Samsara AAKASH ODEDRA AND HU SHENYUAN 5-7 MARCH - Asia TOPA
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ASIA TOPA CO-COMMISSION AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE AND BAGRI FOUNDATION PRESENT Samsara AAKASH ODEDRA AND HU SHENYUAN WORLD PREMIERE 5–7 MARCH ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 60 mins Photo: Chris Nash 1
Choreographers/Performers Commissioned by Bagri Foundation
Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan
Co-producing/commissioning partners of
Composer Nicki Wells
Samsara: Asia TOPA; Arts Centre Melbourne;
Drummer Beibei Wang
Birmingham Hippodrome; Curve Leicester;
Vocalist Michael Ormiston
the Royal Ballet; Shanghai International
Costume K H Lee
Dance Centre, Chaillot- National theatre for
Dramaturg Lou Cope
dance, Paris.
Lighting Designer Dr Yaron Abulafia
Set Designer Tina Tzoka Supporting partners of Samsara: Bunjil Place;
Technical Director Salvatore Scollo Lucy Guerin Inc, British Council; Jacob’s Pillow;
Producer Anand Bhatt Peacock Contemporary Dance Company
General Manager Aoife Daniels (Kunming, China); Playking Foundation;
Marketing Manager Katie Paling ResCen Middlesex University; Sidney Myer
Company Administrator Courtney Beadle Fund; the Victorian Government through
Fundraisers Sam Roddan and Tina Smith Creative Victoria.
Digital Marketing Assistant Dmitriy Kuleshov
Education Team Moving Together Supported using public funding by the National
Creative Consultant Australia Theresa Beattie Lottery through Arts Council England.
Special thanks to my Baba Ji
To my Gurus Nilima Devi, Chitraleka Bolar,
Shiamak Davar, Chhaya Kantaveh
Special thanks to Alka Bagri, Chelsea Pettit,
Elizabeth Horton
Thanks to Sade Alleyne, Stephen Armstrong,
Chris Bannerman, Renée Dudfield, Eulalia
Ayguade Farro, Courtney Beadle, Theresa
Beattie, Lewis Major, Michael Morgan, Animesh
Narain, Michelle Osorio, Pritesh Pancholi, Min
Qian, Emanuele Salamanca, Shane Shambu,
Melissa Ugolini, Laura Vanhulle, Subash Viman,
Lucy White, Cheng an Wu, Jennifer Ma, Jack
Riley, Simon Ryder, Oliver Savariego, Farooq
Chaudhry, Max Xun, Cindy Huang, Liu Ji, April,
Sabrina Chen Li, Anu Giri, Ben Hurley, Robin
Batt, Margaret Murray and Lucy Guerin Inc, Rong
Su, Zhi Xu, Zhibo Zhao, Mairylo Antonopolou,
Chris Sudworth, Emma Gladstone, Kerry
Andrews, Chris Stafford, Nikolai Foster, Fiona
Allan, Thierry Gourmelen, Emma Southworth,
Didier Deschamps, Jarmo Pentilla, Pam Tatge,
John Luckacovic, Eleanor Oldham. Photo: Nirvair Singh
2
Samsara is inspired by the many monks Their desire to perform is undiminished and they
believed to have attempted the long pilgrimage have found that despite not sharing a common
that eventually led to the classic 16th century spoken language (there is an interpreter in the
Chinese story Journey to The West. Their journey room to help with technicalities), their bodies
was both literal and metaphorical; physical yearn to share movement, stories and to explore
and spiritual. these ineffable frontiers between themselves.
They are both aware of their own cultural
With universal themes of self-development,
histories and have a deep understanding and
strength, fear and love, Samsara explores the
respect of each other’s cultures. As India and
journey individuals take to become themselves.
China share historical trade routes, philosophies
With obstacles to overcome and demons to face,
and poetry, creative exchange is a small obstacle
we leave behind many versions of ourselves and
to overcome.
learn to love these versions while finding love
for others. This is the world premiere at Asia TOPA,
Melbourne, Australia; the European premiere
Samsara traces a path across lands and through
will take place at Birmingham Hippodrome,
time, and explores the idea that if we let
UK on 11 June 2020, followed by a UK and
attachments go, and instead allow love or light
international tour through to March 2021.
in, we might find a place of truth and of peace.
