Nahid Siddiqui, an exponent of Kathak dance, is acknowledged for contributing her own technique, and expression (Gharana), which is imbued and informed by Islamic and Sufi aesthetics and sensibilities.

She has performed in the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Morocco, and Jordan and has mesmerized international dignitaries like the Late Shah of Iran, Chancellor Schmidt of West Germany and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau of Canada. Payal, a dynamic 13-episode visual encyclopedia, aired in Pakistan, her country of origin in 1978. It was a masterpiece but was banned by the military regime after its sixth episode was aired on TV. Nahid Siddiqui has since been symbolic of resistance against extremist ideologies, beautifully using her art to exemplify Islamic culture in a way not seen before. In England, where she lives, she inculcated the paradigms of Islamic geometry, Sufi poetry, Persian, Arab and Turkic influences in Kathak. She began her teaching career at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham. She launched her dance company and since then has continued to produce professional dancers, some of whom have gone on to launch their own companies.

A few awards amongst the many she has received are, British Cultural Award, Dance Umbrella Award and Lifetime Achievement Award (Lux Style Awards).