Culture

Dance drama enthrals audience

by rumana husain | April 30, 2009 at 01:07 am

316 views | 65 Recommendations | 13 comments

The World Dance Day was celebrated in Pakistan yesterday with performances in the major cities including a unique dance-drama called 'Song of Mohen jo Daro' in Karachi's arts council auditorium. With violence happening in parts of the city yesterday in which over 25 people were killed, several injured, and public property was damaged, it was a wonder that this 90 minute ballet, brilliantly choreographed by Sheema Kermani, was attended by a large and appreciative audience. As they say, the show must go on...and it did. The ballet was originally performed in 1992 (with my daughter as one of the child dancers in it), and Sheema has strived to get a lot of the original participants back for this two-day performance with its story depicting life in the Indus Valley city that breathed in 2500 BC.
Here is an excerpt of Huma Yusuf's review in today's Dawn.

We see Mohenjodaro’s residents sowing fields, worshipping at dawn, exercising, celebrating, flirting, and exhilarating in a rainfall after a long dry spell. The most powerful dance sequence shows villagers suffering through a red-hot drought, praying for rain.

Not surprisingly, Kermani herself steals the show with a dance sequence that is part rain dance, part courtship.

Audiences enjoyed the energetic dances – particularly those featuring an all-male line up – as well as a chance to see archetypal characters such as the priest king and the famous dancing girl in living action.

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hussain

at 01:23 on April 30th, 2009

Hope you are not affected by the latest wave of violence in city of lights: Karachi.

rumana husain

at 01:29 on April 30th, 2009

thank you hussain. i have been out today as well. so far so good.

albertacowpoke

at 03:05 on April 30th, 2009

Thank you for this great story amids all the upheaval in this world.

israeli.agent

at 04:07 on April 30th, 2009

Hi Rumana, Thanks for posting this.

Is there any video of this show available in youtube ? Would like to know more about this.

Thank you.

SamirJ

at 05:27 on April 30th, 2009

Good to see a better part of the world in todays times...!!

rumana husain

at 06:05 on April 30th, 2009

thank you for your comments, albertacowpoke, israeli.agent and samirj. i will post a link if the show is available on youtube in the next few days, but as of now, it isnt..

Nauman Umair Khan

at 06:32 on April 30th, 2009

Thanks for this wonderful post, would be waiting anxiously for the video.

Amy Judd

at 07:04 on April 30th, 2009

Amazing that such a wonderful event happened during such a time of conflict. Thanks for this piece.

Rosamin (not verified)

at 13:41 on April 30th, 2009

Wonder bit of coverage, thanks for the news item. Do let me know if the video becomes available.

Fred Miller

at 17:01 on April 30th, 2009

Thanks for the wonderful photos and story, Rumana. It does not amaze me that this took place with all the turmoil because this shows the spirit of your people, determined against all odds to live life to the fullest. I think of the bravery of the soccer matches in Iraq and the re-opening of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai....tomorrow some more will die, who knows where.

Kavita Desai (not verified)

at 18:31 on April 30th, 2009

The little kids in white saris look so cute.. like little angels!

rumana husain

at 21:01 on April 30th, 2009

thank you for the read, the comments and recommendations. i appreciate it. karachi keeps witnessing violence and turmoil from time to time but it happens in pockets, mostly, and the people of this city are quite resilient too, so they rise again...and again.