17-year-old Suhaee Abro’s charcoal black eyes shine with a dream — the dream to become the greatest classical dancer ever.
Daughter of the talented poetess and writer Attiya Dawood and artist Khuda Bux Abro, Suhaee says she’s privileged to have been raised in an environment where creativity flows freely, exposure is wide and there are no restrictions.
“My mother says that I could dance even before I could walk,” she says in her soft voice. “In fact, my mom was the one who spotted my inclination towards dance and convinced classical dancer extraordinaire, Sheema Kirmani, a family friend, to teach me.
Suhaee has been under Sheema Kirmani’s wing ever since she was seven and has proved to be one of her prize pupils. “Sheemaji’s been my inspiration; she’s influenced everything — from the way I walk to the way I talk,” says Suhaee about her mentor.
Even though Suhaee has learnt and performed Kathak, Manpuri, Odissi and other folk dances, her passion is Bharatanatyam, which is an ancient form of Indian classical dance, originating from Tamil Nadu, in South India. “I’m drawn to everything about this dance form — the pronounced and precise movements, the exaggerated and larger-than-life expressions, the bright costumes — they lure me,” Suhai confesses, shyly.
Being a soft, reserved individual, Suhaee believes that it is through Bharatanatyam that she is able to express her emotions and feelings. “Society’s norms do not let an individual freely convey what they are going through. When I dance I become oblivious to my surroundings; time and place disappear into nothing and I reveal my joys, frustrations and dreams through my dance. After every performance I find myself in a trance which is hard to snap out of. My return from stage to reality takes long,” she admits ruefully.
One is unable to believe that such focus and dedication comes from a girl who is but a teenager. “While I was growing up, I had a tough time relating to children my age. They could never understand my obsession with dance. While other kids would be partying, I would be at rehearsals.” She admits that she’s sacrificed a lot of friendships yet, she never regrets choosing dance over everything else. Today she finds herself with a group of select friends who not only understand her zeal but respect her for it.
She discloses that she finds it cumbersome juggling her academics and dance. “I know that studying is important and I have to really make an effort at college. But even when I’m trying to study, I find myself daydreaming about dance,” she justifies with a gentle shrug.
Emotional and sensitive that she is, Suhaee minces no words when she reveals that without dance in her life she’d rather die. “I had an accident in October last year while shooting for a TV darama, when I fell through the roof of a building. I couldn’t dance for three whole months and I felt completely disoriented.”
With over 40 dance performances under her belt, Suhaee has gracefully branched out into acting, having performed lead roles in several of Hum TV’s women-oriented plays and telefilms like ‘Guddi and Shali’ where hardcore issues like child rape and marriage have been tackled. Strikingly eastern with her dusky skin and raven black silky hair, she has also featured in Shima Kirmani’s music video and documentaries.
Since last year, this ambitious teenager has begun to choreograph and direct her own solo dances which she performs for a select audience at a local café cum art gallery. Her upcoming performance to celebrate Women’s Day is called ‘Uraan Say Pehlay’ which she has choreographed using her mother’s poetry. “This is going to be a fusion of classical, Sufi and contemporary dance.” She even admits to writing poetry herself, singing and painting, but claims that her work is too personal to make public.
Suhaee has relentlessly dreamt of being accepted at the Kalakshetra, which is one of the best schools for training world-class Bharatanatyam dancers located in Chennai, India. “I have lived with this dream for a decade. I have wanted to grow up quickly so that I could become eligible to go to the Kalakshetra.” She hopes fervently that she is accepted next year and gets a student visa to go beyond the border to pursue her goal. She says that there are no dance schools here to teach advanced dance. “Everyone goes abroad,” she explains with resignation. “Sheemaji learnt from the Ghanshams, but they were driven away during General Zia’s era.”
Even at a tender age, Suhaee has always sensed the disrespect which is aimed towards people who are in the performing arts. “When people ask me what I want to do with my life and I tell them that I’m learning dance, they shake their heads patronisingly and ask me what I’m going to be studying professionally.”
She laments the fact that people in our country are unaware that dance is an entire science and that one can do their Ph.D in dance. She wishes to pursue this doctorate in future.
Suhaee notices that it is only the elite who can pay for dance classes. “Someday when I’m confident enough to teach, I want to take such girls under my wing who can’t afford expensive dance courses but simply love to dance.” It is girls like Suhai who prove that women in Pakistan have the courage to live their dreams too.