Shailesh Bahoran

Associate Artist

ICK's associated artists are not the usual suspects of dance, but rather creators who distinguish themselves in wild freshness and ruthless idealism, with the body as their main source of inspiration and power.

Choreographer Shailesh Bahoran / Illusionary Rockaz Company (IRC) has a background in Urban and is looking for a cross-pollination with contemporary dance. He is inspired in his work by his Hindustani roots and from there brings a non-Western perspective on the motives that live at ICK. In 2023 Bahoran will create new work for the dance ensemble in collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. His expertise will also be used in educational projects that include the dialogue between urban and contemporary dance.

Shailesh Bahoran (1983) is a versatile dancer and choreographer who distinguishes himself by his strong technique, originality and expressiveness. Although firmly rooted in hip-hop, Bahoran does not hesitate to work out-of-the-box and is inspired by his Hindu background. With his own collective Illusionary Rockaz Company he has been making performances since 2003. He has previously worked with the Dutch National Ballet, Don't Hit Mama, Conny Janssen Danst, the Dutch Symphony Orchestra, the Amsterdam School of the Arts, Korzo and ISH Dance Collective.

Website IRC

MYSTIC ( season 2025 )

The new performance called MYSTIC, a collaboration of Bahoran's company Illusionary Rockaz Company (IRCompany) with ICK Dans Amsterdam and the Andalusian Orchestra (AAO), combines the disciplines of dance and music: a wordless exploration of the universality of the mystical.

With his roots in hip-hop culture, Shailesh Bahoran seeks adventure and abrasion within his movement vocabulary in this collaboration with ICK Dans Amsterdam. Originally working mostly with hip-hop and self-taught dancers, Bahoran now embarks on an investigation with the contemporary dancers of the ICK Ensemble. With ICK's dancers, however, he is not looking for the 'right' performance, as years of trained hip-hop dancers might, but for the surprise and unexpected results these differently trained bodies can express. Starting from a desire to engage with urban dance forms, MYSTIC forms an artistically relevant and interesting performance.

Premiere: March 1, 2025 - Amsterdam (NL)

TEASER MYSTIC

Video door Constantin Trommlitz