#JeSuis (In Progress) at Contact
Andrew Anderson
I was lucky enough to see a preview of #JeSuis (In Progress) during a recent trip to Canada, where Aakash Odedra Company was pitching it to prospective theatres. The dedication and passion of the team was readily apparent – qualities that make them such an important company.
For those unfamiliar with his work, Aakash Odedra is a dancer who has made a career out of making the public move. For this project Odedra was inspired by a group of women he met in Turkey. He made multiple trips to visit them and, slowly, developed the show that was to become #JeSuis.
Using a mixture of contemporary and traditional styles, #JeSuis explores ideas of fluctuation and permanence, stillness and movement. It asks questions like ‘what makes a home?’ and ‘how do we create our identity?’ Further, each show is followed by a presentation from the company, which includes the opportunity for the audience to share their feelings on the subject.
Dance can be quite an abstract art form, but here it explores concrete ideas to great effect. Aakash Odedra is a name that is only going to get bigger in the dance world; enjoy his work in an intimate space at Contact while you still can.
