Amina Khayyam's 'Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter'

Amina Khayyam explores how women impose rigid ideas of what is ‘correct’ on each other, reinforcing patriarchal cultural norms despite their own experiences of restriction. Her new kathak dance theatre piece, Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter, continues her commitment to addressing taboo and challenging themes.

Performance and Setting

Premiering at The Place, London on November 4, 2025, the work is set in a contemporary community with strong cultural traditions. Khayyam uses kathak to narrate the story of Bibi Rukiya, a mother who confines her three daughters to secure their marriages and protect family honour and reputation.

Inspiration and Creation

Loosely inspired by Federico García Lorca’s play The House of Bernarda Alba, which portrays five daughters under the control of a widowed mother, Khayyam’s piece is grounded in extensive workshops with women’s community groups exploring their real-life experiences.

Production and Characters

The performance features four dancers representing the family members, including Khayyam herself as Bibi Rukiya. The characters are clearly defined but not deeply explored, beginning with movements in unison to emphasize their shared constraints.

"Women perpetuate the same, often patriarchal, cultural expectations they suffered themselves; expectations at odds with a desire for personal freedom."

Summary: Amina Khayyam’s piece reveals how women, bound by cultural pressures, often enforce limiting norms on each other, highlighting complex family dynamics through kathak dance.

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SeeingDance — 2025-11-05