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Kathak Nrityakala Kendra

About Kathak

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Kathak is one of the leading from of classicalIndian dance. This ancient art of India Derives its name "Kathak" from "Katha", the art of story telling. The Kathak dancers were excellent narration and story tellers, and they interpreted episodes from the great epics with gestures and music. Through an aesthetically exquisite and continuously evolving style, these story tellers of the past combined dance and music and became the progenitors of modern Kathak dance.

Like many aspects of the cultural life of northern India, Kathak developed through various phases of India social, religious and political history, thus reflecting its diverse impact. During the Hindu period, this North Indian dance form was nurtured in temples for glory of God .The dance were mainly Brahmins and were held in high esteem. Interestingly, through Kathak dance was suffused mainly with Vaishnav philosophy and The Radha- Krishna theme, it passed through a period of renaissance and for a time became powerful vehicle of entertainment for the Moghul courts as they came to power in the early 16th century. Through the fusion of Indo-Moghul culture, Kathak emerged into a new form of dance. The Moghuls brought with them their Persian arts, introducing geometrical patterns and design in music and dance with a special emphasis on footwork and intricate rhythmic pattern. During this period, however, Kathak also became a source of entertainment for wealthy aristocrats, thus falling into disrepute, particularly for women.

In contrast, as the British moved into India during the second half of the 18th century, they showed little interest in Indian dance and music. Kathak was no exception. Yet, during this period, Maharaj Bindadin, the greatest of Kathak gurus, was able to provide the much needed integration of Hindu and Moghul Influences on this dance form, making Kathak a truly representative classical dance. Post-independence or modern Kathak is a mixture of both temple dance and court dance. Moreover, North Indian classical music has served as Kathak's cultural counterpart. The two art form share many traits, such as the importance of rhythmic patterns and accents, and together, Kathak music and dance reinforce each other. Furthermore, within Kathak are a variety of styles with three main schools traditional called "Gharanas" - Jaipur Gharana, Lucknow Gharana and Benaras Gharana, each with its own characteristics and peculiarities. Kathak today has regained its old glory, its rightful place amongst the classical arts of India and is deservingly one of the most popular classical Indian Performing arts forms.