Arre Kya Baat Hai! (old)

Welcome to the magical world of Kathak, one of the classical dances of India. Kathak is the dance from the Hindi heartland of northern India. Generally speaking, most of the classical dances of India like Kathakali, Bharatnatyam and Mohiniattam with elaborate choreographies and exquisite costumes originated in Southern part of India. Probably it has something to do with the peace and prosperity, so that cultures can develop more elaborate forms of expression. Northern parts of India, especially on the west, were too much occupied with wars.

The same is true for the two other classical dance forms of northern India, Manipuri from the north-east and Odisi from Orissa. Both have elaborate costumes, makeup and gestures. Kathak is the dance of north and north-western part of India and has been heavily influenced by the different cultures that reached India from the west, including the Mughals.
To be classified as a classical dance, it must have a codified set of rules that govern all its movements, gestures and costumes as well as the music that accompanies it. I think that Kathak was devalued and vulgarised over the past century as it lost patronage of the kings and nawabs. The simple dresses and the apparent simplicity of its gestures, reflects very closely the daily life in the Hindi heartland around Brijbhumi, Delhi, Lucknow.
The distinctive feature of Kathak is the foot-work. Vigorous thumping of feet along the rhythm of music from tabla, that may seem very similar to the spanish flammenco in some ways, is key part of the dance. Expert dancers take that to the extremes with such quick footwork that only the more experienced can understand the nuances and complexities. Yet, even if you don't understand all the complexities, you can always enjoy its simple gestuality.
All the pictures with this post are from guru Birju Maharaj's dance troupe performing in New Delhi in October 2005. Birju Maharaj is one of the leading exponents of this dance.
Tomorrow morning we will leave for Delhi. These will be three weeks of dance, fun, family reunions for us as our son, Marco Tushar gets married. It is very likely that I will not be able to write any thing on this blog for these three weeks, even though I may be able to get some pictures from the marriage ceremony. So to all of you, who come here by design or chance, best wishes for a joyful and peaceful Christmas and new year, 2006.