An enchanting exploration of the human heart, its desires, courage, and resilience, masterfully brought to life by the artistry of Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas
Mehek is a captivating contemporary dance performance that gives a voice to an unspoken and overlooked love story. Centered around a mature woman and a younger man, the dance delves deep into their intricate characters, challenging norms, and redefining the very essence of love. In this mesmerizing work, the stage transforms into a canvas where rhythmic tales of desire unfold, entwined with the elements of nature. The mirrors, akin to the calming waters of the sea, reflect the duality of their love story—the tranquil surface and the tumultuous waves beneath. Through these mirrors, the performance reveals that love is not only a personal journey within oneself but also a profound connection and exploration through the other.
Derived from the Hindi word for fragrance, the title Mehek alludes to the enduring power of memory and the essence of love itself. Aditi Mangaldas, dancing the first-ever duet of her 50-year career, and Aakash Odedra weave a narrative that celebrates love in all its forms: raw, authentic, and infinitely resonant. The performers are two world-class Kathak dancers and are the great South Asian dancers of their respective generations.
Mehek is created by Aakash Odedra Company and Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company / The Drishtikon Dance Foundation. It is co-produced by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi and co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells; The Lowry, Salford; Birmingham Hippodrome, and the Bagri Foundatioran.
Biographies
Aakash Odedra Company
Aakash Odedra Company was founded in Leicester in 2011. Our Artistic Director, Aakash Odedra, is a globally recognized and award-winning artist, and one of the most talented British South Asian dancers of his generation. He has performed over 300 full-length performances in 40 countries. We use the voice of British-Asian experience to tell new stories about modern life.
We create boundary-pushing and award-winning dance works, partnering with organizations such as the Royal Ballet and Sadler’s Wells.
We commission and collaborate with world-class artists such as:
•Choreographers: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Belgium), Damien Jalet (France), Akram Khan (UK), Russell Maliphant (UK)
•Lighting designers: Michael Hulls (UK), Fabiana Piccioli (Italy)
•Media and art institutions: Ars Electronica Futurelab (Australia), Ciplak (Turkey), The James Brown Foundation (USA).
Our work tours internationally, with our live audiences exceeding 250,000 and over 1 million views online. Within the last year, we have made our debut at the Edinburgh International Festival and on the main stage at Sadlers Wells.
AOC has been part of the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio since 2018 and is the most toured contemporary dance company in regional England.
Aakash Odedra
Aakash was born in Birmingham and trained in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak (Nilima Devi, Leicester, and Asha Joglekar, India) and Bharatanatyam (Chitraleka Bolar, Birmingham and Chhaya Kantaveh, India). His early development in the United Kingdom saw support from Sampad (including support in a development bursary) and Akademi (through a major choreographic bursary). In 2009, Aakash performed a solo choreographed by Kumudini Lakhia titled ‘Maati Re’ at the Svapngata Festival at Sadler’s Wells curated by Akram Khan. Khan followed this with a period of mentorship, allowing Aakash to develop a contemporary movement. He took part in the European Network of Performing Arts 2010 ChoreoLab in Serbia through Dance Umbrella. Also in 2010, he performed a duet with Sanjukta Sinha choreographed by Kumudini Lakhia titled ‘Tatha’, He incorporates that training in a unique synthesis with contemporary dance, both in his choreography and his creations with other choreographers.
Aakash formed Aakash Odedra Company in 2011 as a vehicle for commissioning solos and for Aakash to develop his own choreographic work. His debut full-length solo Rising featured new short works created for him by Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Russell Maliphant. As a choreographer he was commissioned to create a piece for James Brown: Get on the Good Foot ( Apollo Theater, New York ) and the Opera God’s Little Soldier (Theater Freiburg), The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of the London Cultural Olympiad. Aakash has received numerous awards and bursaries, a Danza&Danza award (Italy), a Dora performance award (Canada), Audience Award Dance Week 2013 (Croatia), Infant Award 2014 (Serbia), Bessie Award (Best Male Performer, 2014) and a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship. In May 2014 Aakash Odedra Company presented Murmur (with Lewis Major and Ars Electronica Futurelab) and Inked (by Damien Jalet) at International Dance Festival Birmingham and in the same year was commissioned by the Royal Ballet for the Deloitte season. The company’s third production ‘Echoes (Aditi Mangaldas) and I Imagine (in collaboration with Sabrina Mahfouz and David Poznanter’) premiered at Curve Theatre in October 2016. In 2017 Aakash choreographed for the Royal Opera House production ‘Sukanya’ composed by the late great Pt Ravi Shankar and acted as movement director for Curve Theatre’s ‘Pink Sari Revolution’.
During 2017 Aakash was conducting research for his first group ensemble. Titled #JeSuis, the work-in-progress version of the work was taken to Edinburgh Fringe International where the production won The Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression. The show fully premiered in February 2018 at New York University Abu Dhabi followed by Birmingham’s Patrick Centre where the piece won its second award as ‘Best Dance’ at the Eastern Eye ACTA Awards 2018 and was followed by a nomination for ‘Best Stage Production’ at the Asian Media Awards in Manchester.
Aditi Mangaldas
Aditi Mangaldas is a leading dancer and choreographer in the classical Indian dance form of Kathak. With extensive training under the leading gurus of Kathak, Shrimati Kumudini Lakhia, and late Pundit Birju Maharaj, Aditi is widely celebrated for the startling richness and intricacy of her dance and choreography. She has created and performed works in over 20 countries across the world in recent years. As well as dancing and choreographing classical productions, she has broken new ground by using her knowledge and experience of Kathak as a springboard to evolve a contemporary dance vocabulary, infused with the spirit of the classical. Considered a maverick in India, she has consistently broken ground, unafraid to confront social and present-day concerns. Aditi has been dancing professionally for over 50 years.
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