Nadhirah to show off her Bharatanatyam on quest to master dance

 

On June 24, Fatin Nadhirah Rahmat will be presenting her solo debut Bharatanatyam Arangetram at 8pm at the Shantanand Auditorium in the Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields.

The debut also marks a graduation of sorts, as the Arangetram is when a student gives a full performance on stage for the first time, and only someone deemed ready by their dance master can do so.

Nadhirah, 27, is looking forward to showing the world that she has mastered the classical Indian dance form but nonetheless feels anxious about the performance.

“I am feeling so nervous. I feel like I am carrying this huge burden. I worked hard and I hope to give my best,” she told Malaysiakini during an interview.

The Malacca-born Nadhirah is no stranger to dance, having been an avid learner since she started in Sekolah Kebangsaan Teruntum, Kuantan when she was seven years old.

Her love for the art form, Nadhirah said, was cultivated by watching her father dance when she was a child. As a result, she took part in many art programmes and dance performances during her school years.

“When I was very young, I loved to watch my father, who was very active in dance. Later, when I took it up, dancing was something that made me excited and happy,” said Nadhirah, whose father performed traditional Malay dances and did theatre when he was younger.

Her father is currently the director of the National Arts and Culture Department in Johor.

Pushing for excellence

When she wanted to enrol at the National Academy of Arts, Culture, and Heritage Academy (Aswara) to pursue dance, Nadhirah said her father was initially sceptical but relented when he saw how passionate she was about it.

It was at Aswara where Nadhirah first became fascinated with Bharatanatyam by watching the senior students perform.

“I liked the lines, which are similar to traditional Malay dance, but the technical aspect is more complicated.

“I was amazed when watching my seniors perform and that made me want to dance too,” recalled Nadhirah, who earned a Diploma in Dance and a Bachelor of Dance (Honours) majoring in performance at Aswara.

A versatile dancer who has studied many disciplines, Nadhirah said Bharatanatyam requires her to master more intricate and technical skills, something that pushes her to excel.

Asked if learning the Indian dance helped her with other styles and vice versa, Nadhirah explained, “It is all about how you use your body.”

Imran Shafiq, who accompanied the shy Nadhirah for the interview, said her study of various styles allowed her to move from one form to another with relative ease.

“It has made her a better performer,” said Imran, who is managing director at Ask Dance Company where Nadhirah is currently part of both the senior ensemble and the marketing team.

Imran himself is a well-known Bharatanatyam dancer and has a big performance coming up in July.

‘I just want to dance’

Whenever non-Indians study and perform Bharatanatyam, the question of embracing another culture arises and it is no different for Nadhirah.

As the dance form has elements of Hinduism, she had to assure her family that she was not going to delve too deeply into that aspect.

“I showed them some video recordings. I assured them that I just enjoyed the dance and the movements,” she explained.

Now an accomplished artiste, Nadhirah has taken part in many of Aswara’s productions such as Jamu, Gelombang Baru, TARI, and Main Zapin.

She has also performed in dance events organised by MyDance Alliance, SoundDance by RAW Art Space and Dancebox.

She also studied under Hofesh Shecter - one of the world’s most successful contemporary dance choreographers - in Perth, Australia and competed in Dansa Dansing, a television dance competition show.

Nadhirah added that Malaysia has a rich legacy of dance, but there aren’t many who appreciate the art form.

“There are so many other dance forms out there that I want to master. I want to learn all the dance forms there are in the world. So, I just want to dance,” she said.

At the end of it all, Nadhirah is all about the dance. - Mkini