The South Asian culture is an amazing mix of music, theatre, acting and dance. The art of performance is seldom appreciated in Pakistan though, as it somehow clashes with the preconceived notions and medieval norms. Dance, is one such art that has constantly seen a nose dive in Pakistan’s film industry. But, with better content each year it is bouncing back to its old grandeur due to the efforts of young choreographers like Faizan Ahab. We chatted with Faizan from ‘Faizan Ahab Dance’ to get know him and his art very closely.
Would you like to introduce yourself?
I’m Syed Faizan Ahab. I’m an architect by degree, art educationist by profession and a choreographer and a dance director by enterprise.
Could you tell us a bit more about how you got into dance?
I’ve been dancing since I was a child. My mother has been primarily behind this, she used to encourage us to participate and engage with the audiences. And overtime, when people started appreciating the way I dance, I took it up as a profession. For the longest, I had been doing it on my own by watching videos and incorporating my style to them. That is how my dance style came into being.
What is FAD? Can you share the story behind it?
Fad is an acronym. It is also an English slang, like the new thing in town. The story behind starts with FACDS (Faizan Ahab Choreography and Dance Solutions). As I’ve studied architecture and also practiced it for a while, therefore, the whole idea was to provide a one stop design solution. Obviously at 18 it was ambitious. So, I tried to focus on one thing as you can’t be the master of all trades at once.
What is the most difficult choreography that you have learned?
I really can’t pinpoint any one piece of choreography that has been the most challenging. Every set of choreography comes with its own challenges. For me, the most difficult part though, is to pick up somebody else’s teaching style. For instance, I remember taking workshops for Bharatanatyam. They were one of the most difficult choreographies I had to learn if not the toughest.
Any funny or weird moments from your workshops or travel that stood out to you?
I feel that as I work with such diverse groups every time I teach; it always stands out. It’s funny how I teach the same dance to 7 or 8 people, it always comes out differently. I enjoy teaching different people, some are good learners and some are a handful as they demand a lot of attention. The best part for me is that I get to interact with a lot of people and experience something new every time.
Tell us about the artists you’ve worked with already and what that experience was like?
I’ve worked with the likes of Armeena Rana Khan, Ali Rehman, Farhad Humayun, Uzair Jaswal, and Osama Khalid Butt. They’re great people. They’ve been very receptive of my choreography. It’s learning for everyone. Overall, the experience has been great.
What style of dance would you like to try that you haven’t learned yet?
At present I was introduced to African tribal dance. It’s this high energy bodily response to the rhythm of music. I want to be able to learn it and perform it with all its soul. This is something new I want to master apart from polishing contemporary that I’m currently learning how to perform.
What inspires you and what do you want to focus on this year?
Inspirations comes to me from various sources, I feel appreciation keeps me going when people like my work. And that is what I aim to achieve this year, to do better work and create good content. The task is to make dance accessible to everyone, even those who can’t dance, enjoy watching it. So that’s where aspirations lie.
What interested you more about Garba and Bollywood dance styles more than other styles?
Garba’s visually the most pleasing. I love the costume, I love the feel, the precision and the twirls. And Bollywood as well, as it is close to home, its something people groove to. Bollywood songs are popular and it is considered exotic internationally. So, it sells everywhere.
Why do you think Pakistan falls behind internationally when it comes to the art of dance and choreography?
Pakistan falls behind because dance is not an inbuilt part of our culture. Several people look down upon this. And its improving though but its not something we grow up with. I’ve come to that point where people don’t really bother me with their surprised faces. The plus point is that our films are getting better, choreography wise, but we still need to learn a lot as an industry.
What opportunities do you think lie in Pakistan for any new entrants of this field? Also mention the current obstacles?
There are several new entrants. I feel weddings have a lot to contribute. There are a lot of opportunities. So, people need to know how to market themselves and deliver original content. New choreographers need to understand how to make themselves distinct. New people need to come up with proper plans to put themselves out there and climb the ladder as it goes.
Can you let us in a few of your future ventures?
I’m not someone who plans for long term. New classes, more videos, better choreography, I’m committed to doing better work. I have a show on 28th April in Lahore. I’m collaborating with 2 more choreographers. So yeah, I don’t have any set future plans but I would like to continue with what I have on my hand right now.
All Image Sources: www.facebook.com/Fad.Faizaan
