Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: February 09, 2022 | 
| 中文
Sheema Kermani dancing with her troupe
It is not often that one sits down for an interview and no question seems like the right way to start the conversation. That was exactly what it was like talking to Sheema Kermani. Just a couple of days after wrapping up her Tehreek-i-Niswan’s Tilism Festival, a celebration of 45 years of bridging change through theatre and dance, Sheema was gracious enough to let us into her home. We then proceeded to have a no holds barred conversation about her 50-year-long dance career.
“It all started with my parents, to be honest, they were both people born and brought up in undivided India and had a keen interest in arts and culture. They got married a few years after independence, and inculcated a life full of arts and culture for us. In the summers, both my siblings and I would travel to India with our mother, and there she would learn to dance and make little sketches of her steps so that she could practice once back home,” Sheema recalled her involvement with the arts.
Young Sheema
Talking about her first brush with formal training in the arts, Sheema said: “I was quite young when my father decided I should be trained in Western classical music, and I played the piano for seven to eight years with a teacher. All that time I had the dream of becoming an artist and I studied for it.”
“When I turned 13, I started learning dance with Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam, who were both trained in classical dance. I continued to learn from them, all the while also showing interest in becoming a painter. Once I was done with my A Levels, I decided to go away to Croydon College of Art, London, to study fine arts and took a break from dance.”
Sheema with her dance Guru, late Mr. Ghanshyam
“During my time in London, I was exposed to the rise of the feminist movement and that really inspired me so once I was back, I formed Tehreek-i-Niswan. First, we tried to bring about change through lectures and seminars, and that did not really work, because the people we were trying to reach out to did not have the understanding or the attention span required for that kind of a long and serious discussion.
Talking about her first trip to India to learn dance and newer techniques, she said: “Soon after circumstances were such that I took my dance instructors’ blessing and travelled to India to learn the Bharatanatyam dance form in more detail. “I grabbed ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) scholarship and studied Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson, Kathak under Ram Mohan and Odissi under Guru Mayadhar Raut and Aloka Pannikar in India.”
Sheema speaks at the Women of the World Festival
While I was away (In India), the Zia era happened. Wearing ghungroos (jewelry tied to the feet of classical dancers in the Subcontinent) was banned. I had my first private solo performance in 1984, in spite of threats from religious extremist groups, people showed up and saw me dance. That’s when I realized that in times like these, just choosing the right to express oneself through an art form is considered a political move. That is when I decided to use dance as a form of political activism.”
“That is also when we turned Tehreek-i-Niswan into a mobile theatre. From then up till now, we go from locality to locality and perform short naataks (plays) that are about social issues, and the people watching our performance tell us about their problems, and we then go back to educate them about those problems via theatre. We do this almost every other week, and the impact has been such that the ball has finally started rolling, people are finally talking about equal rights, even those who oppose them have to talk about them when giving their opinion, and that’s what matters.”
Sheema and her group performing at the Tilism Festival
“When Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister, I had expectations that she would encourage my craft. I met her and performed at the first-ever female leader's conference in Pakistan, and discussed with her the need to have space for a dance school. She made promises, but as these political things go, it never came to fruition. The only time after that when I felt like there was a chance for the arts and culture to grow was in the time of President Musharraf, and at the time NAPA was also formed, but I decided against asking a former military leader for a favour. At times I regret it, but most times I don’t.”
One of the most iconic Sheema Kermani moments was in 2017 after the deadly blast at Sehwan, that left countless people dead and so many others injured. February 16 and the day after that, were the only nights when Dhamaal stopped at Sehwan, but with fire in her eyes, Sheema Kermani was seen dancing at the shrine. Recalling that day with tears in her eyes, Sheema said: “I danced so that the dance never stops at Sehwan. I danced because I could not let them (the terrorists) win. I danced for the people of Sehwan and to keep the sanctity of the mazaar (shrine) alive.”
Sheema does Dhamal at Sehwan
“When I first heard of the blast, I was in shock, which soon turned into anger and that soon drove me to do something about it. So, I did what I do best, I danced. I loaded up a van with musicians, we took no media with us and we travelled to Sehwan. All the way to the shrine, I got countless calls from friends and family telling me to not do this, saying that I would be targeted next. And I told them all the same thing. If this is the last time I dance. I need it to be for Sehwan and the people there.”
Discussing the recently ended Tilism festival, Sheema said: “Tilism is about celebrating womanhood and giving a voice to those who have been oppressed for years. This year we put up show after show to educate our audiences, and the turnout was great. We held the second all-women mushaira in Pakistan, and it was an inclusive gathering. That is what we wish to continue to do. Give a platform to those who have none.”
Sheema Kermani and team at the opening of the 4th Tilism Festival
“What I want to leave behind is my dance. And I don’t feel I have achieved anything yet. Simply because my lifelong dream of having a creative space where people can learn and perform dance freely has not yet been achieved. A place where we can put up our performances every day, and where people can come and watch us perform a variety of dances, be it folk shows, classical dances and other artistic expressions. Every ruler that I have had the chance to meet, I have told them that having a theatre for dance, will change the very landscape of the country and will enrich us.”
“If I can give this city a place like that, that’s when I’d know I have succeeded and that my legacy will live on,” Sheema said, with hope in her voice despite all the setbacks she has faced in trying to achieve this goal.
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