The Story of Kathak

Kathak is pronounced as “Kah-tahk.” It is one of six Indian classical dance forms. Dance native to North India. The origin of Kathak was Hindu temples as a storytelling mode for showcasing the epic tales from Hindu scriptures, like Mahabharata, and Ramayana.

Kathak is a classical dance of Uttar Pradesh, and its name resembles Kathakali, which is a classical dance of Kerala. The performance of this dance tells various stories through dance, songs, and music, likewise opera. Dancers express their stories of Hindu God Krishna or famous heroes like Ramayana through their hand movements, footwork, and facial expressions.

Various stories of Kathak have been come across, such as the revival of Kathak can be traced back to the 4th century BC where sculptures of Kathak dancers were inscribed in written scripts and sculptures in the oldest temples. 

This article talks beyond regional frontiers the story of Kathak and in detail about the origin of Kathak and how it started. Also, we will understand the story of kathak beyond regional frontiers.

Etymology and Nomenclature of Kathak Dance 

The origin of Kathak is in the Vedic term Katha (Sanskrit: कथा) which means "story, conversation, conventional tale". Kathak is inferred as one of the most important classical dance forms frequently found in northern India, with an ancient influence just like Bharatanatyam in south India, Odissi in east India, and other foremost classical dances observed in South Asia. It is distinguished from the several people's dance forms found in the north and other parts of the Indian subcontinent.

The Kathak dancers, in historical India, were journeying bards and were referred to as Kathakas, or Kathak.

Kathak has stimulated very simple regional variants, such as the Bhavai – a form of rural theatre focussing on the tales of Hindu goddesses (Shakti), and one which emerged in the medieval era, is presently found in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Another variation that emerged from historical Kathak is Thumri.

Thumri forwarded through the tawaif community who were known as"nautch" dancers by the British.  Their history as Kathak dancers has been erased in present-day India Pallabi Chakravorty. (2008). "Bells Of Change: Kathak Dance, Women And Modernity In India", additionally see "The Tawaif And The Item Girl: A Struggle For Identity"

What is Kathak Dance - Description of this Dance

Kathak is one of the 8 foremost types of Indian classical dance. The foundation of Kathak is historically attributed to the travelling bards of ancient northern India referred to as Kathakars or storytellers. The term Kathak is taken from the Vedic Sanskrit word Katha which means "story." There is another word Kathakar which means "the one who tells a story", or "to do with stories". Wandering Kathakars spread stories from brilliant epics and ancient mythology through dance, songs, and music.

How Kathak Dance Got Significance?

Kathak dancers inform various stories through their hand movements and considerable footwork, their body movements and versatility however most significantly through their facial expressions. Kathak originated during the Bhakti movement, especially by incorporating the childhood and stories of the Hindu god Krishna, in addition, independently in the courts of north Indian kingdoms. 

This dance is specific in including both Hindu and Muslim gharanas and cultural elements of these gharanas. Kathak performances involve Urdu Ghazals and usually utilized devices brought during the Mughal period.

What’s so Special About Kathak Dance?

Kathak was discovered in three marvellous forms, called "gharanas", named after the cities where the Kathak dance tradition evolved – Jaipur, Banaras, and Lucknow.

1. Jaipur gharana focuses greatly on foot movements.

2. The Banaras and Lucknow gharanas focus more on facial expressions and graceful hand movements.

Stylistically, this dance form emphasizes rhythmic foot motions, embellished with small bells (Ghungroo), and the motion harmonized to the music. The legs and torso are normally straight, and the story is told via an advanced vocabulary based on the following boldly movements:

• Gestures of arms and upper body movement, 

• Facial expressions, 

• Neck movements, 

• Eyes and eyebrow movement, 

• Stage movements, bends, and turns. 

The major locus of the dance becomes the eyes and the foot movements. The eyes work as a mode of communication of the story the dancer is attempting to communicate. With the eyebrows, the dancer offers numerous facial expressions. The distinction between the sub-traditions is the relative emphasis between acting as opposed to footwork, with Lucknow style emphasizing acting and Jaipur style famed for its astounding footwork.

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Now, let us talk about the Spread Of Kathal Across North India.

