Stavinsky ballet centenary show by London 2012 opening ceremony star Akram Khan

A new work by Olympic opening ceremony dance star Akram Khan will be the centrepiece of a centenary celebration of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite Of Spring.

Khan's production, called iTMOi (in the mind of igor), will feature 12 dancers and music by three composers including Nitin Sawhney and be performed at Sadler's Wells theatre in north London.

The theatre's artistic director, Alistair Spalding, said it was inspired by Stravinsky's life and work.

The Rite Of Spring is now regarded as a classic work but it sparked a near-riot when it was first performed in Paris in 1913 due to its avant-garde nature.

Mr Spalding said: "Fresh from his Olympic opening ceremony success, we are excited to be able to stage Akram's new full-length evening inspired by Stravinsky, both the man and the artist, which will be presented exactly 100 years to the day since its first performance on the 29th of May 1913 - a performance which changed the course of music and dance forever."

Khan, who described his Olympics performance which included a tribute to the victims of the London 7/7 bombings as "terrifying", said: "It's not really a piece about Stravinsky. It's been inspired by his concepts, his way of thinking and developing something out of that but it's still about the story of The Rite of Spring."

It is part of a season called A String Of Rites inspired by the original work which will also include a revival of Michael Keegan-Dolan's production of the ballet and a separate work called Riot Offspring which will see 80 amateur dancers perform on the theatre's main stage.

PA