I think Muslim men see my dancing as a challenge to them, says Sheema Kermani
The extraordinary dancer talks about how her craft fared under General Zia's regime and more. —Photo by author
I had the pleasure of interviewing classical dancer and performer extraordinaire Sheema Kermani in Karachi some time ago.
Seeing Kermani perform in Pakistan is always a pleasure because her performances are a celebration of the cultural history of this part of the world that dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. Kermani hosted a two day dance festival at the Arts Council of Karachi, Pakistan to packed audiences followed by well-deserved standing ovations on both days.
Kermani hosted a two day dance festival at the Arts Council of Karachi, Pakistan to a packed house. —Photo by author
Here, she talks about her childhood, her beliefs and what she'd do differently if she could go back in time.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My father belonged to well-established aristocratic family of UP, Lucknow, India. Originally the family is from Kerman in Iran and migrated to India where they settled in UP.
My mother’s family was from Hyderabad Deccan and my maternal grandfather was a District Sessions Judge in Hyderabad, Deccan, India.
My father after having graduated from Aligarh University joined the British India army as a commissioned officer. Then in 1947 he opted for Pakistan and came here as a member of the Pakistan Army. In 1949 he went back to India to get married. My father retired as a Brigadier from the army and then was the chairman of KESC till his retirement.
I was born the second of three children. I have an elder brother and a younger sister. My early education was in the convent schools of the cantonments where my father would be posted. Because of the frequent and many postings all over the country, we as children managed to see most of Pakistan, and because my grandparents were in India we used to travel by train every summer holidays and visit them there. So we had a great exposure to both India and Pakistan.
It was our early exposure to Indian classical dance and music that we had on our visits to Hyderabad, and to Western classical music of which my father was very fond of, that stirred my interest in the arts. As a young girl I had studied Western classical music and read all the classical literature that was available. My parents also gave us a wonderful exposure to the world of dance, drama and music.