History: The Story of Kathak

According to Mary Snodgrass, the Kathak culture of India is traceable to 400 BCE. The earliest persisting text with Kathak roots in the Natya Shastra, ascribed to sage Bharata, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, however, estimates range between 500 BCE and 500 CE.

The most studied sort of the Natya Shastra text incorporates approximately 6000 verses bifurcated into 36 chapters. The text states that Natalia Lidova describes the theory of  the following:

• Tāṇḍava dance (Shiva), 

• Rasa, 

• Bhāva; 

• Expression, 

• Gestures, 

• Performing techniques, 

• Basic steps, and

• Standing postures

All the tricks mentioned above are a part of Indian classical dance, Kathak. Dance and performance artworks, state this ancient Hindu text as a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues, and the essence of scriptures.

The second century BC panels discovered in Bharhut display the dancers in a standing posture with their arms' positions, thereby suggesting today's Kathak movements. Most of the dancers have one arm close to the ear in a ''pataka hasta'' (Mudra). In the following years, the hasta was lowered to the bust level.

Now, let us go through the story of kathak beyond regional frontiers.

Beyond Regional Frontiers: The Story of Kathak 

The Lucknow Gharana is one of the forms of Kathak founded by Ishwari Prasad, a devotee of the Bhakti movement. It has an unusual tale behind its origin. A resident of Handiya village closer to the southeast Uttar Pradesh, it's far believed that Lord Krishna appeared in his dreams and instructed him to develop “dance as a form of worship”. Subsequently, the dancing form was taught by him to his sons which were then handed down to their successors.

This tradition extended for more than six generations, for this reason, carrying forward this rich legacy. It came to be recounted because of the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak by Indian literature. It took its motivation from the legends of Lord Krishna and his everlasting love Radha depicted in texts like the ‘Bhagavata Purana’. The tales of Radha and Krishna were fantastically captured and depicted in folk plays acknowledged as “Rasalila” which were done by Kathak artists.

So, the revival of Kathak goes like this:

Kathak was widely performed in Mughal courts where it was recognized more as a sensuous dance form. Additionally, the costumes of the performers were distinguishing. The tales that were depicted were not based on the legends of Krishna and Radha however rather assumed a more erotic theme. Kathak dance was evolved in both Hindu and Muslim Gharanas simultaneously.

Revival of Kathak - A Famous Dance of all Times

As the Indian freedom movement stepped forward in the early twentieth century, it witnessed efforts being undertaken amongst Indians in order to revive country-wide culture and tradition and rediscover the wealthy history of India with the intention to resurrect the very essence of the nation. Kalkaprasad Maharaj performed a great position in drawing a global audience to Kathak at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Did You Know?

• The term Kathakas talks about great "storytellers" that we can see in ancient Hindu texts, such as the Mahabharata. Also, in Hindu epics, Bards, actors, dancers, songsters, and musical reciters of historical legends and stories are mentioned hundreds of times.

• The feature of Kathak dance is apparent by complicated footwork and precise rhythmic patterns that the dancer makes by controlling about 100 ankle bells. It takes its movements from life, conforms to them, and adds intricate rhythmic patterns. 

• Both males and females can perform Kathak; often many of the dancers choose Kathak to convey moods of love, just like Rasalila.

• Dhrupad, the historical music genre of India, was re-introduced into Kathak for the first time by India's senior Kathak gem Mahamahopadhyay Dr. Pandit Puru Dadheech. He is India's first Kathak dancer to revive 'Dhrupad' on the formal Kathak stage and this composition in 28 matra. Shankar Pralayankar, his Dhrupad composition, has the unique status of frequently being sung in concerts by 'Dhrupad' maestros the Gundecha Brothers.

Now, let us gain some more information on Kathak Dance.

More About Kathak Dance

Kathak as a well-known performance art has survived and thrived as an oral tradition, innovated and taught and from one generation to another verbally and through practice. It transitioned, accepted, and incorporated the tastes of the Mughal courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, particularly by Akbar, however, stagnated and went into decline in the course of the British colonial era, then was reborn as India gained independence and sought to rediscover its ancient roots and a sense of countrywide identity through the arts.