KATHAK

GHARANA: The word GHARANA literally means HOUSE ...in HINDI ghar also means house.Here it actually implies the house of the teacher .We can conclude it takes us back to the GURU_SISHYA ( teacher_disciple) parampara (system) of the yesterdays with little modifications.Here the name of the gharana was almost derived from a geographical location , ezample city , district or state that the founder lived in. The gharana system commenced only 100_300 years back.The modern gharanas were easily traceable to the period of Mughal collapse.There were gharanas separately for vocal ,dance and instrumental music.In those days the name of the GHARANA and its glory was a prerequisite for obtaining a position in the royal courts.The gharanas had a certain standard which was being scrutinised by the royal courts .In the artistic sense it can be compared to to a certain style or "school" which was more popular or in demand. Later on the lack of royal patronage and the monotony of styles forced the 20th century artists who were more individualistic in their rendering of art put an end to the gharana system.Now it exists only in the vestigial system.

KATHAK

Bana Bhatta's HARSHACHARITA throws light on the existence of KATHAKAS who wandered village sabhas and temple courtyards telling stories {KATHAS} tastefully handpicked from mythology and adding colour to it with actions and expressions. By the 13th century a definite style had emerged. It was during the 15th and 16th century at the time of BHAKTI MOVEMENT, Rasalila had tremendous impact on KATHAK.During this period stories of RADHA -KRISHNA ,Srikrishan's exploits in the holy land of VRINDAVAN ,tales of KRISHNA LEELA {Krishan's childhood} all became very popular and the dance which was more spiritual started to acquire folk elements too.Following mythology and ancient scriptures we get to know that this dance took the form of "KATHKALAKSHEPAM" and "HARIKATHA" in Southern India and came to be known as "KATHAK" in the North.

KATHAK

HISTORY : A conventional Kathak repertoire usually follows a progression in tempo from slow to fast , ending with a dramatic climax.Nritta (pure dance) and Nritya (abhinaya) are the two main features of any classical dance .The kathak dancers frequently performed Nritya on lighter classical music such as dadra , kajri , tappa as well as thumri.This was mainly performed by Tawaifs' in the courts.Such performances in the royal courtsinvolved more of what is known as Nakhra (mischievous playfulness) . With the advent of British raj this was misjudged. The free interchange of ideas beween the court and tawaif dancers thus led to the downfall of kathak during that age.

KATHAK

Kathak was primarily associated with an institution known as "TAWAIF". This was very popular during the 16th century which was patronized by the Mughal rulers.This is a much misunderstood institution of female entertainers , very much like the "Geisha" tradition of Japan.It was a profession which demanded the highest standards of training , intelligence and most important civility.It is said that it was common for royalty to send their children to the TAWAIFS for instruction in etiquette.Young girls were taken at a tender age and trained in both performing arts{kathak and hindustani classical music} as well as literature{ghazal and thumri} to a very high standard.Once they had matured and possessed a sufficient command over dancing and singing , they became TAWAIF. As the saying goes , young Nawabs were sent to TAWAIF to learn "Tameez" and "Tehzeeb" , which includes the ability to differentiate and appreciate good music and literature and also the art of Ghazal writing.

KATHAK

The 19th century saw the golden age of KATHAK under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah , the last Nawab of Oudh.He established the LUCKNOW gharana with its strong accent on "BHAVA" , the expression of NATYA{moods} and ABHINAYA{emotions}. The Nawab himself used to dance taught by Durga Prasad. The JAIPUR gharana is known for LAYAKARI {rhythmic virtuosity with complex footwork} and it was born in the courts of KACHWAHA RAJPUT KINGS. The BANARAS gharana also was formed at the same time in the courts of VARANASI.

KATHAK

As we have already seen the origin of KATHAK DANCE goes back to 3rd and 4th B.C when professional story tellers or Kathakas were very popular.In Bana Bhatta's HARSHACHARITA there is mention about the same.Though its emergence was just like a dramatic form , by the 13th century a definite style had emerged , and also technical features like mnemonic syllables and BOL developed."BOLS" are a group of rhythmic words { eg:dha, ge ,na, tirakiTa or ta , thei , tat , tata , tigda .} which serve both as mnemonics to the composition and whose recitation also forms an integral part of the performance.This recitation is known as "PADHANT".

KATHAK

The Vaishnavite cult which swept Northern India in the 15th century and the resultant Bhakti Movement contributed to a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms.The Radha-Krishna theme proved immensely popular along with the works of Mirabai ,Surdas,Nandadas and Krishnadas.The emergence of Rasalila , mainly in the Braj region { Mathura in western U.P.}was an important development.There are three major gharanas { schools } of KATHAK from which performers today generally draw their lineage : The gharanas of JAIPUR ,LUCKNOW and BANARAS.There is also a less prominent RAIGARH GHARANA which is an amalgamation of all the three preceding gharanas , still became famous for its own distinctive style.

KATHAK

Before proceeding about the various gharanas {schools} of Kathak ,let us take a look at the most important gadget used by the dancers, called the GHUNGURU or the bells.These are small bells the dancer ties around his or her ankles.The kathak bells are different form those of other Indian styles , as they are not affixed to a pad or strip of leather , they are individually woven along a thick string.The number of bells ranges from 25 for beginners to 150 for experts on each ankle.The scintillating foot works are like fireworks with the accompaniment of these ghungurus.

KATHAK

Kathak is a dance of communication reflecting the total philosophy of life.It adheres to tradition yet,at the same time it develops in new directions.Kathak is a vehicle for all emotions.It is universal in concept,unlike other Indian classical dances,it absorbs other cultures.It was when the dance reached the Mughal courts after the 16th century that Kathak began to acquire its distinctive shape and features.

KATHAK

This dance form traces its origin to the nomadic bards of the ancient northern India.These bards performed mainly in village squares and temple courtyards.They told stories from mythology and moral tales from scripturs embellishing their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions.The stories were enlivened with instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures.

KATHAK

This is the most widely performed dance in North India.The name stems from the word Katha "the art of story telling".Modern day Kathak is a theater art which has the vigour of dynamic footwork and pinpoint spins, the subtle movement of the face and hands, telling stories of all kinds.This is the only classical dance form that has elements from both Muslim and Hindu culture.