Birmingham Hippodrome – until 23rd May 2025
Reviewed by Emma Millward
4****
Amina Khayyam Dance Company’s new dance-theatre production ‘Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter’ premiered in Birmingham this week. The piece explores the conditioned patriarchy enforced by women within family structures. The show tells the story of Bibi Rukiya, a widow who wishes to keep her three daughters restricted by cultural expectations and societal pressure in order to ensure they all get married and uphold the family’s reputation. The piece is loosely based on Federico Garcia Lorca’s ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’. The dance company collaborated with women’s community groups across the nation to develop the production. Throughout numerous workshops, they explored the roles and responsibilities of mothers and daughters. The story is told through Kathak, a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance known as the dance of storytellers.
As the audience entered the auditorium of the Patrick Studio, a gentle Tabla beat filled the air. We were greeted by two of Bibi Rukiya’s daughters, quietly seated at the back of the dance floor, watching the audience take their seats. The performance consists of four dancers led by Amina Khayyam herself as Bibi Rukiya, and the three daughters. They all dance in unison at first, but it soon becomes obvious that one of the daughters is disillusioned by their mother’s control of them. The daughter begins to rebel, including a touchingly funny dance sequence featuring Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’. Throughout the show. Bibi Rukiya reappears to reign her daughters in and ensure they are conforming to the standards she expects from them. Without speaking, the dancers manage to still convey intense emotions through their movements and occasionally even silently screaming in frustration.
Khayyam’s choreography throughout the piece shifts from soft, gentle dancing to more staccato, almost aggressive movements, particularly from the rebellious daughter. Every movement has been thought out and is so precise. The beautiful music was composed by John-Marc Gowans, and performed live by Debasish Mukherjee (tabla), Iain McHugh (Cello) and the haunting vocals of Sohini Alam. The costumes designed by Keith Khan and Abeda Begum were exquisite, and their vibrant colours stood out against the mostly plain background of the dancefloor.
A dance piece of this style can be interpreted differently by each viewer. I must admit that certain parts of the performance left me a bit confused about what was happening, but this is only the second Kathak dance piece I have seen. After seeing this piece, I intend to see more shows in the future to gain a deeper understanding of this style of performing. I found this production to be thought-provoking, emotive and powerful.