Performance
“Songs of the Bulbul” by Rani Khanam

Place
Byham Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, October 11, 2025

Words
Steven Sucato for Fjord Review

Perhaps not since Mikhail Fokine’s 1905 iconic “The Dying Swan” has there been as haunting a solo dance depiction of avian death as Aakash Odedra Company’s “Songs of the Bulbul” (2024). The 50-minute piece, inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul (nightingale) held in captivity and systematically denied freedom and sunlight to make its birdsong sweeter, proved one of award-winning dancer Aakash Odedra’s very best productions.

The performance began with a voiceover that encapsulated the Sufi myth and the bulbul’s embrace of death as its ultimate release. This narrative element set the stage for Odedra’s dance, providing the audience with a clear understanding of the bulbul’s tragic journey. Choreographed by Rani Khanam, the work blended classical Indian Kathak movement with contemporary theatrical sensibilities to create a rich tapestry of intense emotion and spellbinding visuals. 

It began with Odedra as the bulbul, enjoying freedom in the pools of light surrounding him (set design by Emanuele Salamanca’). Odedra mixed bird-like gestures with Kathak movement that unfolded in circular patterns and whirling-dervish spins. One could not help but be drawn into the joy expressed in Odedra’s dancing of Khanam’s exuberant choreography. Odedra evoked powerful emotions from viewers at every step along the bubul’s journey—when the cluster of suspended bamboo poles dropped to the stage landing with a massive thud to form the bars to the bulbul’s cage, the impact was palpable. Now caged, Odedra’s character’s movements became panicked and frenetic as the realization of his own imprisonment overcame him. 

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