In our conversation with Aakash, in anticipation of his shows, he spoke to us about his training, about the notions of contemporary and traditional, about dance as language, ways of learning and his relationship to his teachers, about recovery of parts of the self and heritage, about collaboration. And at the very end, dignity. He performed for us in fact, what is the essence of dignity in many of the traditions we have come across: to care, to attend, to recognize, in the way he attended with such presence and care to our questions. Choreography, to give shape to experience of the world, is a way of dignifying the experience and with it the world. Aakash left us with much to think about.
In one paragraph or more, write — or dance– your impressions, thoughts, or afterthoughts of the conversation with Aakash.
dignityindignity 
Aakash’s experience with disability is a beautiful example of how the disadvantages that may be said to accompany disability can be overcome through artistic sublimation. Aakash was trained in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak and Bharat Nagyam, dance styles which enabled him to express his struggles with disability and emancipate himself from the stigma that some people associate with being dyslexic.
Aakash equates dance with an instrument of catharsis that enables him to experience a moment of meaningful rest and mental stillness. It also an instrument of philosophical inquiry that enables him to learn and gain knowledge both about himself, his past, and the world. Indeed, he explained how these dance styles enable him to learn more about himself, his identity, dance style because it “speaks to his ancestors“. The practice of Kathak connects him to his roots, immerses him into Ancient Indian mythology, stories, and tales, and lets him travel in time. He added that dance is indeed a language that is not bound by geographical boundaries and that enables him to explore space through body movements and gain knowledge from the world without necessarily traveling.
Aakash’s experience bears witness to how disabled people are not necessarily disadvantaged by their deficient or impaired abilities, as most people think, but are rather rendered different in beautiful ways; after all, Aakash himself stated that he likes to think of his disability as a mere inability. Dyslexic people’s brain plasticity is such that whatever cognitive ability they have impaired is compensated by some other ability, often in the form of creative and artistic talents. In fact, several famous artists are believed to have had dyslexia, including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock; it could very well be the case that it is thanks to their dyslexia that they produced some of the most extraordinary and breathtaking works of art.
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I really enjoyed Aakash Odedra’s performance and discussion during class because it showed the complex ways different emotions and passions linking back to identity and heritage could come together to form an artistic piece that other people could see and feel. What struck out to me was Aakash’s explanation of how his performance was inspired by his intertwined identity as a British Indian. As someone who has lived in the US for most of my life but is ethnically Korean, I often feel conflicted with my identity as well, so it was really interesting to hear how Aakash wanted to express his uniqueness. He also emphasized the freedom and dignity he experiences during his performances since he is given the agency to illustrate his narrative through beautiful motions. I thought it was really striking how bodily performances could help him and others experience his expression of identity in the world.
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In high school, I performed in my last dance recital, ending my 12 year dancing career. In my last few years, I focused on a lyrical/contemporary style of dance, which draws some parallels to the performances I watched of Aakash, especially Murmur. Dance is a form of communication, and I relate to the feeling of dancing for yourself–Aakash expressed how dancing is something he is passionate about, and not done to gain the praise of others. I think this idea really shows dignity, and plays into the greater discussion of whether or not dignity requires social affirmation. In Aakash’s case, I would say no. By dancing, by using this form of expression, it is up to others whether they would like to receive it and understand it. But he doesn’t consider himself dependent on his audience in order to continue his art.
His usage of dance as a language is something I found very fascinating. Watching Murmur was very powerful–not using words to describe a struggle with words. It makes sense, since dyslexia would make it more difficult to write a poem or a personal essay to express his experiences. Sharing this with non-dyslexics in a universal language is incredible. Dance is something anyone can understand, regardless of what language you speak, how well or if you can read. You don’t have to know any of the same words, yet Aakash is able to share his thoughts and feelings and experiences in a powerful way. His passion for his art and his dedication in which he performs first for himself, and then in hopes of relating to others, is admirable, and something I believe to truly embody what it means to be dignified.
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I truly enjoyed Akash’s visit to class as he offered an authentic perspective on a personal and artistic level. I found it interesting how sentimental his pieces are and how he can connect his “open-ess” of dancing or experience to this sort of ‘freedom’ that he touches upon in class. Akash reminds me why thy coexistence of art with other disciplinarians is necessary for sustaining creativity. His explanation of freedom allowed me to see the coexistence of law and art, inevitably allowing us to understand the law’s essence through a creative lens. As a Double major in Legal Studies and Art & art history, I resonated with Akash’s love for dancing and how he cannot express himself without movement. He explains how dance is a language; similarly, I cannot express through words; I communicate through painting.
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Aakash’s beautiful words were as precise and powerful as his dance moves. I appreciated the part in which he talked about the unspoken communication with a Chinese dancer. It made me realize the importance of gestures and body movements in mundane activities. Language barrier was not a deterrent, in this case, and the gestures proved to be an efficient and extremely rich tool. He also mentioned the intensity of his relationship with a Guru. He said that they were his ultimate dance and life mentors. They were his spiritual guiders that allowed his soul to be grounded in this world. The way he was talking about his mentor was precious and heartfelt and it made me long for a connection such as theirs.
