Sonia Sabri
Sonia Sabri is a dancer, choreographer, arts educator and artistic director based in Birmingham, UK. Sonia leads the Sonia Sabri Company (SSCo) and has performed globally as well as collaborated extensively with artists across disciplines. For the #SAIatHome series, Sonia talks with us about her work as a Kathak artist and shares a couple of videos from home.
How do you introduce yourself and your work?
Kathak artist. I perform, choreograph and teach. I collaborate with artists and organizations from different artistic disciplines to create work that is accessible and meaningful.
What was your introduction to dance and specifically Kathak?
To cut a long story short, as a child I lacked confidence, I was an introvert. To help build my confidence my parents put me into various dance classes. My first experience of dance was at home through watching Bollywood films and my first dance class was modern dance in Michael Jackson’s style. I accidentally got into a Kathak class (I was supposed to go to a Bharatanatyam class) and never looked back.
Your work reinvents notions of traditional Kathak, how do you balance authenticity and innovation?
My training, my study and my experience has been and continues to be in Kathak. I study the relationship of space and sound and movement from different genres of dance such as western contemporary, ballet, African, folk styles, other Indian classical forms etc. Through a methodological approach I have devised for myself, mostly derived from an intuitive ability and years of practice, my aim is always to seek the Kathak within the forms.
You’ve collaborated with many people, who has been one of your favorites?
I have been fortunate and am so grateful to have collaborated with some of the world’s finest artists. I enter collaborations after doing a lot of research and allowing myself and my collaborators creative free time before formally engaging into a project. This helps to develop a mutual understanding foremost as people before as artists because essentially our personalities and life experiences inspire our craft. Each collaboration is my favorite because each one invites its own creative need. Each moment of each project is priceless. Each experience has been invaluable and has enabled me to grow as a person and as an artist.
Are there any dream collaborations you would love to explore?
I would love to choreograph for mainstream theatre like the West End/Broadway. I would love to collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma. His music is incredible.
Are you working on any new projects? Can you share details with us?
There are a couple of exciting projects in the pipeline but due to COVID we have had to pause on those developments so I can’t give anything away at present.
How have you spent your time during the COVID lockdown?
Lockdown has surprisingly been very busy. Although all of the touring work has paused until further guidance from the government. I am practicing my Kathak at home. I am teaching online, connecting with artists all over the globe through various online discussions, seminars, events, and engaging with wider audiences through performances and talks. I try to see the positive out of a negative. I have tried to keep doing things that help other people to see the hope and light in these times of sadness and fear. If I did not have Kathak I would truly become insane. This is what has kept me going. And each day I learn something new about this vast art form and something about myself.
How can global audiences engage with you and your practice while at home?
Thanks to the digital realm, audiences can see my work online on Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram etc. As well as being an independent artist, together with my husband, renowned tabla maestro and composer Sarvar Sabri, I lead a small yet ambitious dance and music company Sonia Sabri Company. Audiences can sign up to the database or follow us on any of the social media platforms to receive notifications of any new activities we are doing.
You can find Sonia Sabri Company on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Below, Sonia explains more about her practice and what Kathak means to her.
In the video below, Sonia shares an excerpt from "Spill" inspired by Rumi. The sample illustrates Sonia's play with the Kathak form in what she calls Urban Kathak.
I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on the door. It opens. I was knocking from the inside! - Rumi