Sutra by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui with monks from the Shaolin Temple

As a child, Cherkaoui was fascinated by the spirituality and body control of the ancient Chinese martial art. He temporarily locked himself away with a group of Shaolin monks in China, immersed himself in their lifestyle and the way they learn to control their bodies down to every fibre. Thus, Sutra (which stands for the collected texts of Buddha) became a shared journey, a cultural exchange and a search for a shared artistic universe.

The result was breathtaking. In a simple but sublime set of 21 wooden boxes, Cherkaoui makes the most of the monks' strength, agility and mastery. The setting of those wooden crates (a design by Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley) is constantly ‘rebuilt’ - sometimes a wall, sometimes a bridge or temple. Spectacular acrobatics alternate with humorous and touching scenes.

Add to this the specially commissioned score by Polish composer Szymon Brzóska and it is obvious why Sutra captured the hearts of everyone around the world as one of the most sophisticated dance productions and a true work of art.