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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