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Aakash Odedra Company Songs of the Bulbul
Image: Angela Grabowska
Contents
Perth Festival acknowledges the Noongar people who continue to practise values, language, beliefs and knowledge on kwobidak boodjar. Noongar people remain the spiritual and cultural birdiyangara of this place and we honour and respect the caretakers and custodians and the vital role Noongar people play for our community and our Festival to flourish. We also acknowledge all First Nations people, whose contributions make our Festival culturally and artistically richer. Our hearts are happy that you are here, on the traditional lands of Whadjuk, part of the Bibbulmun nation and its people.
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Welcome
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Show Details
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Creative Note
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Credits
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Biographies About Aakash Odedra Company Creative Team
10 Acknowledgements
Perth Festival Noongar Cultural Authority Council Roma Yibiyung Winmar, Vivienne Binyarn Hansen, Richard Walley, Barry McGuire & Mitchella Waljin Hutchins
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Welcome
Aakash Odedra Company Songs of the Bulbul UK AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON 13 – 15 Feb
Aakash Odedra is one of the world’s most exceptional artists. I first saw him perform here in Perth as part of Perth Festival in 2015, and the impact was immediate and lasting. His dancing has a rare clarity – precise, generous and emotionally open; staying with you long after the performance ends. After witnessing, over time, just how extraordinary Aakash is as an artist, I knew I had to include Songs of the Bulbul in my program. Aakash has an outstanding ability to generate feeling through movement alone. Every gesture is charged with intention; every stillness speaks. His work reminds us that dance can be both exquisitely detailed and deeply powerful, capable of expressing vulnerability, strength and longing without a single word. This piece invites us into that emotional space. It asks us to feel before we analyse, to listen with our bodies and to trust the quiet intelligence of movement. It is intimate, affecting and a beautiful example of why dance continues to matter so profoundly.
His Majesty’s Theatre Karboordup / Perth
Duration 60mins Fri – Sun 7.30pm
Join us after the show on Sat 14 Feb for a Q&A session. Hear directly from the artists and creators of the work.
Anna Reece Artistic Director
Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance.
Contains haze and strobe effects.
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A Note on the Work
‘A tribute to my mother “Kay” … my smiling bulbul who left her cage.’ Aakash Odedra
Birdsong is ephemeral – like dance, it exists only in the moment – sung once, then lost to time.
Songs of the Bulbul is inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul captured and held in captivity. The bird was bound ever closer and slowly perished through despair, singing more sweetly as its end drew nearer, until it uttered one final, heartbreaking and piercingly beautiful song just before it departed the mortal world. Thus ended the journey of the mythical bird, a tale of beauty born of loss and of freedom found only in the ultimate sacrifice. The beauty of this songbird’s melody serves as a metaphor for the fleeting moments of dance and an artist’s life. Rooted in the expansive music, dance and poetry traditions of Sufism, this work emerges as a sensitive dialogue between the ferocious physicality of Kathak and the spiritual journey of Sufism, a path seeking unity with the divine. A sensitive, beautiful dialogue between Sufi and Kathak, music that seamlessly blends orchestral and Indian classical tradition and Islamic poetry, Songs of the Bulbul invites you to witness a transformation transcending physical boundaries towards enlightenment. Through a journey from Persia to the subcontinent, from freedom to captivity, and the soul’s journey towards divine love and enlightenment, Aakash Odedra poses a universal question: Will we, like the caged bird, remain bound to the material world, or will we soar towards a higher existence of liberation and the divine?
Nightingales, or ‘Bulbuls’, hold a special place in Persian culture, with their song representing a spiritual seeker, yearning for union with the divine. Their passionate songs are often directed towards the rose, symbolising both earthly beauty and the divine beloved, and highlighting the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
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Credits
About Aakash Odedra Company Aakash Odedra Company was founded in Leicester in 2011 by Anand Bhatt and Artistic Director Aakash Odedra, a choreographer and world-renowned British South Asian dancer. Based in Leicester, United Kingdom, Aakash Odedra Company exists to deliver exceptional creative experiences for audiences and participants, helping create a society that is happier and healthier through dance. Bilingual in classical and contemporary dance, we use the voice of British-Asian experience to translate ancient and contemporary movement languages to tell new relevant stories. We want to ensure that our work reflects excellence, removes barriers to access high quality dance and makes dance education opportunities more widely available. Our journey has taken us around the world with successful international tours of our captivating productions, including Mehek , Samsara , Little Murmur and Rising , which have left undeniable impressions on audiences across the globe. Our shows have played on some of the world’s most prestigious stages such as Sadler’s Wells, Lincoln Center and Shanghai International Dance Center.
