indicates that "Thikra" evokes the idea that without a past, there is no future, drawing from AlUla's ancient landscapes and cultural heritage.
The all-female cast's rituals and memories in "Thikra" often appear violent and frightening. Initial stage impressions included smoke emanating from a cave, an orange glow, and shadowy figures, followed by what seemed like crackling noises. The choreography depicts writhing, hair pulling, beating the air, beating chests, and silent screaming, with women appearing to be in significant pain. According to a reviewer, "the piece explores echoes of a colonized past." Blue Pieta, the dramaturge, wrote that the work examines the epistemologies of the Global South, rooted in ancestral, ecological, and pre-colonial world views. This perspective links colonialism to violence, especially as historically experienced through women’s bodies. The program notes that the Matriarch, the elder and leader, alongside the Vessel and the Shaman, guide the tribe to summon an ancestor spirit from the Knowledge Rock.
Following the initial cave scene, Khan introduces a beautifully-synchronized chorus of dancers. A Bulgarian folk song, "Gjura Beli Belo Platno," features prominently, depicting a girl whose woven cloth is swept away by muddy waters. This song, in a 5/8 meter that mimics the sound of the human heart, serves as a metaphor for loss, such as loss of maidenhood or other tragedy. During the song’s refrain, dancers in very-low plié throw their long hair down in front of their bodies, covering their faces and momentarily touching the floor. This hair tossing, reminiscent of the Khaleegy style from the Gulf region, is intensified by Khan, with women whipping, pulling, twisting, and grabbing their hair. The choreography is noted for its physical and emotional difficulty, requiring dancers to maintain low stances for extended periods and perform challenging moves, such as arching up from lying on their backs without assistance, demonstrating a tour-de-force performance.
Aditya Prakash created the soundscape, described as haunting, resonant, and rhythmic, combining Arabic, South Indian, and Bulgarian music. While initially engaging, the sound is amplified almost to distortion, verging on painful, leading to the distribution of ear plugs to the audience. Despite a lack of a linear narrative, "Thikra" unfolds as a garland of images, with moments flowing from a "maiden" in white being portrayed as slain by "soldiers," to an "exorcist" in black healing a figure writhing in agony, and a "priestess" in red silently screaming and beating her chest. Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan, a collaborator on the project, describes "Thikra" as an excavation and a way of listening, reflecting on the feminine archive—the experiences that do not often appear in history books but are embodied. The program indicates that the tribe’s journey through the memory of their history and a colonized past allows them to find healing and transcendence by surrendering to the ritual of life and death.