“WHEN I MET HU THERE WAS AN INSTANT
CONNECTION. WE WERE TWO BODIES BUT ONE
Presented by Aakash Odedra Company and SOUL. IT FEELS LIKE I’VE KNOWN HIM BEFORE; I
Bagri Foundation, Samsara is a duet created CAN’T EXPLAIN IT. WE DANCE VERY DIFFERENTLY
and performed by Aakash Odedra with BUT IT’S ALSO SIMILAR TOO. AS SOON AS WE’RE
Hu Shenyuan. TOGETHER OUR ENERGIES BECOME YIN AND YANG;
Drawing on contemporary dance, Chinese folk WE BECOME ONE. THERE’S THIS UNSPOKEN WAY OF
dance and the classical Indian dance form WORKING WHICH HAS ALLOWED US TO EXCHANGE
kathak, Samsara is an expression of cultural ON A CULTURAL LEVEL”
exchange where epic, mythological storytelling – Aakash Odedra
merges with personal experience from two
globally opposite perspectives. “WHEN WE FIRST MET, WE DIDN’T NEED TO
Both Aakash and Hu are regarded as the finest TRANSLATE WHAT WE WERE SPEAKING; IT’S
examples of their culturally specific forms A SHARED UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR DEEP
of dance in their native cultures – UK/India RELIGIOUS PRACTISE. WE CAN READ A LOT
and China respectively. Aakash has garnered FROM EACH OTHER JUST BY LOOKING INTO EACH
worldwide attention for his impeccable and OTHER’S EYES”
virtuosic kathak performances; and Hu is one – Hu Shenyuan
of the outstanding performers of his generation,
dancing for big name Chinese choreographers
Yabin Wang and Yang Liping.
3
Photo: Nirvair Singh
AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY
Based in Leicester, Aakash Odedra Company Our location within Leicester’s international
exists to deliver exceptional creative communities has allowed us to be more aware
experiences for audiences and participants of, and pro-active about, the opportunities of
and to help create a society that is happier and plural heritage and the importance of a culture
healthier through dance and the arts. We want to of accessibility, social justice, messaging and
ensure that our dance work reflects excellence, making people feel welcome.
removes barriers to access excellent dance
Aakash Odedra is an Associate Artist at Curve
and art, and makes art and dance education
Leicester and Birmingham Hippodrome.
opportunities more widely available.
Aakash Odedra Company is a National
Our mission is to create dance works through Partner Organisation of Sadler’s Wells and
a synthesis of kathak, bharatanatyam, one of Arts Council England’s National
contemporary and Bollywood-jazz that push Portfolio Organisations.
boundaries, responding to and drawing
aakashodedra.co.uk
inspiration from contemporary issues.
Bilingual in classical and contemporary
dance, the company uses the voice of British-
Asian experience to translate ancient and
contemporary movement languages and tell new
stories relevant to today.
4AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY: OUR STORY
Born in Birmingham and living in Leicester, As a solo performer Aakash has received
Aakash Odedra is a globally recognised and numerous awards including: Danza&Danza
award-winning dancer and choreographer. award (Italy); a Dora performance award
His work forms the heart of the company, and (Canada); Audience Award Dance Week
Aakash has performed over 300 full length (Croatia); Infant Award (Serbia); Bessie Award
performances in 40 countries since he and New York (Best Male Performer); and a Sky
producer Anand Bhatt formed the Aakash Academy Arts Scholarship. He trained in
Odedra Company in 2011. bharatanatyam and kathak, then moved to
India as a student of the renowned Bollywood
Awards include the Amnesty International choreographer Shiamak Davar. This was the
Award for Freedom of Expression; Best Dance start of a relationship with Shiamak Davar
at the Eastern Eye ACTA Awards 2018; and a International, which has culminated in the
nomination for Best Stage Production at the 2019 extensive program of dance classes currently
Asian Media Awards for his production #JeSuis. taught weekly to over a thousand people across
Notable commissions include James Brown: Get the Midlands and London.