Dancer Aakash Odedra Choreographer Rani Khanam Composer & Musical Director Rushil Ranjan Set Designer & Stage Manager Emanuele Salamanca Lighting Designer & Dramaturg Fabiana Piccioli Costume Designer Kanika Thakur Rehearsal Director Dheerendra Tiwari Music performed by Manchester Camerata Conducted by Melvin Tay Vocals Sarthak Kalyani & Abi Sampa Choral vocals Rushil Ranjan & Aakash Odedra Additional instrumentation Janan Sathiendran (tabla) & Praveen Prathapan (bansuri) Additional composition Abi Sampa, Danyal Dhondy, Shuheb Hasan, Amaan Ali Mixed & mastered by Andrea Gobbi at Gloworm Studios Additional composition on ‘Yaare Mann’ and ‘Forest’ by Shuheb Hasan & Amaan Ali Music preparation Danyal Dhondy & Max Guthrie Original Producer Ali Robertson Touring Technical Manager Salvatore Scollo Touring Stage Manager Ryan Phillips Images Angela Grabowska
Australian tour producer Far and Away Productions
Supported by Manchester Camerata and Jacob’s Pillow Supported by the British Council
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Creative Biographies
Aakash Odedra Performer & Aakash Odedra Company Artistic Director Aakash is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. He was born in Birmingham, UK, and trained in classical Indian dance styles under Shiamak Davar, Mumbai (Nilima Devi, Leicester and Asha Joglekar, India) and Bharatanatyam (Chitraleka Bolar, Birmingham and Chhaya Kantaveh, India). Aakash formed Aakash Odedra Company in 2011 as a vehicle for commissioning solos and to develop his own choreographic work, and as a soloist he has performed over 300 full length performances in 40 countries. Notable commissions include James Brown: Get on the Good Foot (Apollo Theater, NY) and the opera God’s Little Soldier (Theater Freiburg), Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of the London Cultural Olympiad. Aakash has received numerous awards including the Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression; Best Dance at the Eastern Eye ACTA Awards 2018; a Dora performance award (Canada); Danza & Danza award (Italy); a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s 2021 New Year’s Honours for his services to dance; Best Show at Edinburgh International Festival 2024 and Achievement in Dance by UK Theatre Awards 2024. He was voted Best Male Dancer at the 2025 UK National Dance Awards and also won Best Male Classical Performance, the first ever time this award has been given to a non-ballet performance. In 2025 he was announced as an associate artist of Sadlers Wells. Rani Khanam Choreographer Rani, a renowned Kathak dancer of the Lucknow Gharana, has over three decades of experience and trained under maestros like Ustad Fattan Khan and Pt. Birju Maharaj. Her performances, known for their devotion, inspire and fulfill audiences. She has developed a unique style that respects tradition and inspires young dancers. As a guru, she follows the Guru Shishya parampara, teaching many students and creating acclaimed repertoires of Islamic and Sufi texts. With over 200 productions, her choreography has been praised by Indian dignitaries and international critics. She addresses social issues through her work, notably in her production Black and White , highlighting the rights of Indian Muslim women. Rani’s contributions to dance have earned her numerous awards, including the Women Achievement Award 2022 by Gandhi Smriti & Darshan Samiti, the National Integration Award 2017 and the Loreal Femina Women Award 2014. As the founder of AAMAD Dance Centre, an NGO promoting Kathak, she continues to cultivate and groom the finest dancers, leaving a lasting impact on the classical dance world.
Rushil Ranjan Composer & Musical Director Rushil is a multi-disciplinary artist and composer based in London, known for his work in contemporary, Sufi and classical music. His compositions have been performed by prestigious orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. An artistic partner of the Manchester Camerata, Rushil, alongside Abi Sampa, premiered the world’s first Urdu Symphonic Poem. In July 2023 he received the PRS Foundation Composer’s Fund to tour this work. Rushil has also scored award-winning films for Netflix, ITV, Film 4 and the BFI. As the artistic director and composer of the Orchestral Qawwali Project, he has reframed Sufi music through orchestral scores, gaining millions of streams and critical acclaim since its debut in 2020. The project has sold out venues worldwide, including the Royal Albert Hall during its headline performance. Rushil was announced as Royal Albert Hall’s new associate artist in February 2025.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to our Partners
Thanks to our Donors
Founding Partner
Principal Partner
We thank our community of donors for helping us achieve our bold artistic vision and for making an impact on the cultural narrative of our State.
Leadership Partners
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Premier Partners
Patrons
Adrian & Michela Fini
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Major Partners
Associate Partners
Chair’s Circle $20,000+ John & Linda Bond* Margrete Chaney & Michael Chaney AO Jock & Kathryn Clough Marco D’Orsogna & Terry Scott* Paul & Didi Downie Adrian & Michela Fini
Greg Lewis & Sue Robertson* Ben Lisle James Litis The Mack Family The McClements Foundation Paula Rogers & Phil Thick Tim & Chris Ungar*
Festival Partners
To review Perth Festival’s complete donor acknowledgement please visit our website . Find out more about how you too can join our community of donors and support Perth Festival.
Alex Hotel | Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions | Heritage Council of WA Paramount Security Services | RTRFM 92.1 | The Backlot Perth | The Embassy of France in Australia
With thanks to His Majesty’s Theatre staff, management and board
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