Kathak is one of the eight classical dance forms of India, the only one from North India. It is characterized by fast footworks (tatkar) and pirouttes (chakar). It has today a form that has been influenced at various times in the past by narratives of mythological lores by kathakas, temple dances, the bhakti movement (both Vaishnavism and Shaivite) and court dances in the 19th century; and these elements are readily discernible. Performers today generally draw their lineage from two major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana and the Lucknow gharana born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings and the Nawab of Oudh respectively.

Origin of Kathak

The story of Kathak begins in ancient times with the performances of professional story-tellers called kathakas who recited or sang stories from epics and mythology with some elements of dance. These kathakas were hereditary, and dances were passed down from generation to generation. In the 13th century a definite style had emerged and soon technical features like mnemonic syllables and bols developed. In the 15th-16th century at the time the Bhakti movement, Rasalilas had a tremendous impact on Kathak. The form of dance even made its way to the Kathavachakas who performed in temples.

Mughal influence

With Akbar, the dance reached the Mughal court after the 15th century, where it encountered different other dance and music forms, especially dancers from Persia. Kathak dance was impacted most comprehensively, when dancers were enticed from the temples to the courts by gifts of gold and jewels. Patronage soared as a social class of dancers and courtiers emerged in the royal palaces, where dance competitions were held frequently. As the Moghul courts were centered in Northern India, Kathak, more than any other Indian dance-form, was changed to suit the purpose of entertainment.

The demi-plié stance of most other Indian dance forms gave way to straight legs taken from the Persian dancers. To emphasize the flamboyant and elaborate rhythmic footwork as many as 150 ankle bells on each leg were worn. It was also during this period that the signature 'chakars' (spins) of Kathak were introduced. The straight-legged position gave a new vitality to the footwork, which wove percussive rhythms in its own right, whether together with or in complement to the tabla or pakhawaj. Kathak remained a solo art form, based on personal interpretations, and emotional values. Elements of beauty in the copious jewelry and costume of the dancers combined with poetic narration to tell fabulous tales of drama, triumph, and tragedy. The music, regalia, atmosphere, and themes developed through the fusion of cultures in a way that no other dance could. Although now substantially different from the other Indian dance forms, the roots of the style are the same, and as such it displays a consanguineity with the others, particularly in the hand-formations during story-telling, and some of the body-postures.

Change in the Bhakti Era

During the era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was used to narrate tales from the lives of these figures. Popular performances included Sri Krishna’s exploits in the holy land of Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna-Leela (Krishna’s childhood). In this time, the dance moved away from the spirituality of the temple.

Later court influences

Many specific emperors contributed to the growth and development of Kathak into different gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities in which they developed. The Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, not only enjoyed giving patronage to dancers, but danced himself, taught by Durga Prasad. He himself choreographed a dance, Rahas, that he danced himself with the

Today

Today, Kathak has regained its popularity after a period of decline during the rule of the British Empire, where it was frowned upon by Victorian administrators. Not only in India, but throughout the world, it is recognised as one of the seven classical dance forms of India. Kathak’s unique history has made it very different from other traditional dance forms, although it still retains the same roots. Presently, this classical dance is characterized by a combination of the temple and court forms, inclusive of both the devotion and romantic form that has shaped it through the years. The influence of theatre dance has presented itself in the movement towards dance productions of stories such as Shakuntala. Expressive motion, rhythmic accuracy, graceful turning, poised stances, technical clarity, hand gestures (mudras) and subtle expression (bhava-abhinaya) are important components of modern Kathak. The work of the Maharaj family of dancers (Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and one of the greatest current dancers still alive today, Birju Maharaj) has been extremely successful in spreading the popularity of Kathak. Birju Maharaj and Smt. Kumudini Lakhia have both introduced multi-person choreographies, the latter using pure classical movements and style with distinctly contemporary use of space.

Modern Repertoire

Modern repertoire can include presentation of the three phases of life, creation (symbolized by Lord Brahma), preservation (symbolized by Lord Vishnu), and destruction (symbolized by Lord Shiva). The structure of a conventional Kathak performance tends to follow a progression in tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. A short danced composition is known as a 'tukra', a longer one as a 'tora'). There are also compositions consisting solely of footwork. Often the performer will engage in rhythmic 'play' with the time-cycle, splitting it into triplets or quintuplets for example, which will be marked out on the footwork, so that it is in counterpoint to the rhythm on the percussion. All compositions are performed so that the final step and beat of the composition lands on the 'sam' or first beat of the time-cycle. Most compositions also have 'bols' (rhythmic words) which serve both as mnemonics to the composition and whose recitation also forms an integral part of the performance. Some compositions are aurally very interesting when presented this way. The bols can be borrowed from tabla (e.g. dha, ge, na, tirakiTa) or can be a dance variety (ta, thei, tat, ta ta, tigda, digdig and so on). Compositions can be sub-divided:

1. Vandana the dancer begins with an invocation to the gods.
2. Thaat (the first composition of a traditional performance; the dancer performs short plays with the time-cycle, finishing on sam in a statuesque standing (thaat) pose);
3. Aamad (from the Persian word meaning 'entry'; the first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol in to the performance);
4. Salaami (related to Ar. 'salaam' - a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style);
5. Gat (from the word for 'gait, walk' showing abstract visually beautiful gaits or scenes from daily life)
6. Kavit (a poem set on a time-cycle; the dancer will perform movements that echo the meaning of the poem)
7. Paran (a composition using bols from the pakhawaj instead of only dance or tabla bols)
8. Parmelu (a composition using bols reminiscent of sounds from nature, such as kukuthere, jhijhikita etc.)
9. Tihai (usually a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam')
10. Ladi (a footwork composition consisting of variations on a theme, and ending in a tihai) Kathak