KARACHI: It was poetry in motion, literally and figuratively. Words appeared to sway like jocund trees on a breezy evening.

Teenage artiste Suhaee Abro’s brilliant dance performance based on her mother Attiya Dawood’s poems, ably complemented by young musicians and vocalists enthralled the audience at T2F on Saturday. The theatrical dance show was titled ‘Uraan Se Pehlay’, a phrase taken from one of Attiya Dawood’s nazms.

The dances were choreographed in such a way that the symbolic interpretation of the poems and the aesthetic aspect of the performing art were not compromised. This became evident when in the very first act Suhaee (who has learnt classical dance from Sheema Kermani) made her entry covered with a black chador as one of the vocalists recited with a great degree of intensity, “Maan… rasmon aur riwajon wali orhni wapus le le”. The performance ebbed and flowed with shades of melancholy accompanied by the wailing and moaning of the sarangi and the more pronounced progression of the bass guitar. When the tempo was upped, she in a gesture of defiance, towards the end of the stint, threw away the chador to prove emancipation.

The next bit “Larki ne qurbangah per sar rakhney se inkar ker dia hai” was equally powerful, but with a romantic tinge in the dancer’s moves. It was aided by the well-sung “Pia tosey nain miley”. Next up was the poem “Main hath mein hath daley”, construed with a thumping, frenzied beat that changed the mood of the hitherto heard compositions. This was followed by “Piyar tum mujh se be shak kertey ho”. Suhaee’s eyes became more expressive in the recital, nicely exhibiting a mixed feeling of fear and yearning.

Then she was seen perched on a table with hands shielding her face like a book. It was a difficult bit to pull off, both dance-wise and musically. But the young musicians and the dancer managed it pretty well.

The last interpretation was of Attiya’s famous poem “Piyar zaroor kerna”, which wrapped up the show.

The young musicians and vocalists who took part in the event were Sara Nisar, Aimen Tariq, Ahsan Bari, Sohaib Lari, Ali Haider Habib, Abdul Aziz Kazi, Gul Mohammad and Sara Haider. They, along with Suhaee Abro, showed they had tremendous potential and could make it big in the realm of performing arts.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...