Upcoming Documentary Short ‘Kathak: Stories in Motion’

Ameera Nimjee performing ‘Bol Paran’ in documentary short ‘Kathak: Stories in Motion.’

Kathak: Stories in Motion is a documentary short produced and directed by Laila Kazmi and Antonio Gomez for the PBS television station KBTC. It is one of two stories that we are producing for the station, to complement the national PBS series Asian Americans.

Kathak: Stories in Motion is the story of Ameera Nimjee, a musician and dancer, who teaches ethnomusicology at the University of Puget Sound.

“I decided to pursue Kathak almost as a means to continue to explore the heritage that has made me who I am,” Nimjee said.

Nimjee trained in Kathak since the age of 17. Derived from the word ‘katha,’ which means ‘story,’ Kathak is a centuries old classical dance form that is based in storytelling from Hindu mythology and the Islamic Mughal courts of India. Her newly composed piece ‘Riwaayat,’ represents a new approach to Kathak. “The music is composed in a contemporary style,” she says. “This is a very common practice, to take new or contemporary music and choreograph Kathak vocabulary to it.”

Ameera Nimjee performing newly composed ‘Riwaayat’ in the short Kathak: Stories in Motion.

Kathak: Stories in Motion will air and stream on KBTC. Stay tuned!