About you
I am Nahid Siddiqui, from Pakistan and England; I was born in Rawalpindi, grew up in Karachi and went to college in Labore. My parents were basically from the Subcontinent.

When did you start dancing?
I started to learn dancing in 1971, my teacher Maharaj Ghulam Hussasin was in Lahore. I used just to call him Maharaj, and people called him “Babar”. He basically was from Bengol, but came to Pakistan in the 60's. After staying in Karachi he came to Lahore in 1971. He never performed in Pakistan. He learnt from Ustad Azcan Maharaj, who is the father of my second teacher. My second teacher was from India. With the permission of Maharaj “Babar” I went to my second teacher, who was the son of his guru. In classical style or classical tradition, if you change schools, you have to work twice as hard. I didn’t have to do this because my teachers all came from the same school. So I went to my second teacher Bilju Maharaj in India, who was a very well known performer.

Why and when did you go to England?
I was doing a serious serial on classical dance on TV. After partition nothing like this about classical dance had happened. So, in 1978 I was doing a serial on Kathak, with a Bengoli director from PTV. He was a great art supporter and wanted me to record those series. I had to write a letter that we will start the series with regional folk dances. Under that cover we also put the classical dance Kathak. In the beginning it was doing very well but in 1978 Zia ul Haq was taking over. First they hung Bhutto and stopped all artistic activities. All the cheap ones and non sophisticated and non classical were ok, but they stopped my program. The serial had about 30 episodes, but I only did 5 or 6. I was also banned from dancing in that time. Papers said things like I am ruining the young generation or I am an Indian spy.

My husband was already in England and I was so heartbroken, because they didn't allow me to dance anymore. I had to sign a document which stated that I will not dance anywhere, unless the government of Pakistan wants me to. So I signed it and danced everywhere, representing Pakistan obviously. I think what has happened after partition is that we had problems with our identity, we don’t know whether we are Arabs, Americans or what? The label of the state Pakistan was that it is an Islamic state, so they had to proof more than the Arabs, more than anybody else that they are true practicing Muslims. So again, we went thousands of years back, because again a man who is not educated started to rule this nation.

You know, dance is something which is in the blood of people. You can’t take this away, you move, you feel happy, your walk is different. Dance is exactly like you open your arms and reach god. That divinity, which is only reached through soul, is not only physical, it is were we direct our soul, but people work the other way. I have been all over the world, have seen best dancers and worked with them. I was lucky, I learnt so much, but I feel that there are only few artists who are led by their soul. Unless you do that, it doesn’t evoke your spirit; give you anything deeper.

Why are you dancing?
I don’t know, I just wanted to do something which actually consumes me into totality. When I say totality I mean mind, body, soul, heart, I mean there is nothing left behind in dance. You have to use our limps, eyes, everything. You yourself are your instrument.

As a child I danced all the time, I never really thought that it would become my career or profession, still it is not. It is not my profession; it is my love, my passion, my expression. I don’t do it for people, I share it with people and it is lovely that we go somewhere together, if we go. I am sharing the flight which I experience. When I am experiencing peace on stage or in dance, than whoever is in this area should feel the same. I feel it is a great spiritual exercise. I might not be religious, but spiritual, now there is not a great difference but still a lot of differences. I could pray five times a day or just banging the head in the bowl, if I don’t mean it, if it is not coming from my heart I can’t do it.

Dance has made me realize that evoking of the spirit is happening if you have a real calling.

Why people need art? What is the essence of Art?
Well, when does anything starts to become arts? We see the sky everyday; we all see the sky, and the sun and the moon and beautiful trees, sea, mountains, human beings. What is god showing us? His/Her art. We ourselves are the best examples of God’s art. Full of emotions, full of senses, body, soul, mind. That is an art. The organs or the human body is the tool, the technique which god used. It hasn’t become an art yet in that sense, although every organ itself is an art. What I am trying to say, there is something so close to nature, like dance is to beautify the way we are sitting, bring your being into alignment. It becomes Art when your soul and your heart are moved and it is not only about technique anymore. That is art, what moves you, which does something to you.

In Sufism and Islam they talk a lot about self realization, Bulleh Shah, Rumi, Iqbal, ghuti,.. What is that? You can only experience your self through arts, otherwise Saints do it through religion (chillas, go into a cave for 40 years). Arts have those elements of chillas, Very high quality focus. When I am really in it I don’t exist.

Are you having students as well?
I teach here in Lahore at Chitrkar, at home I have one or two students who are really serious. The thing is that I don’t have a lot of time and it is a big responsibility. In England I taught a lot I am going again to Summer-School in August to England. It will be on Choreography, because I choreographed a lot in England, I had a group “Nahid Siddiqui Company” and we toured Europe and other countries. I choreographed about 15 productions. First I taught for many years and then I made these pieces. My style of Kathak is a little bit different than Kathak from other dancers, so it is always important to work together with the dancers for a while and then start making productions.

I have also choreographed for Royal Ballet in England, and a great composer from India Hariprasad Chaurasia composed the music. The piece I chose to do was “Krishna”, it was really a great collaboration between Pakistan, England and India, but nobody knew about it over here.

What could improve the situation if art in Pakistan?
Adult and children education of Arts by proper teachers, by people who are open, teachers who are open to different casts and religions. We are becoming global now, if we make territories we are our own enemy. We all have our own places, homes, but we have to visit each other to learn from each other. I think it should be taught in government schools, with a proper curriculum, colleges, universities, everywhere. What is happening now is, that some private schools are teaching Arts, but not everywhere proper teachers are available. No one is checking that, there should be agencies to check qualities at schools.

They should be concerned about the growth of children, to give them the chance to learn about arts and practice arts. They didn’t grow up in a society which is culturally aware of art, so first you have to make them familiar with this field.

I think there should be a kind of revolution as well towards arts. If I am dancing it is quite revolutionary, I am saying things through my dance, but I am neither a politician nor a fighter.

What are your upcoming projects?
Recently I have had a tour of India, which was a great boost for me after some time, because my second teacher came on stage and blessed me. This was in Delhi Chebur, Amir Fort. I was dancing and feeling that this is the home of Kathak. Rajistan is very rich of dance. For example even Flamenco from Spain somehow comes from Rajistan, the gypsies from Rajistan brought elements of Kathak to Spain, so there is a lot of likeness between Kathak and Flamenco.

Then I am going to England, I have a performance on the 7th of May (2008) in Birmingham (Town Hall). It is a huge dance festival, then I have some more projects for India. I want to go on a research trip, maybe in September. I’d like to go for 3 months to make some research on Kathak and Yoga. I love Yoga, which I do as warm-up before dancing. I am also thinking about writing something about my own experiences.

Are you always playing with the same musicians?
I mostly want to play together with masters of their instruments, because one master is enough and you don’t need a collective. Over here, again, I sometimes have the feeling, that they don’t take it serious. I have two regular musicians, the rest I am changing.

What is your favorite Food?
I am a vegetarian and my favorite foods are Dhal and Dshawal-Dhal.

What is your favorite Music?
I love eastern classical music, ragas, and western classical music as well, I love symphonies and have seen a lot of concerts in England as well. Anything pure, also pure folk.

What kind of events do you attend?
I don’t go to any concert, because I feel it becomes a bit painful to sit through something what you are not looking for, or if there is no quality. I want to be inspired as well.