Why in News?

• The Kathak maestro Birju Maharajhas published a poetry compilation ‘Brij Shyam Kahe’ for dance.

About Kathak:

• It is one of the eight classical dances of India.
• ‘Kathak’ word has been derived from the word Katha meaning story.
• Its origin is said to be Kathakar (the one who tells a story) tradition of North India.

Evolution:

• It was initially a temple or village performance where the dancers narrated stories from ancient scriptures (Kathakars).
• With the spread of Bhakti movement, Kathak began evolving into a unique mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
• The prominent theme is‘ legends of Radha-Krishna’ which were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila.
• Kathak combines folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak storytellers.
• Kathak was performed in Mughal courts, where it acquired its present features and later developed into a dance form with a distinctive style.
• Later, under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art form of the region.

Dance Style:

• It is generally a solo performance; wherein the dancer often pauses to recite the verses followed by their execution through movement.
• They focus more on footwork, skilfully controlling the movements.
• It is mostly performed straight legged by dancers wearing ankle-bells.
• Music: Hindustani/ North Indian Music (Kathak is the only form of classical dance where in Hindustani or the North Indian music is used).
• Prominent dancers: Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi.

Gharanas of Kathak:

• The schools place different relative emphasis between aspects of a Kathak performance such as the acting versus footwork.
• The Lucknow Gharana: Emphasizes on acting
• Jaipur Gharana: Emphasizes on dance and footwork. The Jaipur gharana has traditionally had a strong spiritual flavor, covering a diverse range of ideas in both Vaishnavism and Shaivism.
• Benares gharana: Considered to be the oldest gharana.