Presented by Aakash Odedra Company in association with Manchester Camerata

Birdsong is fleeting—like dance, it exists only in the present, vanishing as soon as it is sung.

This is another chance to see award-winning UK choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra as he returns to the Main Stage, following a sold-out show last summer.

Inspired by an ancient Sufi myth of a captive bulbul (or nightingale), the songbird’s melody becomes a metaphor for the fleeting nature of dance and an artist’s life. Blending Kathak and contemporary movement, the work explores freedom, devotion, and resilience through virtuosic rhythm, moments of stillness, and an intimate dialogue between body, breath,
and music.

Featuring choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan, this exquisite performance draws together Sufi Kathak, orchestral and Indian classical traditions, and Islamic poetry.

Tracing a journey from freedom to captivity and the soul’s longing for divine love, Songs of the Bulbul asks whether we, like the caged bird, remain bound to the material world, or soar toward liberation and enlightenment.