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Photo: Kajal Nisha Patel

Date
Wednesday 23 March 2016 - 20:00 to Sunday 27 March 2016 - 20:00

The acclaimed British choreographer Aakash Odedra is to perform in Vietnam on 23, 26 and 27 March. Aakash Odedra is set to perform Murmur 2.0, the visually beautiful, heart-wrenching and dramatic piece which he presented at TEDGlobal as a TED Talk. 

The performance is part of the British Council’s work in showcasing the best of British contemporary dance in Vietnam. It also marks another partnership between the British Council and HSBC Vietnam ever since the bank sponsored the world-renowned English National Ballet tour in Vietnam a few years ago. 

The two intensely personal solo pieces of Murmur and Nritta will be taken to stage on 23 March at Hanoi Opera House and on 26 and 27 March at Ho Chi Minh Opera House. 

Aakash Odedra is one of the most sought after contemporary British dancers today. Trained in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak, he was mentored by Akram Khan who supported him to develop contemporary movement. In 2011 he formed Aakash Odedra Dance Company and since then has developed his own choreographic works including commissioned pieces for James Brown: ‘Get on the Good Foot’ (Apollo Theatre, New York) and the Opera ‘God’s Little Soldier’ (Theatre Freiburg), The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of the London Cultural Olympiad. Aakash has received numerous awards and bursaries including a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship.

Aakash struggled with dyslexia since a young age and felt he “was defined by his learning difficulties, but not his abilities. As written language was so alien, dance became his preferred mode of expression.” In Murmur, Aakash and Australian choreographer Lewis Major delve into the idea of warped and exaggerated realities. In a major collaboration with Major and Arts Electronica Futurelab (Linz, Austria), the company explores how the misconceptions of dyslexia can be revealed through visual design, light, sound and movement.

In Nritta, choreographed by Odedra himself, the audience can see a dazzling display of technical feats. He moves with such agility that it is hard for the eye to follow. His feet beat out the rhythms, his gestures sweep and swerve and throughout he remains poised, completely in control. It is a perfect introduction to the marvels that Odedra can produce.

''This show establishes Odedra not just as Akram Khan’s protégé or a "rising star" of Indian fusion dance in Britain, but a highly interesting young creative voice. His dancing is a pleasure to watch, particularly when he returns to the Kathak classical idiom and shows us the talent and training that first brought him to Khan’s notice.' - Hanna Weibye from Theartdesk.com

'His movements became more agitated, and he rolled over his feet and laboriously walked on the tops of his toes – a compulsive, amazing feat.' – Leigh Witchel in Danceviewtimes.

TICKETS 

Price: VND200,000; 350,000; 500,000

Tickets are available from 5 March at: 

  • Hanoi
    Hanoi Opera House (the right hand-side ticket box) No 1 Trang Tien Street. 
    Online booking at www.ticketvn.com , ticketvn@gmail.com
    For free delivery, please call: 0913 489 858, 0983 067 996 
  • Ho Chi Minh City
    HCM Ballet Symphony and Orchestra (HBSO) 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1. 
    Online booking at www.ticketbox.vn 
    Hotline for booking and delivery: 0989874517 or email to myhuong@hbso.org.vn