An enchanting evening

For lovers of music and dance, Manjari Chaturvedi's performance of Sufi Kathak was a very special treat.

Titled A Dance in Trance, the show held at the Al Johara Ballroom, Madinat Jumeirah, on Friday, was an exquisite blend of traditional Indian Kathak dancing and the dancing of the whirling dervishes of Turkey set to Sufi music.

Chaturvedi is the innovator and only practitioner of this unique art form. She effortlessly combined the demanding footwork, graceful hand movements and eloquent facial expressions of Kathak with the hypnotic meditational movements of the whirling dervishes.

Her beautifully choreographed pieces set to poetry by Sufi poets Amir Khusrau, Rumi, Bulle Shah and Kabir told the story of a woman's journey from self absorption and pride in her own beauty to realisation of a higher beauty and complete surrender to the Almighty.

Compositions

The music by Nurul Hasan and his group, who are qawwals from a dargah in Lucknow, was an important part of the performance. Their soulful rendering of centuries-old compositions in Awadhi, Brij and Persian, transported the audience to another era and set the mood for an enchanting evening.

Kamran Siddique, general manager Middle East and Africa, Visa International, must be complimented for his enlightening introduction to the origins, history and evolution of Sufism, qawwali and Kathak.

Audience

Mention must also be made of the excellent audience. It is a measure of Dubai's cultural evolution that an event like this drew a huge and extremely appreciative multinational audience. "You were the most beautiful audience I have ever had. The wonderful energy and good vibes we got from you helped us to perform better,"said Chaturvedi.

The event was presented by property developer NCC URBAN to celebrate the successful launch of their first Dubai project, NCC Harmony at Dubiotech Park.