In small groups, the girls begin streaming in to the tiny concrete-walled room that serves as a dance academy. A dozen gangly youngsters plop down on the bare cement floor, chattering incessantly, pulling their hair back into elastic bands, fastening their payal, the cluster of bells braceleting the dancers’ ankles and lower legs. The chatter hushes briefly as the call to prayer rings out from a nearby mosque and the students scramble to cover their heads with their shawls in silent deference.

Read More: Classical Pakistani Dance