Cultural treat: Mesmerising kathak performance enthrals

Dance followed ghazals from renowned singer Ghulam Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Kathak dancer Nighat Chaudhry mesmerised the audience in a rare performance in Islamabad late on Wednesday.

The event, a “Classical night” organised by Hashoo Foundation, commenced with a prelude from Taimur Rehman as he narrated Urdu prose and poetry.

His recitation was followed by Chaudhry’s thrilling kathak performances.

Her powerful facial expressions, graceful movements coupled with a trance-like melody from her ghungroos captivated the audience.

She began her performance on sufi songs and before moving to thumris- another genre of semi-classical sub-continent music. Born in Lahore and brought up in England, Nighat said she began dancing from a very early age.

Later under the tutelage of legendry kathak dancer Naheed Siddque, she groomed herself. Besides learning ballet and contemporary dance in London, Nighat also took Kathak training from the venerated institution of Kathak Kendra in Delhi, from Pandit Durga Lal of the Jaipur gharana.

During Wednesday’s performance, Chaudhry was followed by renowned ghazal singer Ghulam Abbas.

Abbas sang a slew of his classics before entertaining many requests.

Organised in collaboration with Media Box, the event was as part of effort of Hashoo group to promote classical music, dance and revival of Urdu literature and poetry.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2017.