Sufismand Kathak Break into a Dance

In Sufi Kathak, the human body outlives its form and the surrender manifests itself in the form of dance. Manjari Chaturvedi, a pioneer of this dance form, is breaking barriers

ART, THEY SAY, TRANSCENDS ALL BOUNDARIES. So when Man-jari Chaturvedi made her maiden performance in Sufi Kathak at the opening of the Srinagar Sufi Festival recently, she was not unduly bothered about barriers.

8216;8216;Music and dance have no boundaries and Sufi music is all about spreading the message of universal brotherhood. But never have I felt it more strongly than after my performance at the Sher-i-Kashmir In-ternational Convention Centre8212;a mem-ber from the audience said my perfor-mance had reminded him of the dhamaal that one often witnessed at Sufi shrines in the Valley. I have never been so touched,8217;8217; says the Lucknow-born danseuse who first conceptualised this unique dance form eight years ago.

Proud that hers was the only dance per-formance at the festival, Manjari says the pains she took to create her compositions has paid off. 8216;8216;I wanted to take something from Avadh to Srinagar and drive home the message that there is a bond that links us all. I took along Avadhi musicians who sang a composition of Hazrat Amir Khus-rau and Hazrat Shah Niyaz,8217;8217; she says.

There are not many who understand the concept of Sufi Kathak. But that did not deter Manjari, a trained disciple of Pandit Arjan Mishra, from walking off the beaten path. 8216;8216;As against Temple Kathak or Darbari Kathak, I chose to incorporate Sufism into Kathak as a formof meditation.8217;8217;

Simplicity is the keyword of Sufi Kathak. Manjari has even designed a new costume for it. With loose, flowing pyjamas called peshwas, a loose kurta and dupatta, colour is entirely missing from the costume which is usually in off-white or black. There is only one composition where Manjari is seen in fiery red as the bride devout decked for her beloved Almighty.

8216;8216;Many are surprised to see the costume, which has been designed to add to the formlessness of the dance,8217;8217; Manjari con-fesses. 8216;8216;But the beauty or adornment of a dancer is only a temporary attrac-tion.

It is the energy of the dance and the vibes that ultimately count. Attention is deliberately drawn away from the female figure here,8217;8217; she explains.

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Manjari hasal so managed to revive old compositions nearly lost through commercialisation of folk traditions. To begin with, she uses live artistes8212;Sufi qawwals of Kashmiri, Avadhi and Iranian descent and Rajasthani manganiars to ac-company her performance. 8216;8216;The trance-like state thus attained is also part of the evolution of the danceform.Youhave tobe in sync with your musicians to collectively attain that high.It is a complete surrender to the Almighty and not an easy task.8217;8217;

8216;8216;In Sufi Kathak, the concept of the beauty of the imageless beloved becomes the guiding factor for me. The hu-man body outlives its formand the surrender becomes my dance,8217;8217; she explains.

Over the years, Manjari has built a small but strong cadre of fans who are not just middle-aged connoisseurs of poetry and dance. What more, Sufi Kathak is fast gain-ing international appeal. No doubt, Manjari is dancing in joy.