| HOME | NATARAJA | CLASSICAL DANCES | FOLK DANCES |
| PREFACE
| BHARATANATYAM | CHHAU
| KATHAK | KATHAKALI | KUCHIPUDI
MANIPURI | MOHINIATTAM | ORISSI | SATRIYA | YAKSHAGANA |
|||
The
Kathak dance form originated in the north
and at first was very similar to the Bharatanatyam.
Persian and Muslim
influences later altered the dance from a temple ritual to a courtly entertainment.
The influence of the Mughal tradition is evident in this dance form, and it has
a distinct Hindu-Muslim texture.The word Kathak, derived from 'Katha', literally means storyteller. In ancient times, storytellers used
song
and dance to embellish their narration. This took the form of Kathakalakshepam
and Harikatha in southern India, and the form
of Kathak in the north. Developed initially as an offering to the gods, around
the 15th century, the dance form underwent a drastic transition due to the influence
of Mughal dance and music. Thus emerged the
Lucknow gharana or school, distinct from the
Jaipur School, which focused on stories of Rajput valor and popular gods. By the
sixteenth century, the tight churidar pyjama
became the staple attire of a Kathak dancer.The dances are performed straight-legged and the ankle bells worn by the dancers adeptly controlled. Kathak has an exciting and entertaining quality with intricate footwork and rapid pirouettes being the dominant and most endearing features of this style. The costumes and themes of these dances are often similar to those in Mughal miniature paintings.
Though not similar to the Natyasastra, the principles in Kathak are essentially the same. Here, the accent is more on footwork as against the emphasis on hasta mudras or hand formations in Bharatanatyam.
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