Nahid Siddiqui

Last updated

Nahid Siddiqui
Nahid Siddiqui.jpg
Born1956 (age 67–68)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Nationality British Pakistani
Education
Occupation(s) Kathak choreographer, dancer
Years active1970s – present
OrganizationsNahid Siddiqui Foundation
Parent Talat Siddiqui (mother)
Relatives
Awards
Website nahidsiddiqui.com

Nahid Siddiqui (born 1956 [1] ) is an exponent of Kathak dance. [2] [3]

Contents

She has been a disciple of two great teachers: Maharaj Kathak (Pakistan) and Birju Maharaj (India). She has against all odds and challenges, spent decades of her life breathing hope, vitality, and exuberance to a dance form that has received very little state patronage and support. Through sheer perseverance, she has not only earned the reputation of a prolific artist but has also singlehandedly set a formidable standard of quality, a refined sensibility of aesthetics, and an intricate system of technical expertise that has received much acclaim all over the world. She is acknowledged for contributing her own style, technique, and expression (Gharana), which is imbued and informed by Islamic and Sufi aesthetics, sensibilities, and longing for ultimate union. [4] Siddiqui is ever-evolving her craft as she performs at major venues, festivals, and television worldwide. [5] [6]

She has been the recipient of several awards, including Pakistan’s Pride of Performance, the UK’s British Cultural Award, and the International Dance Award.she is the main character of the spirtual novel “sitaroon Bhari raat”( The stary night) which is written by Canadian Pakistani writer Waseem Raza Syed. [7] [8]

Early life

Nahid was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in 1956. She is the eldest daughter of actor Talat Siddiqui [9] and Mohammad Bashir Siddiqui. [1] At the age of 3, she moved to Karachi with her parents. Her parents enrolled her in Happy Home School Karachi. In the late 1960s, she moved to Lahore with her parents and joined the University of Home Economics formerly known as Home Economics College.

Life and Works

It was under the tutelage of the distinguished teacher Baba Maharaj, and later, Pandit Birju Maharaj, that Nahid Siddiqui, embarked on a journey to delve deep into Kathak, becoming the only Pakistani to extensively explore the physical and theoretical nuances of this ancient dance form. Nahid started learning Kathak from Baba Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak in 1971. In 1976, Nahid Siddiqui had the honor to travel with the entourage of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and represent Pakistan as a Kathak dancer, embarking on a journey that would make her strive to root and evolve Kathak in Pakistan. [10] She has performed in the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Morocco, and Jordan and has mesmerized and delighted audiences that have often comprised international dignitaries. Some of them were the Late Shah of Iran and Khanum Farah Diba, Chancellor Schmidt of West Germany, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau of Canada, King Hussein of Jordan, and King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan. Payal, a dynamic thirteen-episode visual encyclopedia, aired in 1978, to date remains the only such endeavor in Pakistan in which Nahid Siddiqui collaborated with classical musicians, creating a masterpiece, which shed light on Kathak in a society where there was very little awareness of this art. Payal, however, was banned and taken off air by the military regime after its sixth episode was aired on TV. Nahid Siddiqui has since been symbolic of resistance against extremist ideologies, beautifully using her art to exemplify Islamic culture in a way not seen before. This production is now viewed and studied by ardent Kathak dancers around the world. In England, where she lived in exile, Nahid Siddiqui inculcated the paradigms of Islamic geometry, Sufi poetry, Persian, Arab and Turkic influences in Kathak. Through the in-depth understanding of Islamic geometry, Nahid Siddiqui has greatly enhanced the visual vocabulary of Kathak by striving to find the perfect posture and body alignment to paint evocative lines and compositions. She is one of the very few Kathak dancers' who is renowned for her finesse and immense sophistication in movement. While in England, she provided her students a different perspective of Kathak, which was and is still not being explored in India. In England, she became the first Pakistani to teach at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, (Indian Cultural Centre). She began her teaching career at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham. She launched her dance company and since then has continued to produce professional dancers, some of whom have gone on launch their own companies in England and around the world. Those worth mentions include Late Jahanara Akhlaq, Sonia Kundi, and Simmi Gupta. It is noteworthy to mention that while she was teaching dance in England, she received patronage from the Art Council from 1990 onwards and trained many dancers of western descent. In times of violence, in a country facing an identity crisis, where ancient cultural teachings have been left to decay, she revisited her roots in Pakistan to do her bidding. By showing young Pakistanis the beauty of the ancient arts in a modern and free environment, she gives nourishment to a true culture of the East. Unlike general Kathak endeavors in Pakistan, her technique has a proper curriculum, which in its physical aspect is as strict as ballet. Nahid Siddiqui has been holding lecture demonstrations and workshops in Pakistan. Since 2005, she has taught Kathak at the privately run Lahore Chitrakar and in the department of Musicology at the National College of Arts, Lahore. She has also worked extensively with the prestigious Agha Khan University in Karachi and held workshops there. [11] She continues to live in Lahore, Pakistan and keeps dance alive by holding routine performances for the young audience. She is running her own organization named Nahid Siddiqui Foundation, which works for Dance, Yoga, and Music. [12] [8] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Awards & Achievements

