Artists come together to dance away differences

T2F holds an event to celebrate World Dance Day being marked today.

KARACHI:

Dances not only entertain, they also crosse political, cultural and ethnic barriers to unite and inspire people via a common language - music and movement.

On Saturday, a group of semi-professional and professional dancers came together to stage a dance show, Raqs mein hai sara jahan [The world is dancing], in commemoration of the International Dance Day, being celebrated all over the world today [Monday].

The event held at T2F showcased dance performances of multiple talented artists. “The main idea behind the event was to inculcate an appreciation of the often forgotten genres of dance among the audience,” Suhaee Abro, a professional dancer and the brains behind the event, told The Express Tribune. “Dance is not only what you see in Bollywood movies - it is an expressive form of highly specialised art, requiring years of practical training. It is important for the audience to recognise the contemporary genres which are essentially a part of our cultural heritage.”

Eastern classical

Dancers Suhaee Abro and Munawar Chao were among those who performed at T2F. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

The event kicked off with Abro performing an Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam. The rhythmic movements of Abro’s hands and feet and her facial expressions and gestures won the audience over instantly. The young dancer, who has already made a name for herself in the field, was effortless in her movements.

The second act was a duet based on the traditional classic ‘Thillana’ routine, performed by Abro and veteran artist Munawar Chao.

Sufi, contemporary dance

The dances that followed were based on Sufi and contemporary dance routines which were performed by artists Rajab Ali Sayed, Joshinder Chaggar and Abro, who once again captivated the audience with their fluently executed routines.



“People find it easy to relate to contemporary dance as it is a lot less technical and involves storytelling through expressive body movements. People actually came up to me after the show to tell me they had been emotionally moved by the performance,” said Rajab Ali Sayed, a part-time dancer and visual arts graduate from the National College of Arts.

“Being a visual artist by profession, I think dance can be described as a moving canvas, where I can physically express my ideas to the audience.”

Folk

Veteran dancer/performer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khaista Khan was among those who performed at T2F. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

The event saved the best for the last - folk dances. The first performance was by Khaista Khan, a veteran dancer/performer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The artist, dressed in traditional Pakhtun attire, performed a contemporary Pashto dance routine which, although simple, was bursting with vim and vigor.

The audience was taken outside T2F for the finale of the show - an enthralling performance by the Leva Folk Dance Group, a troop comprising five members from Lyari.

The dancers performed the traditional Balochi celebratory folk dance which was filled with energy and vibrancy. Their routine featured several stunts, including fire breathing, which ended the night of dancing delights.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.