Kathak Stylistic Features Research

Kathak and Kathakars

Kathak is a form of ancient Indian classical dance that is thought to have originated somewhere in the north of India. Those who perform the dance are referred to as Kathakars which roughly means "Storyteller". The Kathakars would travel all across India to tell their stories through dancing and music. 

Where did Kathak originate from?

Kathak is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms and as mentioned previously is believed to have originated in north India. Its first use was in Hindu temples where it was used as a way to tell the stories from within Hindu scriptures called Mahabharata and Ramayana. 

Why was Kathak performed?

Kathak was performed in order to worship the Hindu god Krishna, who was the patron of protection, compassion, tenderness and love. 

Comparison to western classical dance

Due to Kathak being a classical dance form, it is considered to be the south Asian equivalent of European classical dance such as ballet. Both styles require dancers to start at a young age in order to be highly successful in the style. They also each have a set of codified steps and have similar turns where they spin on one foot with a fixed centre point, the only difference being that the Kathak turn (chakkar) in done on the heel and the ballet turn (pirouette) is completed on the toes. 

The stylistic features of Kathak

Mudras

These are symbolic hand gestures that are incredibly prevalent throughout Indian dance and are a form of none verbal communication. These movements are used instead of spoken word and are incredibly effective; however they require a great deal of skill in order to accurately perform in order for the piece to make sense. 

Bols 

This is a word form that takes the place of rhythmic counts in Kathak dance. These sounds help to recite and identify the rhythm with certain words referring to certain counts; for example one is "Tai", two is "Tai ya", three is "Tai ya dha" and four is "Tai ya dha me". 

Chakkars 

This is a type of turn or spin that is prominent with Kathak dance, it is performed on the heel of the foot which is something that is quite different to Kathak's European counterpart where turns or pirouettes are executed on the toes instead. Due to the importance of this movement to the style and how difficult it can be, dancers begin learning at an incredibly young age in order to learn the correct form, technique and level of endurance that is required to perform these spins accurately multiple times in a row. 

Tatkar 

This is the percussive rhythm that is produced through the dancer's footwork through Kathak. The dancers will stomp out the syllables in conjunction with the spoken bols; there are many different types of Tatkar that can be performed throughout Kathak dance. The foot stomps should be loud and prominent enough to be heard alongside the spoken bols. 

Chungurus 

These are bells that have been attached to pieces of rope that are then tied around the ankles of Kathak dancers. The Chungurus are worn throughout all practices and performances, they greatly emphasise and highlight the percussive rhythm made by the tatkar and helps to amplify it meaning that the Kathak dancer is not required to stop their foot as hard.