KARACHI: Given the cultural denunciation attached to classical dancing in the country, the art form has struggled to earn a reputation of respect and admiration. Undeterred by the discouraging state of affairs, 18-years-old Leila Rasul Khan on Saturday evening performed her arangetram after 12-years of training under the tutelage of renowned classical dancer and activist Sheema Kermani.

An arangetram is essentially a stage dance debut of a student after she has completed many years of formal training, and when the guru feels that the disciple is now ready for a solo public performance, explained Ms Kermani. “This is perhaps the very first arangetram that has ever taken place in Pakistan. There are other artists performing but no one in my knowledge has officially performed an arangetram like this before,” she told Dawn.

Displaying the complete repertoire of the classical Bharatnatyam dance form at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi, Ms Khan performed an hour-long recital that began with ‘Pushpanjali’ — an offering of flowers and obeisance to the gods, to the earth and the guru.

While most of the Bharatnatyam bhajans are composed in Carnatic music style in Tamil or Telugu, this particular Shabdam was set to a poem — Kahniya Ji Ka Raas — by the great Urdu poet Nazir Akbarabadi. Encap—sulating a scene from the Hindu-Muslim cultural setting near the Jumna, the expressive dance piece followed the devotional lyrics in praise of Lord Krishna and the sound of this flute.

“The word Bharatnatyam does not originate from Bharata, meaning India,’’ said Ms Kermani. “It is a combination of the Tamil words Bhava (expression), Raaga (melody) and Taaga (rhythm).”

The recital featured a combination of choreographies from Ms Kermani and her guru, Ghanysham.

As the repertoire progressed towards the concluding elements, Ms Khan captured traditional symbolism of a human soul longing for the Supreme Being represented by her beloved, or nayaka, evoking manifestations of Sufism.

“Dance and other art forms were created to maintain emotional stability and balance of thoughts. Our society would be far less violent if it was more conducive to the expression of arts,’’ said Ms Kermani in her concluding address.

“I sincerely hope I am able to carry my guru’s legacy forward and am able to contribute to the art community in the coming years,” said Khan.

The performance was attended by various intellectuals, students and art admirers of all ages.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2017