Aakash Odedra's Dance Work Inspired By An Ancient Sufi Myth Comes to Arts Centre Melbourne

Award-winning UK choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra will return to Australia with his critically acclaimed dance work, Songs of the Bulbul at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne from February 3 – 7 2026.

Winner of the Best Show Award at Edinburgh International Festival, this solo dance piece brings together the graceful yet powerful art of Kathak dance and Sufi storytelling to create a dialogue between intense physicality and a spiritual journey.

Inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul (or nightingale) held in captivity, the work uses the beauty of this songbird's melody as a metaphor for the fleeting moments of dance, and life itself.

Bound by its constraints, the bird's despair deepens as its final moments approach, and it sings more sweetly as its end draws near, delivering one last heartbreaking song before its soul departs.

From Persia to the Indian subcontinent, from freedom to captivity, Songs of the Bulbul explores the soul's journey towards divine love and enlightenment. In this extraordinary performance, Odedra poses a universal question - will we remain confined to the material world like the caged bird, or will we find freedom in the ultimate release?

Developed with choreographer Rani Khanam and composer Rushil Ranjan, Odedra combines Ranjan's new score with the music, dance and poetry traditions of Sufism to create an ambitious work that is both ferocious and contemplative.

Since its debut, the work has garnered critical acclaim across Europe, praised for its breathtaking precision, emotional depth, and innovative fusion of classical and contemporary forms. Critics at the Edinburgh International Festival celebrated it as "a mesmerising tour de force" and "a profound exploration of freedom and the human spirit."

Aakash Odera Company, founded in Leicester in 2011, is a globally recognised dance company that blends classical Indian forms (Kathak and Bharatanatyam) with contemporary dance from a British Asian lens. Led by Bessie Award winning dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra, the Company is known for its boundary pushing award winning works created in collaborations with world class artists and has performed in over 600 full length productions across 50 countries.

Aakash Odera last performed on Arts Centre Melbourne stages in the world premiere of the critically acclaimed production, Samsara as part of Asia TOPA 2020 and the company returned last year with Little Murmur, a tender production for young people highlighting Aakash's struggles with dyslexia.

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