She dances with great poise and has oodles of talent. Her first performance in Pakistan for Indus Vision’s Tribute to M. Rafi showcasing Broadway-style dancing endeared her to the local audience. She is Asha Hanif, born and educated in the West Indies and who has been practising dance since she was six years old.

Back then, Asha took part in concerts and represented her school in most cultural events. After shifting to the US, she started participating in competitions and was awarded a golden/silver plaque award from the Bihar Association of India in New Jersey USA. In short, Asha has been dancing ever since she can remember: “I do not take dancing as a career it is more of a passion and flair that helps me to explore more of me as a person.”

And what has made her come to Pakistan? “When I look at Pakistan and the scope here it is quite wide. So far, I have been told that I am the only one here who knows Broadway dance. I am happy to take the first step to introduce this act and continuing with it and having people really enjoy it. I would not cast out Pakistan as a very difficult country. Like any foreign land when you are a new person, you have to deal with a lot of things. Maybe nature, people or circumstances may not allow you to do things the way you want it to but difficulties will come it is all about how you handle them. It’s like having bad coffee. In the end your aim and focus should be what you want and that’s what you’ll get,” says Asha.

Asha calls her dancing style “not just Broadway style but modern hip hop very trendy and filmi as well.” Does her dancing have a classical touch as well? “Mixing classical and modern dance is very hard. In Broadway, you dance only with heels whereas for classical you dance bare feet. Being on stiletto and going on flat is not a good adjustment. Your feet do not allow you to do that and so far I haven’t tried mixing the two,” she says.

As for formal training in modern dance, she says: “I am like a sponge, I observe but haven’t had any formal classes on the modern type of dancing. I picked it up on my own but I danced on Broadway in New York for about six months.”

It is said getting into Broadway and sustaining yourself there is an uphill task. “It took a lot of hard work and commitment on my part. You had to there, be focused, leave the world outside and think of it as your career. I did not hold it as my career but a passion so I had fun. I guess the easy way out of anything in life is to really have fun with it,” says Asha with a spark in her eyes.

So far, she has done some prestigious projects in Pakistan which include the IM Awards this year, the opening ceremony of the soap operas to be aired on Hum TV, Fakhir’s Mantra where she choreographed and performed the songs for a stage show and a Basant show.

Talking about her experience of performing live, Asha says: “The IM Awards ceremony was a real blast. I danced more than I had originally planned to do and at the end of it I received a hearty round of applause. Broadway dancing is not just dance but an act that allows you to express your emotions. It is not only about steps but has a lot to do with expressions and the way you carry things off. You can pull a great movie scene on stage while dancing.”

Asha has been dancing ever since she can remember. ‘I don’t take dancing as a career, it is more of a passion and flair that helps me to explore more of me as a person’

Asha has always been the person who likes to pose for cameras and be in the limelight. Will her passion take her to Lollywood or even Bollywood? “Maybe Bollywood, but that is not what I am aiming for right now. As for Lollywood, Syed Noor asked me to come down to Lahore and see the industry and the working conditions there. But I haven’t given it much thought. Working as a choreographer or just for item numbers would be an exciting proposition.”

Asha says she would like to take up choreography as a profession. “I’m looking at the prospect of opening up a dance academy or a school. I’ll be more than happy helping other people who have the same flair as I have to make their dreams come true.”

So what does the future hold for Asha? “I want to show the rest of the world that Asians like me can go places. I have travelled extensively not only for dancing but acting and modelling as well. I would love to get into acting but language is a barrier that I have yet to cross. I recently did a project along with Humayun Saeed, Aijazz Aslam, Faakhir and others to launch a new debt card. I had an amazing time and the response was fantastic.”

On a concluding note, Asha says that she would really like to break the ice and be the first girl to represent Pakistan on the international level.