Award-winning UK choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra returns to Australia with his stunning, critically acclaimed dance work, Songs of the Bulbul on the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne from 3 – 7 February 2026.
Winner of the Finest Present Award at Edinburgh Worldwide Pageant, this solo dance piece brings collectively the sleek but highly effective artwork of Kathak dance and Sufi storytelling to create a dialogue between intense physicality and a religious journey.
Impressed by the traditional Sufi fable of a bulbul (or nightingale) held in captivity, the work makes use of the great thing about this songbird’s melody as a metaphor for the fleeting moments of dance, and life itself.
Certain by its constraints, the fowl’s despair deepens as its remaining moments method, and it sings extra sweetly as its finish attracts close to, delivering one final heartbreaking track earlier than its soul departs.
From Persia to the Indian subcontinent, from freedom to captivity, Songs of the Bulbul explores the soul’s journey in the direction of divine love and enlightenment. On this extraordinary efficiency, Odedra poses a common query – will we stay confined to the fabric world just like the caged fowl, or will we discover freedom within the final launch?
Developed with choreographer Rani Khanam and composer Rushil Ranjan, Odedra combines Ranjan’s new rating with the music, dance and poetry traditions of Sufism to create an bold work that’s each ferocious and contemplative.
Since its debut, the work has garnered essential acclaim throughout Europe, praised for its breathtaking precision, emotional depth, and revolutionary fusion of classical and up to date varieties. Critics on the Edinburgh Worldwide Pageant celebrated it as “a mesmerising tour de power” and “a profound exploration of freedom and the human spirit.”
Aakash Odera Firm, based in Leicester in 2011, is a globally recognised dance firm that blends classical Indian varieties (Kathak and Bharatanatyam) with up to date dance from a British Asian lens. Led by Bessie Award successful dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra, the Firm is understood for its boundary pushing award successful works created in collaborations with world class artists and has carried out in over 600 full size productions throughout 50 international locations.
Aakash Odera final carried out on Arts Centre Melbourne levels on the planet premiere of the critically acclaimed manufacturing, Samsara as a part of Asia TOPA 2020 and the corporate returned final 12 months with Little Murmur, a young manufacturing for younger individuals highlighting Aakash’s struggles with dyslexia.
Following the Arts Centre Melbourne season, Songs of the Bulbul shall be carried out at Perth Pageant from 13 – 15 February 2026. The Australian tour of Songs of the Bulbul is offered by Far & Away Productions. This manufacturing has been supported by Manchester Camerata, Jacob’s Pillow, Arts Council England and the British Council.
Aakash Odedra’s Songs of the Bulbul shall be offered at Arts Centre Melbourne from 3 – 7 February 2026. For tickets and extra info, go to www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2026/dance/songs-of-the-bulbul.
