Akram Khan and his fellow performersOne of the choreographers for the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games was left upset that his musical tribute to the victims of the 2005 London bus and train bombings was chopped out of the broadcast of the ceremony in the United States.
Londoner Akram Khan created a memorable dance segment featuring a troupe of dancers, a nine-year-old boy and himself performing to the tune of 'Abide With Me', sung by Emeli Sandé, in what was one of the most moving and memorable sequences of the dazzling ceremony.
But American broadcaster NBC decided to cut the section out, instead showing a brief interview with Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps conducted by "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.
"I feel disheartened and disappointed," said Khan, who is of Bangladeshi descent.
Referring to the tribute, which commemorates the victims of the July 7, 2005 suicide bombings of London Underground trains and a double-decker bus, he asked: "Is it not accessible enough? Is it not commercial enough?"
Fifty two people and the four bombers died in the attacks.
Around the globe, about 1 billion people watched director Danny Boyle's celebration of British history and culture on Friday, according to British government estimates.
Khan said on his website that he was asked by Boyle to design a prominent section of the opening ceremony around the theme "mortality."
The choreographer said the segment was designed to bring "a reminder of our own mortality and the transfer of possibilities and hopes between generations."