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birju Maharaj</span> Indian dancer, singer, and composer (1938–2022)

Pandit Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj. He also practised Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist. After working along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj at Bhartiya Kala Kendra, later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, he remained head of the latter, for several years, until his retirement in 1998 when he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, also in Delhi.

Pandit Shambhu Maharaj was a Guru of the Lucknow Gharana (school) of the Indian classical dance form, Kathak..Padma Shree Award -1958 Sangeet Natak Academic Award -1967

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uma Sharma</span> Indian dancer

Uma Sharma is a kathak dancer, choreographer and teacher. She is also runs the Bharatiya Sangeet Sadan, Delhi, a classical dance and music academy, situated in New Delhi, founded by her father in 1946. She is most known for reviving the old classical dance form of Natwari Nritya or the Raslila of Brindavan, which later evolved into the Kathak.

Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak was a classical dancer and teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aditi Mangaldas</span> Indian dancer and choreographer

Aditi Mangaldas is a Kathak dancer and choreographer, who is known for her classical Kathak as well as 'contemporary dance based on kathak" repertoire. Mangaldas is hailed as one of the leading dancers in the field of Kathak in India as well as across the world.

National Institute of Kathak Dance, also known as Kathak Kendra, is the premier dance institution for the Indian classical dance form of Kathak, and a unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, situated in New Delhi. Established in 1964, the institution is primarily dedicated to Kathak, though it also offers courses in Hindustani classical music (Vocal) and Pakhawaj and Tabla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra</span> Indian cultural institution

Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) is an Indian cultural institution which runs a school for music, dance and performing arts in New Delhi. It was founded by Sumitra Charat Ram in 1952, and imparts training in Indian classical dance styles and music, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Chhau, Hindustani Classical music, both Vocal and Instrumental. Its associated organisation is the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts at Safdar Hasmi Marg, in the Mandi House area, the cultural hub of Delhi, the centre includes a theater for the performing arts, a theatre repertory company and an acting school.

Zaheen Tahira was a Pakistani film and television actress, producer and director. She also worked for Radio Pakistan and on stage.

Sumitra Charat Ram was a noted Indian arts patron, impresario and the founder of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) established in 1952. She played a key role in the revival of performing arts, especially Kathak, in the post-independence era, for which she received a Padma Shri Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rani Karnaa</span> Indian classical dancer

Rani Karnaa was an Indian classical dancer, known for her proficiency in the Indian dance form of Kathak, and regarded by many as one of the greatest exponents of the art form. She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on her the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alka Nupur</span> Indian actress (born 1957)

Alka Nupur is a former Indian actress who was best known for her contributions to Hindi cinema throughout the 1980s. She appeared in many films throughout her career, including Laawaris (1981), Brij Bhoomi (1982), John Jani Janardhan (1984), and Mohabbat Ke Dushman (1988).

Shobha Deepak Singh is an Indian cultural impresario, photographer, writer, classical dancer and the director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, a Delhi-based cultural organization which promotes music and performing arts, through its schools and stage shows. She is known for her contributions for the revival of Mayurbhanj Chhau, a tribal martial dance form from Odisha. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 1999, for her contributions to Arts and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qasim Riza Shaheen</span> British artist and writer (born 1971)

Qasim Riza Shaheen is a British artist and writer based in Manchester. Working across participatory performance, installation, film and photography, Shaheen's practice explores memory, notions of beauty, sexuality, love and, more broadly, fundamental concerns about human nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushmita Banerjee (dancer)</span>