on the Good Foot (Apollo Theater, New York)
and in 2017 Aakash choreographed for the Royal Aakash Odedra Company is a deeply-rooted,
Opera House production Sukanya composed local community organisation. Founded and
by the late great Ravi Shankar. Aakash was also based in Leicester it produces projects and
movement director for Curve Theatre’s Pink events to engage the local communities,
Sari Revolution. while facing outwards to embrace the world.
Constantly travelling the world, it draws
inspiration from the audiences, artists and
participants it meets and the local, regional,
national and international partners it works with.
The company celebrates its 10th anniversary
in 2021.
Photo: Nirvair Singh
5Aakash Odedra is a dancer, choreographer Lou Cope is a dance & theatre dramaturg
and teacher. Born in Birmingham, UK, he trained and facilitator who has worked across the
in the classical Indian dance styles of kathak UK, Europe and in the Middle East. As well
(Nilima Devi, Leicester and Asha Joglekar, as working with artists, Lou dramaturgs
India) and bharatanatyam (Chitraleka Bolar, organisations, is Dramaturg in Residence at
Birmingham and Chhaya Kantaveh, India). South East Dance and founder of CoAD - The
Aakash formed Aakash Odedra Company in Centre of Applied Dramaturgy (www.thecoad.
2011 as a vehicle for commissioning solos and org). Recent artistic collaborations include:
to develop his own choreographic work. His Aakash Odedra on the Amnesty International
debut full length solo Rising featured new short Freedom of Speech & ACTA Award-winning
works created for him by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, #JeSuis; English National Ballet; Birmingham
Akram Khan and Russell Maliphant. As Royal Ballet; Gary Clarke on The Troth– winner
choreographer he was commissioned to create of Herald Angel and Lustrum Awards, and COAL
a piece for James Brown: Get on the Good Foot - UK Theatre & Critics Choice awards, and the
(Apollo Theater, New York) and the Opera God’s forthcoming Wasteland; Jose Agudo; Stopgap
Little Soldier (Theater Freiburg), The Queen’s Dance; Rhiannon Faith; & Hagit Yakira. Past
Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of collaborations include: Phoenix Dance Theatre;
the London Cultural Olympiad. Scottish Dance Theatre; les ballets c de la b; Sidi
Larbi Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet on the double
Hu Shenyuan is an independent dancer and Olivier Award winning Babel (words) designed
choreographer. He graduated from the Dance by Antony Gormley; Cherkaoui and Gormley’s
Academy of Central MinZu University before Sutra. Lou is also a published writer, a workshop
working in Beijing for LDTX Dance Company leader, and a podcast host.
from 2012 to 2014. As a dancer, he played Yu
Ji in Yang Liping’s dance work Under Siege to Nicki Wells is a singer-songwriter-composer-
great public acclaim. In 2017, Hu became the producer; she recently gained a first-class
first young artist supported by Yang Liping honours degree in music, and has been working
Art Foundation, created his work Roving on her solo debut album as well as multiple
and established his studio Hu-Hu Dance. collaborations with various artists and producers
Hu’s choreographic works include Roving, including the acclaimed Nitin Sawhney. She
The Moonlight Rainbow, So Close, With, ID, has featured on Sawhney’s work from album
Ego, Super-Ego and The Flower of Freedom. recordings to performances in venues such as
Several of his creations have been selected for the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Opera House
the exhibition unit of the China Youth Dance and Sadlers Wells, and is featured on the recent
Talents Training Program. His many awards BBC hit series Human Planet. In January of 2011,
include Best Performance Award at the 4th Nicki composed the score for Tanika Gupta’s
Beijing International Ballet and Choreography theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great
Competition; the Silver Award from the 16th Expectations, receiving critical acclaim as it
Italian Rome International Choreography toured theatres and playhouses throughout
Competition and the Jury Chairman’s Award at the UK. Having already performed as a singer
the 15th Seoul International Dance Competition to sell out audiences in regions as diverse as
in 2018. Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Europe,
she has astounded audiences all over the world
with her incomparable ability to traverse the
gaps between old and new, east and west and
contemporary chic and classicism.
