The choreographer Amina Khayyam was not supposed to be dancing at the fringe, but she stepped in at the last minute to replace another dancer in her company, and some of the most powerful moments of Bird belong to her. But the performance itself seems to have been tipped off centre by this late substitution. It is full of potential but still undercooked.
Khayyam is a Slough-based choreographer deeply engaged with social issues, often building works from real-life stories that come up during community workshops. She uses Kathak, a form of classical Indian dance, to tackle hard-hitting subjects such as childlessness, acid attacks against women, the plight of refugees, and struggles with sexuality. In lockdown, she made a film Catch the Bird Who Won’t Fly, about women living with domestic abuse, and this show continues that theme.
With little at her disposal – a small gloomy stage, three female dancers (herself, Jane Chan, and the very good Jalpa Vala), and three musicians playing behind them in the dark (tabla, sitar, cello) – Khayyam manages to portray some arrestingly clear images: a hand clutching a woman’s jaw with the other holding the back of her head; a recurring motif of a silent scream leading into a deep backbend. The piece is riddled with fear and women on high alert. Their quivering hands flap like a bird’s wings, but never take off.
Threats of violence are interspersed with fluid dancing, full of Kathak’s characteristic swift, corkscrewing arms and turns, but the strongest moments are some of the stillest and simplest. Khayyam’s maturity as a person and performer has an impact, her eyes pleading, searching or appeasing, the way she wrestles through a sequence of scrolling arms, which morphs into something scrappy like frantic self-defence.
Elsewhere, there is some scrappiness that doesn’t serve dramatic ends. The musicians seem occasionally at odds with each other, and it is not always clear if the clash is intentional. Muddy rhythms need to be tighter everywhere, especially between dancers and music. And the ending ebbs away. But there is a potent piece in here that just needs pulling together.
• At Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 27 August
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• In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.
