INTRODUCING KATHAK AS AN INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE

India is a repository of an amazing wealth of classical dance and there are many classical dance forms existing in our country, such as Kathak, Bharat Natyam, Odissi, and Kathakali. Classical dance is the one that is entirely based upon scriptures—the prominent among these are:

• Natya Shastra


• Abhinaya Darpan


• Sam Ved

The classical dance of Kathak evolved in northern part of India and was cultured all through the ages in diverse ways and forms among the north Indian people and was nurtured in a religious and spiritual atmosphere.

Kathak as a classical dance form includes all the three elements of dance i.e.:

• Nritt


• Nritya


• Natya

Nritt is predominant in Kathak. It expresses certain rhythmic patterns interpreted by feet, hands and other limbs of the body. It conveys a sense of joy and happiness in response to the movement . Rhythmic compositions, toraas, tukraas, paran, aamad, etc. in Kathak comprise the nritt part of dance.

Nritya implies the rendering of the meaning of a song or story through suggestive facial expressions, codified gestures of hands and symbolic postures of the body. Nritya is rendered in Kathak in different styles of singing and named accordingly like dhrupad, dhamaar, kavitt, etc. Gat nikaas is also included in nritya.

Natya aspect includes gat bhaav, the dancer takes an action or a theme, story, an episode and interprets it through mime.

So, Kathak subsumes within it all the three elements of Indian classical dance.