"When I dance I become one with the cosmos - there is no 'me' left. Dance is not an act for me. Rather, it is becoming or being the act. It is as if eternity itself is making me move," This was said by Ms Nahid Siddiqui, the world-renowned 'Kathak' dancer and choreographer, who was speaking on the topic 'Katha of the Soul' as part of the Special Lecture Series (SLS), organised by Aga Khan University in Karachi.
The appreciative audience included several members of the city's fine arts fraternity and journalists taking full advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about the finer points of this great art form. Explaining the 'katha' - that is 'story' - of the soul, Ms Siddiqui said that dance is in fact a "complete art form, allowing for total freedom through which an individual may express their own spirit." She gave examples of other types of dance, such as that of the sufianic dance of the 'Mevlavis', the whirling dervishes, who, in the tradition of the great Jalaluddin Rumi, lose their own selves in the devotional expression of their spirit.
Continuing the 'katha', Ms Siddiqui said that while she is "rooted in the classical tradition of the Kathak dance form, she also expresses "emotions, themes and vocabulary according to my own aesthetics". Elaborating, she talked on the blending of traditional and contemporary techniques, which indeed has contributed a no small part to the 'katha' of Kathak. True Kathak, she said, is that which comes from one's very soul and thus soul and Kathak are inextricably linked. She explained that dance is something she feels, and treats as an act of devotion.
Ms Siddiqui's talk was interspersed with demonstrations of body movements, impressing the audience with the sheer intricacy and meaning, of each subtle delicate movement.
The talk was followed by an enthusiastic question-and-answer session. In spite of the limitation of time, Ms Siddiqui responded to questions by going into the minute background of the subject in order to enhance the comprehension and knowledge.
AKU's Special Lecture Series programme is a part of its policy of encouraging broad-based education in which eminent personalities are invited to illuminate the University's constituencies on meaningful and engaging topics of public interest.
Past speakers have included H.R.H. Prince Hasan of Jordan; renowned authority on comparative religion Ms Karen Armstrong, Professor Stanley Wolpert (author of 'Jinnah of Pakistan'), Ambassador Dr Maleeha Lodhi, art educator Salimah Hashmi and renowned poet Ahmad Faraz, Sufi singer Abida Parveen, among others.