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Meeting Aakash Odedra brought insightful and meaningful addition to my knowledge of art and the way in which I perceive aesthetics. I was specifically interested in how he explained the creation of the connection between him and his audience. What he explained was simple, but also powerful: create the art your soul and heart want to create and the connection will be naturally generated. I was amazed at how authentic and genuine he considered the art to be. His performance is not strong only because he dances well or uses certain music and lighting as effective techniques, but more so as it tells a story, attempts to communicate ideas, and leaves messages. Nevertheless, the ultimate idea that Aakash Odedra explained, in my opinion, was how regardless of the response to his performance, the very performance and its subjective self-satisfactory success for him is where his dignity exists. Dance, perhaps, was his own way of dignifying his experience and the world around him.
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I find the talk with Aakask very eye-opening and revealing, because I am also a photographer trying to find my way around the art. Recently I have seemed to lost all my motivation to create art and do not know where to direct my art. I think I have also become a bit superficial in my intentions, trying to produce artwork for the recognition of others, not for my own artistic satisfaction. Aakash then told me the story about the tree, in which a headmaster asks seemingly simplistic questions to her students about ordinary objects in their lives. To which none of them managed to provide a sufficient answer. He then explains that in order to produce art, you need to be open-minded and willing to absorb everything around you, whether they are important or seemingly trivial. And art to him is subjective, in that he produces art for himself and the rest depends on the audience. As long as his art could affect 1 person, that is enough to him. I find his answers have somehow pointed me in the correct direction, because hearing from a true artist like him gives me so much inspiration to keep pursuing what I am passionate about
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The talk with Aakash Odedra was especially enlightening for me as it gave me a new perspective over what people in society conventionally consider a disability and how people perceive it. It was so refreshing to see Aakash’s take on dyslexia and how even when the odds were stacked against him in every way, he braved through. Something which ties his visit to our class with the topic of dignity was his comment on how indignation is a word not known to him. This idea that he is so passionate about what he does that he really does not care what other people thinking, is, to me, the pinnacle of mindfulness and being grounded in oneself- and it was so fascinating to see someone like that.
He truly is a remarkable man, and the way he tied his culture and background with his work, gave everything so much more meaning and depth. The values that he grew up with and the morals that he lives by reflect clearly in his pieces, and I think that is why his work speaks to people, because it comes from the heart.
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Aakash Odedra is a true artist as he combines both his culture, passion and abilities to create something extraordinary, something that is so beautiful and also so meaningful and personal as we’ve seen in Murmur. What fascinated me the most about Aakash is the way he regarded himself by being normal or even special, hence, he always rebelled when he was placed in the category of “special needs” or “disabled”. To refute such idea, he worked truly hard on himself and even took 14 GCSE’s a year while his “normal” classmates took 8. He even called himself a genius and gave a comment about how people with Dyslexia have a mind that works faster 2-3 times faster than a “normal” human mind. This proves how much a human mind and one’s self perception really does have an impact about how one turns out to be. I loved the fact that he viewed his “disability” as an “inability” and how he wanted to show off his flaws, not conceal them. When I asked him a question about was he ever insecure about preforming his flaw in front of a large audience that do not really comprehend what he is going through or what it really was (being Dyslexic) he gave a very honest answer in which I admired; that life is a journey of ups and downs, and yes he sometimes gets insecure about preforming, but he mentions that what makes him get back up on his feet is that this isn’t about anyone rather than it is about him. If he feels connected. satisfied and content with his performance, his audience will eventually feel that too.
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As someone who has performed as a cellist in both an orchestra and in a string quartet, it took me a while to realise why I loved playing and performing music as much as I did. Even now, it is hard to articulate exactly what about it enthralls me. However, Aakash is a man who seems to know exactly why he is doing what he’s doing. The goal of each of his performances is to connect to his audience– to use the language of gesture in order to convey things that words could perhaps not properly encapsulate. This is how he portrays his experience of the world in Murmur; how he shows the tension between imagination and reality which has had a profound effect on both his life and on the lives of the millions of dyslexic people in our world.
Aakash’s recounting of his goals with Murmur, and his explanation of of how a dancer can resonate with their audience, helped me to recall what about performing as a cellist excited me so much. The expression which Aakash uses, in English, says that “where the hand is, the eyes follow; where the eyes go, the mind follows; where the mind is, there are feelings; and where the feelings are, there is a connection/atmosphere.” Thus, in dancing, movement and gesture create a connection. For me, the connection created by music lies in the rise and fall of volume; the rise and fall in tone; a sudden quickening or a subtle slowing. It is these movements that are followed by the mind, and which lets the audience and the player alike resonate with the feelings of the music.
Aakash Odedra is truly a remarkable man, both in the passion that he holds for dance and in his way of conveying feelings to others in ways that not many can. It is a hope of mine to be able to meet him again– or perhaps someone like him. However, my greatest hope is to eventually be someone like him.
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Aakash Odedra is such an interesting personality, he ties his choreography with not just his emotions, but also past. He has said he feels his ancestors through his performances. To have the ability to express such intense and complex emotions in a neutral language: performance. Is not only artistic but rather insightful and marked with its own kind of beauty. His relationships with his mentors play a huge role in his development, they are not just his mentors but also his source of guidance, “if I have done something wrong, it is not my parents whom I fear but rather my mentors” this statement in itself shows you not just the respect he has for his mentors and the relationship they have, it also shows you how highly he thinks of them to have them involved in every detail in his life. Truly mentors, helping him stay on the right path as he gets better at expressing narratives through beautiful performances where sound, dance, and lights all play a role to tickle your senses.
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