KARACHI: The two-day Karachi dance festival organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, begins today and will feature 150 performers from different parts of the country. All major forms of dance, including classical, contemporary and folk, will be presented at the event.

This was announced by president of the council Ahmed Shah at a press conference on Thursday.

Mr Shah said 50 years ago, there used to be 20 to 30 music and dance academies in the city. Then things changed. Today, there are a handful of people who privately teach dance.

Highlighting the significance of dance, he likened the rhythmic aspect of the art form to the universe in motion, suggesting movement is a sign of life. Dance is an integral part of culture through which artists express themselves.

Giving details of the show, Mr Shah said though the name of the event is Karachi Dance Festival, it’s a national festival. Art lovers will see seasoned artists from all across the country perform on stage.

They include the likes of Nighat Chaudhry, Sheema Kermani and Wahab Shah. Apart from them, dance groups from Chakwal, Sahiwal and Lahore will be showcasing their talent in Karachi for the first time. Panel discussions and workshops have also been included in the programme.

There will be a red carpet ceremony on opening day so that the media is able to interact with the performers. The first performance on Friday will involve all dance troupes. The governor of Sindh has been requested to inaugurate the festival.

Mr Shah said the council has been organising one-off dance shows, for example as part of its youth festivals. But this time around, a whole event has been dedicated to the art form. If the festival proves to be a successful endeavour, then the council will organise an international dance festival next year.

Mr Shah praised the technical director of the event, Mani Chao, for working on the project for the last two months.

Replying to a question, he said there is no entry fee for the show(s). Members of the audience will only have to submit a copy of their ID cards to enter.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2017