Aakash Odedra tours Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine

Rising is the successful debut production of Aakash Odedra Company. It features four works performed by Aakash, exploring different processes and aesthetics to create a new personal language, which also employs digital techniques. Aakash performs solos choreographed by Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and himself and features lighting by Michael Hulls and Willy Cessa.

Rising was presented at the Beirut International Platform of Dance, Amman Contemporary Dance Festival and Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival - three of the major contemporary dance festivals in the Middle East and North Africa region. He also delivered a series of workshops and Q&A sessions alongside the performances. These festivals are part of a contemporary dance network in the MENA region and have collaborated with the British Council in the past. 

Omar Rajeh, Director of the Beirut International Platform, and Khaled Elayyan, Artistic Director of Ramallah International Platform of Dance, attended the British Dance Edition in 2014 where they saw Akash's new work. The British Council worked in partnership with the three festivals to introduce an up-and-coming artist to the region. Akash was selected as he employs digital techniques in his work which embraces South Asian classical dance with new contemporary practice. 

"I would like to thank you for this lovely performances and I hope this will become larger and larger and to have a month of contemporary dance so everyone can have the chance to attend these performances." 

A member of the audience at the Amman Contemporary Dance Festival, Jordan