Sushmita Banerjee is a Kathak exponent, choreographer and dance researcher from India. Sushmita has been under the guidance of Pandit Vijay Shankar and Smt. Maya Chatterjee briefly learned from Pandit Birju Maharaj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uma Dogra</span> Musical artist

Uma Dogra is an Indian exponent of Kathak, an Indian Classical Dance form. She is the senior most disciple of Pt. Durga Lal, the Kathak Maestro from Jaipur Gharana. She is a Kathak soloist, a choreographer and a teacher. She has been performing in India and abroad for more than 40 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nighat Chaudhry</span> Pakistani actress

Nighat Chaudhry was born on 24 February, in Lahore, Pakistan. She moved to London with her parents when she was one year old. She is a trained Sufi & Mystique Kathak classical dancer. She started her journey from London and has been active as a professional Kathak dancer for over three decades. She studied ballet and contemporary dance. She met Nahid Siddiqui aged 14, regarded as one of the greatest Kathak dancers, and trained under her guidance. Inspired to learn the classical forms of her own culture, she abandoned ballet to understand and absorb the nuances of the style. This required her to be closer to its origins and she moved back to Pakistan.

Zareen Panna, also known as Panna or Zarrin is a Pakistani actress and former classical dancer. She acted in both Urdu and Punjabi films.

Rehana Siddiqui was a Pakistani actress. She was known for her roles in dramas Zameen, Fasad Ki Jar, Takmeel, Machalay Ka Sauda, Saat Bhiraie and Barson Baad.

Adeeba Nazeer, also known as Talat Siddiqui was a Pakistani actress and singer. She acted in both Urdu and Punjabi films and is known for her roles in films Ishq-e-Habib (1965), Kon Kisi Ka (1966), Lori (1966), Yaar Maar (1967), Chacha Ji (1967), Behan Bhai (1968), Ladla (1969), Andaleeb (1969), Umrao Jan Ada (1972), Baghi Tay Farangi (1976).

References

  1. 1 2 "Siddiqui, Nahid". Nahid Siddiqui. Oxford University Press. 10 November 2020. ISBN   978-0-19-517369-7. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Nahid Siddiqui: A 'katha' of this life". 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Magazine, Brown Girl (26 October 2016). "Muslims in the Hindu Dancing Arts: A History". India News, Breaking News | India.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Global Marriages? How Some Biz Girls Escaped Them! | MISCELLANEOUS - MAG THE WEEKLY". magtheweekly.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Nahid Siddiqui". Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Rajan, Anjana (15 December 2013). "Inner landscapes". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2020– via www.thehindu.com.
  7. ↑ "Reclaiming space | Special Report | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Kathak dance: In the mystical world of Nahid Siddiqui". The Express Tribune. 28 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Talat Siddiqui – Cineplot.com". Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Katha of the Soul – World renowned Kathak dancer Nahid Siddiqui – program at Aga Khan University". 28 March 2007. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Nahid Siddiqui | Special Lecture Series | The Aga Khan University". www.aku.edu. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Rajan, Anjana (15 December 2013). "Inner landscapes". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Siddiqui, Nahid (29 September 2016). "How dance icon Nahid Siddiqui defied a ban on her artform". q (Interview). Interviewed by Candy Palmater. CBC Radio. Archived from the original on 30 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Pursuing Pauses with Patience at Angikam Seminar". The Dance Current - Canada's Dance Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Schedule - BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Ahmed, Shoaib (30 April 2014). "A dancing ovation to Nahid Siddiqui". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Vellat, Anuradha (8 November 2020). "Taking the pandemic in their stride". Deccan Herald . Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Nahid Siddiqui: A 'katha' of this life". The News). 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Kathak: The joy of flight". The Tribune). 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  20. ↑ "IAWRT Seminar 2014 HUM GUNAHGAAR". Archive.ORG). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  21. ↑ "Popular actor sisters of the artist family". IrshadGul). 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Alhamra to hold programme for Nahid Siddiqui". The News). 4 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "Katha of the Soul – World renowned Kathak dancer Nahid Siddiqui – program at Aga Khan University". IsmailiMail). 19 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  24. ↑ "Nahid Siddiqui". NoRegime). 28 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Lux Style Awards – A Night To Be Remembered!". The Nation). 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  26. ↑ "Milapfest hosts a successful National Indian Arts Awards third year in a row". Asian Voice). 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.