. ::..:- i: r..-,';',t'.

1s lt'Ill:llen

ari.l the:e. 3\ e: :iio.lgh I cid not

- -. -:' -:i3istand u.hr. Til.t: came later. otr a bare :tage. b1'the
: --.Lr\\ of a t-raked buib. rihen some of vour creations \\'ere
::- - --::r:d especiallr lbr tne. Not evetl in costume. but rn simple
,,, . . -1::ss. I sat on a stool. m-v back leaning against the cold iron

-.,:

srlety-curtaiir but not feeling it. I u'as thrilled. Stripped

--'.1.:r to the very barest essentials.,vet these dances emanated
.--:rr strange strength that rvas whisked alr'ay to an etemal world
-_.urity and serenity as only real aft can create. Outr.vardly l still
, .)n my stool, with the professional resen'e of the critic. But
.:'.,-,ardly I felt like a child discovering a treasure in a pool of

.::ld.
:rorn that moment i knew my belief was justified. Still there
:emained-mally moments that my heart and not my brain was
involved. Moments" in which the European Dutchman could not
lrasp the meaning and associations of tlie Muslim Easterner. But
the follorvin_u perlormarlces showed your consideration with us
in a way u,hich underlined your creative power. Because, once
you kneu' our missing links, the "vocabulary" of your dance
pror r-'d to be so rich that you could find expressions more clear
to us. s'rthout doing violence to your style and vision.
That is hou )'ou arrived in Holland. With some more
comprehensiou for the Westemer; with unfailing belief in
yourself and the bridge you could build towards that Western
man; and with a new hope, fortified by those who proved to be
your friends in London. A hope r.vhich turned into cefiainty with
your first performance in The Hague. Apolite audience, going to
the theatre out of mere curiosity, left in exaltation quite
uncomlnon under the grey skies of our lorv lands. That was the
niglit off your victory, thanks to your courage and the true value
of your ar-t. And surely also by the fighting spirit and arlistry of
your group, most specially of Afroza. With her penetrating
personality and incomparable technique, this gifted artist hauled
'qraFrfiia+{4

5)\3