Persona

I dance to be me, I dance to be free

Through dance I found myself and within myself I found GOD:

Nighat Choadhry is a name that is indelibly linked with kathak – Pakistan and around the world, whenever people have had a chance to experience its magic.

And today, Nighat Chaodhry is poised to take the world along on this mystical journey and become a truly universal artiste in every sense.

The exponent of eastern mysticism and grace, Nighat Chaodhry began her journey in cosmopolitan London, where her family moved from Pakistan when she was barely a year old. Growing up, dance was always a part of her life and she studied ballet and contemporary dance. Then at 16, she met Nahid Siddiqui, regarded as one of the greatest Kathak dancers, and that meeting changed the course of her life. “Inspired to learn the classical forms of my own culture,” she abandoned ballet and studied initially from Siddiqui in Birmingham. Later, she realized that in order to understand and absorb the nuances of the style, she had to be closed to its origins – and thus began the journey back East.

Work Experience

• Inducted As an Air Stewardess British Airways( Karachi Base) 1985
• Appointed as a lead kathak Dancer in Nahid Siddiqui’s Dance company London 1996
• Appointed Director PNCA Karachi National Performing Arts Group 2001
• Created a Dance Syllabus and taught as a Performing Arts Dance instructor Lahore Grammar School 2010
• Taught dance as a Dance teacher HeadStart School Islamabad 2012
• Teaching at Kuch khaas Center for Arts culture & dialogue 2013
• Teaching Dance at Liberal Arts High School Islamabad 2013

Professional Performances as an Artist

1985 to 1996

• Performed representing Pakistan in the Advertising Congress in Seoul South korea
• Performed in THE GREAT HALL CHINA at the International Advertising Congress
• American dance Festival Duke University North Carolina
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz Mela Karachi
• Raising Funds for Imran Khan’s cancer hospital performing a kathak Guitar fusion with Salman of Junoon
• Young Dancer’s festival Mumbai India
• Raindrops dance festival at the Iskon Hare Rama Hare Krishna center Mumbai India
• Kathak Solo performance at the FTC auditorium Karachi launching self-choreographed dance work.
• Accompanied Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan leading a cultural troupe performed in
• Turkmenistan London and the USA
• Choreographed and danced in a ballet on the life of the Late Prime Minister Z.A BHUTTO on his
• Death anniversary in Larkana Pakistan
• Performed a Kathak Solo in the first National Dance Festival Held by the Rafi Peer Theatre Karachi Lahore and Islamabad
• Performed for Citibank at the Lahore Fort in honour of Margaret Thatcher Ex Prime Minister England
• A fund Raiser for UNICEF in Islamabad
• Choreographed and played Sassi Folk Legend Of Sindh in a dance Ballet for the cultural festival the cricket world cup hosted in Pakistan
• Choreographed and Played ANARKALI Love legend for the cricket world cup hosted in Pakistan
• before a live audience at the Lahore Fort which was also televised for PTV
• Performed in the Mauritius Festival of solidarity for children in the Indian Ocean

1997 to 2012

• Danced in UNITED FOR PEACE a benefit concert for world Peace
• Performed a solo Pakistan Arts Council Promoting Cultural Events for the music Committee Karachi
• Performed a Kathak Performance at the KODAK-HRD Congress Serena Hotel Islamabad
• Performed and Choreographed for LUX STYLE AWARDS
• Performed and choreographed TV-1 LAUNCH SHOW
• Performed at the PRESIDENCY for PRESIDENT MUSHARAF on the 23rd March
• Performed in the HORISONT MELA in Oslo Norway
• Performed in PTV Rendering numerous significant thematic performances on
• Performed in the International Mystic Music Sufi Festival in Karachi Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop
• Performed for the Pakistan Embassy SPAIN in an event called QALANDARBASS to promote and
• support the development of Pakistan’s cultural diversity
• Performance for the WORLD POPULATION FOUNDATION an evening called International
• Mother’s Night Islamabad
• AGHA KHAN FOUNDATION A collaborative dance performance for the WORLDS OF THE INDIAN
• OCEAN in Karachi Invited by the Pakistan Embassy to Perform for a charity show in Morocco for
• THE ROYAL FAMILY OF MOROCCO
• Performed PURDAH a special dance piece depicting the struggle of a woman for her identity
• at SYMPHONY SPACE at the ENGENDERED FESTIVAL in NEW YORK USA
• Performed at the WIEF JOHOR BAHRU MALAYSIA 8TH WORLD ISLAMIC ECONOMIC FORUM

2013 and 2016

• Performed for Pakistan Television for a classical musical programme called RAAG GALA
• Performed in the 2ND NATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL, Lahore Rafi Peer Theatre workshop
• Performed on the platform of “MAUSIKAAR” for traditional music of Pakistan
• Performed for PC (PEARL CONTINENTAL CHAIN OF HOTELS) events in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar for promotion of Classical Dance in Pakistan.
• Performed a KATHAK and HIP-HOP Fusion on International Dance Day at KUCH KHAAS Islamabad, Pakistan.
• Performed in a 5 day festival of music, poetry, literature and dance celebrating Hazrat Amir Khusro’s work JAMAL-E-KHUSRO
• Performed in all the World Performing Arts Festival in Pakistan hosted by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop. It was continued from 1995 till 2013
• PAKISTAN NATIONAL DAY’S like 14th August and 23rd of March. I am honored to performed in these occasions from 1996 to 2013.
• Performance for the anniversary for the PTV World, A solo and with famous sufi singer of Pakistan Abida Parveen
• Performance in all Pakistan Music Conference, Lahore
• Performed and presented a dance on women’s empowerment called “strike dance rise” for OBR (One Billion Rising) by Amal Human Development Network at Kuch Khaas Islamabad.
• Performed in Gala Evening Pakistan Chest Society with Rahat Fatah Ali Khan. IBEX Club Lake View, Islamabad.
• Performed in South Asia Labour Conference at Huzuri Bagh, Lahore, Pakistan.
• Performed in a tribute to the famous poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz Book launch in Sindhi by Sindh Government, Karachi, Pakistan
• Performed in RAQS MEIN HAI SARA JAHAN as “Dancing Away Differences” celebrating international Dance Day at the Art Council, Karachi.
• Performed in a SUFI KATHAK Musical evening in Multan, organized by the Honorary Consul General of Paraguay in honor of the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic.
• Performed in 5th Alhamra International Conference (BEETAY HOAY DIN YAAD AATEY HAIN) in Alhamra Cultural Complex.
• Participated as a dance choreographer/trainer in a sixth workshop on capacity building and skills development to strengthen local theatre artists’ capacity to use theatre to promote social change in Southern Punjab, organized by international alerts Pakistan in collaboration with SRAM Studios, Pakistan
• Presently performing and choreographing for FIRDOUS-E-GOSH, a Classic Musical Soiree, produced by PTV Pakistan Television.
• Presented Nuqta a special sufi dance performance with live music and poetry on the occasion of the 14th Daniel Pearl World Music Day 2015 in collaboration with kuch khaas and the U.S embassy.
• Cultural leading ambassador, re-presenting Pakistan, on the platform of the ART OF LIVING SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR as choreographer and performer in the world culture festival amongst 155 countries in Delhi India 2016.