The International Dance Festival 2014 began at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad before a packed hall. The festival this year – A Divine Journey – comprises a remarkable amalgamation of traditions, styles and disciplines of dance from around the world.
The first day of the festival began with performances by Adnan Jahangir and Shayma Saiyid. Adnan is a talented dancer and choreographer from Pakistan who started learning Kathak from Bina Jawwad in 1999 and has since then performed nationally and internationally.
Shayma Saiyid trained under Mahraj Ghulam Hussain for seven years in Lahore starting at the age of six. In Karachi she continued Kathak training under Nighat Chaudhry and Odissi training with Sheema Kermani.
She performed two pieces, one an excerpt choreographed by Jahanara Akhlaq and the second a Kathak performance in Raag Rageshri, Ektaal choreographed by Nighat Chaudhry.
The next two performers presented a fusion of the traditional and avant garde, with their talented routines
Navtej Johar, an exponent of Bharatanatyam and Nahid Siddiqui, the face of Kathak in Pakistan.
The last piece by the duo was a tribute to Punjab.
Performing to a Kaafi of Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah, the two dancers bridged the gap between Bharatanatyam and Kathak.
The show ended with a performance by Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam, an Iranian modern dancer and choreographer who enthralled the audience with his theatrical and interpretative piece. His movements reflected a multitude of mental and emotional states and their placement in society.
