Aakash Odedra
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
British South Asian dancer and choreographer born in Birmingham in 1984. He trained in the UK in Bharata Natyam and Kathak, then moved to India as a student of the Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar. With Aakash Odedra Company, founded in Leicester in 2011, he has performed over 300 full length productions in 40 countries and several events, including the Queen Elizabeth II: The Diamond Celebration (2012) and the closing ceremony of the London Cultural Olympiad. His 2012 one-man show, "Rising", features works created on him by Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant. Odedra has received numerous awards and bursaries, including a development grant by Arts Council England, a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship, a Danza&Danza Award in Italy and a Dora Performance Award in Canada.