by ADITI BHADURI
With her large flashing eyes rimmed with kohl and flowing hair, she is the quintessential dancer. Despite her chain-smoking, she is the picture of health and surprisingly agile. But then again, she has been breaking down traditional stereotypes for years as an acclaimed dancer in a country where dancing is frowned upon. Moreover, she has distinguished herself by performing “Hindu” dances in a country whose arch-rival is “Hindu India”.
Pakistani danseuse Sheema Kermani, who has used her passion for dance to create Tehrik-e-Niswan (The Women’s Movement) to fight for women’s rights in her country where they are under duress, has now turned to bridging the divide between Pakistan and India. She spoke with me recently while on a goodwill tour to Kolkata, India (and again via email following the recent terror attack in Pune) about how she came to learn “Hindu” dance forms and why she is performing in India when ties between the two neighbors are at their lowest. Her work couldn’t come at a more critical time – today in New Delhi, the foreign secretaries of both countries will finally resume talks for the first time since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Women’s International Perspective for more