6Beibei Wang is a genre-defying international Tina Tzoka is a set designer trained in
virtuoso percussionist educated in both China architecture and philosophy. In 2007 she
and UK. Beibei has enjoyed a meteoric rise in co-organised the 27th EASA meeting for 450
the classical music world, receiving international European architecture students under the theme
praise for her performances. She was listed City Index, in Elefsina, Greece. She has been a
in the top 50 Chinese musicians in the Sound member of the City Index Lab working in the
of East project by the Chinese Ministry of fields of architecture, city and new technologies,
Culture, and was endorsed by the Arts Council, and organising numerous exhibitions, lectures
England, receiving an Exceptional Talent and workshops. She began her career in theatre
visa from the British Government. Following in 2008 as Eleni Manolopoulou’s assistant,
a successful world tour, Beibei now leads a and since then has been a practicing set and
traditional Chinese percussion programme costume designer in Athens, working for the
to promote and preserve traditional Chinese National Theatre of Greece, the Festival of
percussion at SOAS University of London. She Epidavros, the National Opera in Greece, the
has successfully toured internationally to a Act Theatre Company, the Acropol Theatre, the
number of music festivals and collaborated with Onassis Cultural Centre and other theatrical
leading orchestras, conductors and composers. stages in Greece.
Most recently, she toured China as a soloist
Dr Yaron Abulafia is an award-winning
with BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor
performance designer. He has designed over
Barry Wordsworth.
200 performances, installations, concerts and
Michael Ormiston is an award-winning TV shows internationally. His work has graced
Mongolian Khöömii (Overtone) singer, a the stages of numerous large scale opera and
multi-instrumentalist, composer, inspirational theatre houses throughout the world, including
teacher, workshop leader and therapeutic the Deutsche Oper and Komische Oper in
sound practitioner. He studied Khöömii in Berlin, Sadler’s Wells and Royal Opera House
Mongolia with herdsman and the expert singer (London), Grand Theatre Luxembourg, Poly
Tserendavaa. He’s also studied with leading Theatre Beijing and Shanghai International
singers Tsengedorj, Ganbold, Gereltsolt and Dance Centre, Nederlands Dans Theater, English
Tsogtbaatar. Michael teaches Khöömii at the National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and
SOAS world music summer school as well Compañía Nacioanl de Danza in Spain. Yaron
as individually, teaching ethnomusicology holds a PhD, a Master’s degree in Scenography,
students at SOAS, Goldsmith College, University and a BA in Theatre Studies. He is a published
of London and Ateliers d’ethnomusicologie, author and served as PQ (Prague Quadrennial)
Geneva. Working in conjunction with SOAS and Ambassador and jury member of the 2019
the Embassy of Mongolia, Michael organised, Prague Quadrennial for Performance Design
lectured and performed at the inaugural and Space.
European Mongolian Khöömii Festival in
KH Lee works as a freelance designer. He
London. He wrote, researched and presented
travels between Hong Kong and Shanghai for
two radio shows for the BBC about traditional
various styling, fashion design and costume
Mongolian and Siberian music. Michael’s
design projects. He joined the fashion design
Overtones, instruments and compositions have
industry after graduation from the Hong Kong
featured in film, television programs, theatre
Polytechnic University in 1999. He worked as
and dance productions, including The Golden
a fashion designer, in product development,
Compass, Planet Earth, The Crucible (Old Vic),
and in pattern design and training. His
and Balled Frankfurt.
specialisations include fashion design, fashion
technology, product development and material
studies. He joined two institutes for vocational
training over 10 years and pursued a Master in
Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University, after
which he joined the Technological and Higher
Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) as a
Teaching Fellow.
7ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
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