Sufismand Kathak Break into a Dance

By Shirin Abbas - Indian Express - New Delhi, India
Sunday, June 25, 2006

Art, they say, transcends all boundaries. So when Manjari Chaturvedi made her maiden performance in Sufi Kathak at the opening of the Srinagar Sufi Festival recently, she was not unduly bothered about barriers.

‘‘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 International Convention Centre a member from the audience said my performance had reminded him of the dhamaal that one often witnessed at Sufi shrines in the Valley. I have never been so touched,’’ says the Lucknow-born danseuse who first conceptualised this unique dance form eight years ago.

Proud that hers was the only dance performance at the festival, Manjari says the pains she took to create her compositions has paid off. ‘‘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 Khusrau and Hazrat Shah Niyaz,’’ 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. ‘‘As against Temple Kathak or Darbari Kathak, I chose to incorporate Sufism into Kathak as a formof meditation.’’

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).

‘‘Many are surprised to see the costume, which has been designed to add to the formlessness of the dance,’’ Manjari con-fesses. ‘‘But the beauty or adornment of a dancer is only a temporary attraction.
It is the energy of the dance and the vibes that ultimately count. Attention is deliberately drawn away from the female figure here,’’ she explains.

Manjari hasal so managed to revive old compositions nearly lost through commercialisation of folk traditions. To begin with, she uses live artistes—Sufi qawwals of Kashmiri, Avadhi and Iranian descent and Rajasthani manganiars to ac-company her performance. ‘‘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.’’

‘‘In Sufi Kathak, the concept of the beauty of the imageless beloved becomes the guiding factor for me. The human body outlives its formand the surrender becomes my dance,’’ 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.