{"id":22214,"date":"2021-04-03T13:25:03","date_gmt":"2021-04-03T02:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/?p=22214"},"modified":"2021-04-03T16:31:12","modified_gmt":"2021-04-03T05:31:12","slug":"a-pioneer-of-bharatanatyam-dance-in-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/a-pioneer-of-bharatanatyam-dance-in-pakistan\/","title":{"rendered":"A pioneer of Bharatanatyam dance in Pakistan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By: Wali Imran Khan, Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>Sheema Kirmani is without a doubt a passionate one-woman army.&nbsp;She is Pakistan\u2019s not only a Bharatanatyam Classical Dancer but is also a social mobilizer, a feminist, a mentor, and an Actor \u2013 all rolled into one.&nbsp;Like Asma Jehangir before her, she is the only one to openly defy regressive norms in Pakistani society \u2013 and that takes guts.<\/p>\n<h2>Sheema&#8217;s Intellectual conviction<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cfor arts to flourish, you must have freedom of expression\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAnybody who questions anything is termed a blasphemer, then you can be killed\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cI have never understood how dance and music can be defined through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/how2havefun.com\/pakistan-news\/6-principles-religions\">religious categorizations<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>\u2013 what is Hindu dance and what is Islamic dance?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The subtle but powerful revolutionary words used in her ballads are half the battle.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fehmida Riaz \u201cRaqs Karo\u201d dedicated to Matriarchy and strong women<\/li>\n<li>Sarojini Naidu\u2019s Palanquin Bearers<\/li>\n<li>Faiz Ahmad Faiz\u2019s Intesaab \u201cdedication\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Faiz Sahib\u2019s Dasht-e-Tanhai \u201cthe desert of loneliness\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jRTNdARyh28\" width=\"638\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Sheema Kirmani\u2019s background<\/h2>\n<p>Born to an over-achiever family in 1951 that rubbed shoulders with our founding fathers, this daughter of an Army Brigadier father an<em><strong>d&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/exhibit\/pakistani-women-of-arts-and-culture-the-citizens-archive-of-pakistan\/NQKi6VANmhCzLA?hl=en\">social activist mother<\/a>, has the right mix of empathy and discipline to do something for people.&nbsp;Call her a rabble-rouser, a social militant, a renegade, or a deviant, no one can deny the lady\u2019s guts that would put the burliest General to Shame.<\/p>\n<p>Her Bharatanatyam Kathak dance is just an expression of her willingness to take the unbeaten path of freedom for her pet project \u2013 women.<\/p>\n<h2>Tehrik-e-Niswan (women\u2019s movement)<\/h2>\n<p>This woman started \u201cTehrik e Niswan,\u201d when the dictator Zia ul Haq was still whipping dissidents in the streets and forcing systematic exploitation of women down our throats.<\/p>\n<p>These are reasons why everyone should see Sheema Kirmani dance show at least once before we lose this priceless gem too.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22216\" src=\"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema3.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema3-250x194.jpg 250w, https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema3-150x116.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Sheema Kirmani\u2019s Courage.<\/h2>\n<p>You cannot be a performing artist in Pakistan and not be ridiculed or threatened.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI have received threats right from the beginning\u201d \u2013 and it has been 40 years since.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At least she dared to take the challenge to the enemy\u2019s doorstep.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sheema Kirmani performed the Dhamaal dance right after a suicide bombing of Sehwan Sharif Shrine so that the loving spirit of Sufi musical order is not diminished.<\/li>\n<li>The lady defied objections by the established order in Pakistan by paying glowing tributes to other human rights giant Asma Jehangir at the Faiz Aman Mela. Here she said \u201cpeace, harmony, and equality\u201d will come from sharing and loving one another.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Her quest to perfect dance started since she was 13, and is now considered a pioneer of Bharatanatyam dance in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThere is nothing in the Quran (ic) text that prohibits Dance\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/how2havefun.com\/pakistan-news\/7-ways-to-listen-to-intuition-your-inner-voice-of-god\">I believe in what I am doing<\/a>.<\/strong>&nbsp;I thought it was the truth and still think it is a profound art form. I do not think dance, music, and performing art has harmed anyone. In contrast, it has always promoted love, peace, good health, and will. I rose above whatever criticism came\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe performing arts provokes people to think and change their lives\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22217\" src=\"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema4.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema4-250x173.jpg 250w, https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Sheema4-150x104.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Her love for Indus Valley Culture<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cwhat I try to do is to create something that we can call a Pakistani classical dance, that means something to me and women\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIt is so much part of the culture that dates back to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/how2havefun.com\/travel\/6-must-see-unesco-sites-in-pakistan\"><strong>Moen Jo Daro and Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong><\/a>. The artifacts and sculptures found were of dancing girls, figures in yoga postures and history deeply talk about it. They found masks that indicted theater and puppetry\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Her eye on Pakistani society\u2019s health<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cIt was different during Zia\u2019s time. Only the state was trying to impose puritanical Islam on people. The public was not that closed-minded. Now, after years of incorrect teachings, the public has become illiberal<\/li>\n<li>\u201cReligious fundamentalism has seeped into people\u2019s way of life more than ever before. The enemy is now obscure\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Read more about her at <a href=\"https:\/\/how2havefun.com\/pakistan-news\/sheema-kirmani-dance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Watching Sheema Kirmani dance is a treat &#8211; How 2 Have Fun<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Related Images:<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Wali Imran Khan, Pakistan. Sheema Kirmani is without a doubt a passionate one-woman army.&nbsp;She is Pakistan\u2019s not only a Bharatanatyam Classical Dancer but is also a social mobilizer, a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":22215,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[151,162,55,67,66],"tags":[1078,1079,1080,596,1077],"class_list":["post-22214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-and-exhibitions","category-pakistani-hindus","category-interfaith","category-national-team","category-hinduism-news","tag-bharat-natyanm","tag-indus-valley","tag-moen-jo-daro","tag-pakistan","tag-sheema-kimrani","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22214"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22214"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22224,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22214\/revisions\/22224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwip.com.au\/hcaold\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}