program > main stage
Aakash Odedra
Little Murmur
Presented by New Victory Theater
photos: Angela Grabowska, Pamela Raith
“A hymn to the power and depth of dance as a mode of free expression.” – Bristol 24/7
Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Aakash misspelled his own name until he was 21. It wasn’t until he found his missing “A” that he felt he belonged. Mesmerizing projections and a stirring soundscape make this biographical piece of solo dance theater a triumphant and heartfelt portrait of neurodiversity, revealing the struggle of living in a world that’s not designed for you. Bodies and pages fly like flocks of birds into a murmuration, a little murmur, a movement more eloquent than words can express. Based on Aakash Odedra’s moving show Murmur, the stunning visual treat Little Murmur offers young audiences and their families an honest and heartfelt conversation about the trials and tribulations of living with dyslexia.
Note: This production incorporates loud music and flashing projections. This performance is appropriate for ages 8 and up.
SCHEDULE
Friday, January 10 @ 7pm
Saturday, January 11 @ 2pm
Saturday, January 11 @ 7pm
Sunday, January 12 @ 12pm
Sunday, January 12 @ 5pm
Saturday, January 18 @ 2pm
Saturday, January 18 @ 7pm
Sunday, January 19 @ 3pm with sign interpretation and audio description
Run time: 40 minutes (with an additional 15 minute artist talkback following each performance)
CREDITS
Choreographers: Aakash Odedra and Lewis Major
Rehearsal Director: Kesha Raithatha
Dancers: Subhash Viman Gorania and Kallirroi Vratti
Composer: Nicki Wells
Musical Supervision: Nitin Sawhney
Visual Technology: Ars Electronica Futurelab
Additional movement created by the dancers
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
British South Asian dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra was born in Birmingham in 1984. He trained in the UK in Bharata Natyam and Kathak, then moved to India as a student of the Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar. With Aakash Odedra Company, founded in Leicester in 2011, he has performed over 300 full length productions in 40 countries and several events, including the Queen Elizabeth II: The Diamond Celebration (2012) and the closing ceremony of the London Cultural Olympiad. His 2012 one-man show, Rising, features works created for him by Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant. Odedra has received numerous awards and bursaries, including a development grant by Arts Council England, a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship, a Danza&Danza Award in Italy and a Dora Performance Award in Canada.
Lewis Major is an award-winning Australian choreographer, director and creative entrepreneur with a background in sheep shearing and a foreground in contemporary dance theater. Passionate about making contemporary dance accessible to audiences, he has partnered with like-minded artists to create and present 17 different dance works on 6 continents through his company, Lewis Major Projects.
With keen input from a collective of kids ages 9 to 13 called the Child Action Group, The Spark Arts for Children commissions and produces ambitious cultural programming for young people. What began as a festival of theater and dance for young audiences in Leicester 20 years ago is now a nonprofit championing arts experiences that uplift underrepresented artists and promote diversity—the “Vital Spark.”
CREATION + FUNDING
Lead support for artistic programming at the New Victory Theater is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with City Council, and the Shubert Foundation.
