Amina Khayyam Dance Company at Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023

Amina Khayyam Dance Company is excited to return to Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Summerhall with two shows YOU&ME and BIRD, part of theiur Kathak Monologues – dance pieces written & choreographed by Amina Khayyam thematic from a South Asian feminist perspective.

YOU&ME: Wednesday 2 – Sunday 13 Aug

Man meets Man… discovering a state of happiness never felt before; but he has a wife and family at home.  A dance duet featuring the spectacle of high energy Kathak and physicality of contemporary dance, with a live music score of sitar, tabla and cello.

YOU&ME was developed from workshops with women groups – where some shared their real-life experiences of a marriage when their partner could not express his sexuality for fear of bringing shame to the family. This experience was developed with two LGBTQ+ performers from their imagining his perspective.

BIRD: Tuesday 15 – Sunday 27 Aug

The stage sequel to the critically acclaimed ‘Catch The Bird Who Won’t Fly’ exploring the question ‘What happens when you run away from domestic abuse?’ Three dancers weave the story to a specially commissioned live music score by Jonathan Mayer (with an adaptation of John Marc Gowan’s sequence from Slut).

BIRD explores the question often asked in our workshops – “What happens when you run away from domestic abuse?” – a question often targeted at the stigma and cultural pressure in communities of those who escape it or try to. It is a stage sequel to AKDC’s critically acclaimed digital work 'Catch The Bird Who Won’t Fly.' shown at the Fringe in 2021.

Both pieces feature live music with Debasish Mukherjee on tabla, Iain McHugh on cello and Pete Yelding on sitar.

Nominated for the National Dance Awards 2022 – Amina Khayyam Dance Company (AKDC) makes touring dance theatre work using the South Asian dance Kathak as the core narrative. AKDC develops works in collaboration with those who are culturally least engaged, economically challenged and societally disenfranchised – with a focus on the marginalised female voice – across its hubs in Luton, Slough Woking, East London and Birmingham:

Artistic Director Amina Khayyam said: “I am glad to bring another piece of work to the Fringe that we’ve made from workshops with women’s group in communities that are seen to be disenfranchised, vulnerable and marginalised. Their stories need to be heard and what better way but to bring to a stage where all the world can see them. I love the Fringe for it!“

AKDC has previously been to the Fringe with Yerma (2015 – Universal Arts), Slut (2017 – Summerhall), Catch The Bird Who Won’t Fly (2021 – Summerhall), One (2022 – Dancebase).

Tickets are on sale now for YOU&ME and BIRD 
Visit https://aminakhayyamdance.co.uk/edfringe23 for further information