India is a land of spices, colors, deities, dances and a lot more. This diverse and ancient land is a host to numerous cultures. The Indian subcontinent is rich in almost all kinds of arts- the ancient scriptures are a beautiful example of the legendry literary skills imbibed in the soil of the country. Great art has been seen in art and architecture of the region. In dance and music too, the land fares far better than many other ancient civilizations.
Kathak is one of the eight classical dances of India. It was originated from the local cultures of Northern India. The word “Kathak” is derived from a Sanskrit word, “Katha” meaning story. This dance was hence originated from the local story tellers who incorporated dance in their art of storytelling. They were basically the local bards who used to narrate tales from the Holy Scriptures. Animated hand gestures and facial expressions were used. It was the typical local form of theatre. Local instruments and vocals were used to accessorize the narratives.
There are three basic schools or ‘gharanas’ of the kathak dance- Jaipur, Lucknow and Benaras, from which they take the lineage. Kathak dance was the most prominent dance forms in the Mughal courts. The dance in itself has undergone many changes. With the advent of British in India, Kathak took a backseat and was not given much importance. But in the free India, Kathak rose once again in an attempt to preserve culture and art form. The dance incorporates minute details with respect to facial expressions and hand gestures. Kathak once again gathered popularity and the ancient dance form is still being learnt, practiced and popularized in various parts of the country as well as the world. It is now one of the eight officially sanctioned dance forms of India.
Dance Costumes and dance accessories form a major part of the Indian dances. Most of the dances use elaborate dance dresses to accentuate the dance and its effects. Kathak too uses beautiful dance apparels to beautify the dance. As far as dance shoes are concerned, most of the Indian dances including Kathak are performed barefoot as these dances are considered to be a form of worship. The most important part of kathak is ghungroo, they are an essential dance accessory. Ghungroos are small metal bells fastened along leather or a cloth strip, worn around the ankle. They make noise in accordance with the footsteps of the dancer and are the main attraction of the dance. The sound made by the ghungroos is central to the dance.
Female dancers may use saris and a tight fitting blouse as dance dresses. They can be tied as in everyday use or a bit high so as to allow a greater freedom of movement. But more commonly lehnga-choli is chosen as a performance dress. A lehnga-choli can be a much more elaborate and fancy dance dress. Lehenga allows gives a greater degree of freedom of movement. During the Mughal era the most popularly used dance apparel was the angh-rakha. This type of garment fitted tightly till above the waist and after that a free flowing skirt follows. A belt of zari material adorned with precious stones was often used as an accessory. Among other accessories were a small pointed cap and a waistcoat.
Male dancers usually used just a dhoti as a dance costume and remained bare-chested. Though, in the Mughal period they often used to wear a churidaar and kurta.
Kathak is an important part of the Indian cultural heritage. It is still growing as a legacy and is reaching new heights of popularity with grand performances being done on national and international scale.
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