Kathak Yoga is a technique common in Kathak
that was named by Pandit Chitresh Das. The dancer has to recite the taal, sing
a melody, and perform complex footwork and spins in the same composition;
frequently two or more of these elements occur simultaneously. The aim is to
unify the various aspects of Kathak, so the dancer is constantly aware of the
precise relationship of whatever composition is being danced (whether a song or
a dance composition) to the rhythm cycle.
This dance form traces its origins to the
nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or
storytellers. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and
the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it absorbed
certain features of Persian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported
by the royal courts of the Mughal era.
The name Kathak is derived from the
Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means he who tells
a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly . katthak, with the geminated dental to show
a derived form, but this has since simplified to modern-day kathak. kathaa kahe so kathak is a saying
many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated, 's/he who
tells a story, is a kathak', but which can also be translated, 'that which
tells a story, that is 'Kathak.'
Kathak therefore is a lot like a painting,
it conceives space in only two dimensions and hence its patterns are done in a
straight line. Space is treated front to back and no attempt is made to make
three dimensional patterns. Kathak takes the human form to be a straight line
and therefore there are very few deflections of the vertical median. The sam
pada position (when the dancer stands straight and there is equal distribution
of weight) is an important one in Kathak. In no other classical Indian dance
style is flat foot dancing so important. Kathak requires minute foot work and
the reason for the emphasis on footwork is because it can only be executed if
the weight is delicately balanced on each foot. Kathak dancers therefore move
the weight of the body when they move their feet, making for light movements as
opposed to the more terse movements see in other styles. Unlike other dance
forms that enumerate various leg and hand positions, Kathak dancers are judged
on how they are able to execute rhythmic patterns on a basic metrical cycle.
*Female
costume:
*Male
costume:
The traditional costume for men to be
bare-chested. Below the waist is the dhoti, usually tied in the Bengal style, that is with many pleats and a fan finish
to one of the ends (although it is not unknown for dancers to tie the garment
more simply). There is the option of wearing a men's bandi too.
The Mughal costume is kurta-churidar. The
kurta can be a simple one, or again, adapted for dance to incorporate wider
flare, but is usually at least knee-length. Men may also wear an angarkha (see
Female Costume, above). Particularly older variety costumes include the small
peaked cap too.
****(Younger Artists)**
Aacharyaa Pratishtha
Sharma(dancer)[6]
• Gauri Jog (dancer)[7]
• jagdish gangani barodawale
• Rajendra Gangani
• Ms. Anurag Verma Jaipur
• Parveen Gangani
• Parwati Dutta
• harish gangani
*
* *Prominent Artists and SNA Awardees:***
1. Shambhu Maharaj 1955
2. Baijnath Prasad “Lacchu Maharaj” 1957
3. Sunder Prasad 1959
4. Mohan Rao Kallianpurkar 1962
5. Birju Maharaj 1964
6. Damayanti Joshi 1968
7. Sitara Devi 1969
8. Gauri Shankar Devilal 1974
