Double Bill: You&Me | Bird

by Amina Khayyam Dance Company

Three female dancers positioned in a triangle shape. One of the two dancers at the back is charging towards the other in a fighting mode to hurt her while the dancer in front tries to stay out of their way feeling vulnerable knowing they will come after her next. The caption also displays the wild movement of their swirling long dresses.
Lesley Martin (2024) Bird by Amina Khayyam Dance Company

About Double Bill: You&Me | Bird

A double bill of award winning and critically acclaimed contemporary Kathak weaving through a live music score telling stories that contradict all our natural instincts.

4 Stars

Powerful & Captivating

The Scotsman for Bird

4 Stars

Like all artforms, the dance world is always trying to re-invent itself and say something original. Rarely, however, does an entirely new subject matter come along - which is partly why You&Me is such a special work

The Scotsman for You&Me

You&Me

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, is accompanied by a live music score of sitar, tabla and cello.

Steeped in Kathak’s rhythmic 'nritta' to shed light on on hidden struggles, You&Me uses lived experiences of marriages where a partner has concealed their sexuality for fear of bringing shame to the family. Following the female perspective, Amina Khayyam explores the pressure of hiding your true self and the barriers to overcome as a family.

Bird

Opening with a silent scream, Bird poses a question that crosses the mind of many women stuck in abusive relationships: “Where will I go?”, “Will anyone believe me?”. High energy Kathak weaves the story to a specially commissioned live music score.

Join us after the performance for a post-show talk, hosted by Shakila Maan from Southall Black Sisters.

About Amina Khayyam Dance Company

A critically acclaimed, award-winning touring company, the Amina Khayyam Dance Company makes touring work using Kathak as the core narrative. It works in collaboration with those who are culturally least engaged, economically challenged and societally disenfranchised - with a focus on the marginalised female voice, the company adds theatre, live art, and technology, striving to make relevant, engaging work through a process of collaboration, participation, and opportunities for creative and cultural expression- shaping a process that empowers women creatively as stakeholders. The work’s dramaturgy is explored through the sub-culture context of this process, to transpose to the mainstream audience, so that the targeted sector’s perspective, aspiration and voice is heard widely. Since its formation in 2013 has made 15 pieces of work, performed over 160 shows in over 40 venues (including outdoors), digital platforms, nationally and internationally.

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Cast and Creatives

You&Me

Choreography: Amina Khayyam
Music Composition: Jonathan Mayer
Dancers: Shayam Dattani and Giacomo Pini

Bird

Choreography: Amina Khayyam
Music Composition: Jonathan Mayer
Additional Music: John Marc Gowan
Dancers: Jane Chan, Jalpa Vala, Abirami Eswar, Mohika Shankar, Selene Travaglia and Amina Khayyam
Musicians: Debasish Mukherjee (tabla), Iain McHugh (cello) and Jonathan Mayer (sitar)
Lighting: Clare O'Donogue

Supported by Arts Council of England.

Production Images

  • A male dancer in a light green shirt embracing another male dancer in a yellow short - pulling the latter’s head back by his hair. Their eyes are closed, expressing passion and desire of each other – confident in expressing their relationship.
  • There are three dancers kneeling on the floor in a circle forming a single flower with their palms in solidarity and unity.
  • A male dancer in bright green shirt holding another male dancer in a bright yellow shirt in a tight embrace, with the latter’s arm outstretched expressing a passion of their desires..
  • The image shows three female dancers with one at the front, but her face is stretched upwards and two at the back kneeling facing away also looking upwards – all three with their hands outstretched and their faces turned upwards coming out of a harrowing experience.
  • Two male dancers, one in a light blue linen suit and the other in a yellow shirt with in a passionate embrace expressing love and happiness.
  • Three female dancers bathed in red stage light - standing straight and silently screaming with their mouths wide open and heads tilted back and wearing an agonised expression and displaying their trauma as a result of domestic abuse.