Kathak: The Art of Storytelling 

By Ashmita Banerjee

India has had a deep connection with dance for ages. Dance has also been an integral part of history from very ancient times. Among the various sources of history like manuscripts, archeology, dance occupies an important place as they pass on customs, traditions and stories of the then times through generations. Dance also serves as a medium to offer our prayers and express devotion to God. The different dance forms are broadly classified into two main groups: Folk and Classical dance forms. In India the various dance forms differ according to the state in which they have originated. For example: Ghoomer of Rajasthan, Lavani of Maharashtra, Rabindra nritya of West Bengal and so on. Here, I shall take you through a mystical journey of a very famous dance form which had its origin in the state of Nawabs – Uttar Pradesh.

Yes, my dear friends, you perhaps guessed it right, it is indeed Kathak, the most prominent among the eight classical dance forms of India. Kathak comprises three main gharanas Lucknow, Banaras, Jaipur. Raigarh gharana has been a rather recent addition. Kathak follows Hindustani kshatriya sangeet. Kathak is very unique because it blends both Hindu (Banaras, Jaipur, Raigarh) and Muslim (Lucknow) gharanas and their diverse cultural elements. “KATHA KAHE SO KATHAK KAHAVE’’ one who tells a story is called a kathak. 

Kathak is predominantly based on the mischievous childhood stories and Ras Leela of Lord Krishna. Each performance of kathak incorporates and mimics different sounds of nature like that of chirping of birds, splashing of water, swishing of winds, rumbling of clouds etc. Through various Tatkars (foot movements) and Hastaks (hand movements), the dancers present a story in front of the audience. The dancers at first performs Vandana (offers prayers to the almighty) followed by narration of stories through Uthan, That, Amad, Salami, Toda, Tukada, Tihaai, Paran, Gatnikas, Gatbhav and finally winding it up with bhajan, thumri, tran and kajri. The Mudras in Kathak are of two types: Samyukta mudra (one palm movement) and Asayukt mudra (two palm movements). The facial expressions are known as Bhav. 

The costumes of the females include Saree, Ghagra, Dupatta, Lehenga, Anarkali and that of the males are dhoti and kurta fitting the character of the story to be narrated. The dancers wear about 100 to 250 ghungroos on each foot. The musicians play diverse instruments like Table, Flute, Harmonium, Pakhavaj , Sitar, Sarangi etc. When we speak of kathak, Pandit Birju Maharaj’s name deserves a special mention. Other prominent personalities include Ram Narayan misra , Gopi krishna, Sitara devi , Uma sharma and many more who have collectively taken Kathak to the Viswa Darbar. Being a patron of Kathak myself, I am in the third year of the course (Raigarh gharana) under my guru Dr.Purva pandit of Kathak studio. I dream of taking this art to great heights by taking part in different national and international events.