AAKASH ODEDRA
Move Beyond Words are proud to welcome their final Friday Feature of this series, Aakash Odedra. We met Aakash in 2014 at the Deloitte Ignite Festival and have followed his journey. We are in awe of his work and have the pleasure to share his story.
Aakash was born in Birmingham and trained in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak (Nilima Devi, Leicester and Asha Joglekar, India) and Bharatanatyam (Chitraleka Bolar, Birmingham and Chhaya Kantaveh, India) . His early development in the United Kingdom saw support from Sampad (including support in a development bursary) and Akademi (through a major choreographic bursary). In 2009, Aakash performed a solo choreographed by Kumudini Lakhia titled ‘Maati Re’ at the Svapngata Festival at Sadler’s Wells curated by Akram Khan. Khan followed this with a period of mentorship, allowing Aakash to develop contemporary movement. He took part in the European Network of Performing Arts’ 2010 ChoreoLab in Serbia through Dance Umbrella. Also in 2010, he performed a duet with Sanjukta Sinha choreographed by Kumudini Lakhia titled ‘Tatha’ , He incorporates that training in a unique synthesis with contemporary dance, both in his choreography and his creations with other choreographers.
Aakash formed Aakash Odedra Company in 2011 as a vehicle for commissioning solos and for Aakash to develop his own choreographic work. His debut full length solo Rising featured new short works created on him by Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant. As choreographer he was commissioned to create a piece for James Brown: Get on the Good Foot ( Apollo Theater , New York ) and the Opera God’s Little Soldier (Theater Freiburg), The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of the London Cultural Olympiad. Aakash has received numerous awards and bursaries, a Danza&Danza award (Italy), a Dora performance award (Canada), Audience Award Dance Week 2013 (Croatia), Infant Award 2014 (Serbia), Bessie Award (Best Male Performer, 2014) and a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship. In May 2014 Aakash Odedra Company presented Murmur (with Lewis Major and Ars Electronica Futurelab) and Inked (by Damien Jalet) at International Dance Festival Birmingham and in the same year was commissioned by the Royal Ballet for the Deloitte season. The company’s third production ‘Echoes (Aditi Mangaldas) and I Imagine (in collaboration with Sabrina Mahfouz and David Poznanter’) premiered at Curve Theatre in October 2016. In 2017 Aakash choreographed for the Royal Opera House production ‘Sukanya’ composed by the late great Pt Ravi Shankar and acted as movement director for Curve Theatre’s ‘Pink Sari Revolution’.
During 2017 Aakash was conducting research for his first group ensemble. Titled #JeSuis, the work in progress version of the work was taken to Edinburgh Fringe International where the production won The Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression. The show fully premiered in February 2018 at New York University Abu Dhabi followed by Birmingham’s Patrick Centre where the piece won its second award as ‘Best Dance’ at the Eastern Eye ACTA Awards 2018 and was followed by a nomination for ‘Best Stage Production’ at the Asian Media Awards in Manchester.
How would you describe your relationship to dyslexia in a sentence, word, image or even a dance move?
Marriage - it’s a relationship, you are together for better or worse - you have to learn to nurture it, cultivate it and give it the time, space and attention it needs, and like every marriage it takes work and can be either fruitful or devastating.
How does Dyslexia influence your work and/or personal life?
To see the world in your mind is one thing, but to be able to share the madness, love, passion and physically externalise it is another thing altogether, my dance and all the expression that surrounds it is an extension of the world within, I found that I could embrace this “gift” of seeing the world through my dyslexic lens. For me being a dyslexic is like being in a constant trance, a permanent meditation where you’re receiving messages from a higher force unknown to me.... when I am lost I find that deep meditation helps provide the right level of silence and clarity to walk the path with conviction, both in my work and personal life... My life is a vocation, there is no clear line between personal and professional, it’s one big creative journey, the difference is in my “professional life” things are shown on stage and an audience will applaud when the curtain goes down. In my “personal life” my eyes and ears become my audience and I see the world around me with many performers.
Is there an item that best represents, aids or embraces your dyslexia? If so, can you explain it and share an image of it?
Dyslexia and creativity for me come from the same strand/essence. If dyslexia could take the form of a person and speak it/he/she would say “I have all the beauty within me but sometimes the world doesn’t understand me. Who made this notion of “normal” before normal was invented? I helped people think on their toes, I gave those who surrounded themselves around me and within me the ability to find new ways to walk, talk, think, dance and empathise.”
This image is of me and my co-dancer with my pet doves, and the image represents hope - hold the currency of hope close to your heart, for this too may one day grow wings and take flight.
What advice would you give to your future self?
My past has gone, my present is shaping me, I hope that I can create enough change and beauty in the world around me that my future self can look back and smile ....
life is simple
Love
Live
and
Laugh .... the rest will follow.
