"Dance is a form of art that makes its own way despite hurdles - an art that has gained a very narrow room in our society, but its impact in the field of performing arts is very deep," says Afsheen Memon, an 18-year-old classic folk dancer from Gulistan-E-Sajjad area of Hyderabad, Sindh. Afsheen Memon, a passionate and skillful Sindhi dancer, became the talk of the town after her video of dancing at the last month's concert of legendary Sufi singer Abida Parveen went viral. The video of the young dancer went viral on social media, drawing mixed responses, but the dancer has focused on the positive reviews from the audience.
Talking about the event that took place at Basant Hall, located in the center of Hyderabad city near the historic Hyder Chowk, she said, "As soon as Abida Parveen started singing her iconic song 'Tere Ishq Nachaya' - 'Your Love Made Me Dance', the melody and aura of the song deprived me of self-control, and I started dancing in a trance." She added that one of her colleagues captured the video of her dance performance and later uploaded it on social media.
Afsheen Memon was born on December 9, 2006, to Dr. Asif Memon and Dr. Kazbano Asif, a couple which played a vital role in promoting theatre and other genres of performing arts across Sindh. Afsheen fondly recalls her first interaction with Madam Sheema Kirmani, a prominent figure in dance and choreography in Sindh, who inspired Afsheen to pursue a dance career. "I was seven when I first saw Madam Sheema Kirmani performing at an event in Karachi; that was the day I fell in love with her art," revealed Afsheen, adding that after returning home from that event, she started practicing dance steps inspired by Sheema.
Since that day, Afsheen has been regularly following Sheema Kirmani, Nighat Chaudhary, and Anila Sundri to further refine her dancing skills. Interestingly, the young dancer has not received any formal dance training. She attributes her progress and fame to her parents, who allowed her to pursue dance and acting despite facing bitter opposition from fellow community members. "Some of our fellow community members believed that my venture into the field of performing arts would bring disgrace to our community, but my father encouraged me to brush aside all those reservations and move on," said Afsheen, adding that, as an artist, her father realised the importance of performing arts in shaping society.
Sharing her first experience on stage, she said that Madam Arfana Malah organised an event to promote hidden talent in Hyderabad, where she gave her first public performance and gained appreciation. Discussing her ambition, she stated that dance and quality music were once an integral part of Sindhi stage and television plays, but in the present era, dance performances in Sindhi plays are rarely seen, and she wants to revive the perishing trend of dance in Sindhi stage and television plays.
Since her first public appearance in 2021, she has given dance performances at the Hyderabad Literature Festival 2024 & 25, Hyderabad Sufi Melo 2025, Karachi Arts Festival, Lahooti Melo 2024, Hyderabad Spring Festival, and at the Nari Festival organised at the Karachi Press Club on International Women's Day last year. Besides that, she has appeared as an actress and dancer in several stage dramas, including Umer Marvi, Sassui Punuh, Hua Neth Ta Achni Aa - She Will Arrive Someday, Dodeh Jo Mout - Death of Dodo, among others. Currently Afsheen is busy in shooting of two short films for a Sindhi Tv channel and a Youtube channel. A part from that she heads a group an art circle at Government degree college Qasimabad Hyderabad where she spearheads performing arts at different cultural and social events. She has also appeared in the events as dance performer in the events organised by culture department and National Academy of Performing Arts.
Her father, Dr. Asif Memon, a seasoned stage actor who dubbed the voice of Abid Kashmiri for the famous Sindhi movie Poti Aen Paga and has written, acted, and directed several Sindhi stage and television plays, said that he wanted to portray his daughter Afsheen as a role model for those girls who were victims of gusty norms. He added that despite strong opposition and displeasure from his kinsmen, he allowed his daughter to proceed.
Her mother, Dr. Kazbano Asif, a doctor-turned-stage actress who became the first female President of the Hyderabad Arts Council last year, said, "The Constitution of Pakistan is clear about gender equality, yet the society we live in has messed things up by introducing cruel norms and rituals applicable only to women." She added that parents should encourage their children to break societal barriers.
Recalling memorable moments of her life, Afsheen said that meeting Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Shah was one of the memorable moments of her life, and when her photo, while dancing at the Lahooti Festival, was published in Daily Dawn. “Dance is a way of expressing the inner feeling and this form of art should be promoted across Sindh; Afsheen proposed.