Murmur 2.0 - Aakash Odedra Company

The acclaimed UK-based dancer Aakash Odedra explores his own childhood struggles through a nexus of light, sound, design, and movement.

Revisiting the Middle East premiere of this work, presented during The Arts Center’s first season in February 2016, this performance was filmed at The Place in London.

Set to an evocative score by Nicki Wells, Murmur 2.0 reveals the tension that exists between the rational world that we live in and the richness of our imagination. It explores Aakash’s battles with dyslexia and how the world around him responded to his perceived disability. The piece examines how the misconceptions of dyslexia can be revealed through visual design, light, sound, and movement.

The streamed performance will be followed by a live Q&A. Aakash Odedra discusses the process and creation of the work. The panel will also answer questions posted by the audience.

Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Aakash found conventional education at school very challenging. He felt defined by his learning difficulties, but not his abilities. As written language was so alien, dance became his preferred mode of expression. In this groundbreaking piece, he uses his own childhood struggles with learning disabilities as a springboard into a deep and meaningful investigation of warped and exaggerated realities. Murmur 2.0 is a collaboration between Odedra, Australian choreographer Lewis Major, and Ars Electronica Futurelab of Linz, Austria.

Odedra creates work that is visually beautiful, heart-wrenching and heart-warming, and full of drama and movement. Inspired by South Asian classical dance, contemporary dance, and collaborative partnerships in creating his intensely personal works, Odedra has become one of the most sought after choreographers in Europe.