The technique is built by the use of an
intricate system of foot-work. Pure dance is all important where
complex rhythmic patterns are created through the use of the flat feet and the
control of sound of the ankle bells worn by the dancer. As in Bharatnatyam,
Odissi and Manipuri, Kathak also builds its pure dance sequences by combining
units of movement. The cadences are called differently by the names tukra, tora,
and parana, all indicative of the nature of rhythmic
patterns used and the percussion instrument accompanying the dance. The dancer
commences with a sequence called That where
soft gliding movements of the neck, eyebrows and the wrists, are introduced.
This is followed by a conventional formal entry known as the Amad
and theSalami .
The nineteenth 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 moods and emotions. The Jaipur gharana known
for its layakari or
rhythmic virtuosity and the Benaras gharana are
other prominent schools of Kathak dance. The technique of movement in Kathak is
unique to it.
The weight of the body is equally distributed
along the horizontal and vertical axis. The full foot contact is of prime
importance where only the toe or the ball of the foot are used, their function
is limited. There are no deflections and no use of sharp bends or curves of the
upper or lower part of the body. Torso movements emerge from the change of the
shoulder line rather than through the manipulations of the backbone or upper
chest and lower waist muscles. In the basic stance, the dancer stands straight,
holds one hand at a level higher than the head and the other is extended out on
the level of the shoulder.
The
weight of the body is equally distributed along the horizontal and vertical
axis. The full foot contact is of prime importance where only the toe or the
ball of the foot are used, their function is limited. There are no deflections
and no use of sharp bends or curves of the upper or lower part of the body.
Torso movements emerge from the change of the shoulder line rather than through
the manipulations of the backbone or upper chest and lower waist muscles. In
the basic stance, the dancer stands straight, holds one hand at a level higher
than the head and the other is extended out on the level of the shoulder.
In the
mime portions (nritya or abhinaya),
words are not used in simple numbers called the gata, which
is performed in a lyrical manner to gentle rhythm. These are short narrative
pieces which portray a brief episode from Krishna's life. A poetic line set to
music is interpreted with gestures in other numbers, such as the tumri, bhajan, dadra - all
lyrical musical compositions.
In these sections, there is a word to word or line to line synchronisation in the same fashion as in Bharatnatyam or Odissi. Both in nritta and the abhinaya there is immense scope for improvisation of presenting variations on a theme. The interpretative and the abstract dance techniques are interwoven into each other, and the dancer's greatness lies in his capacity for improvisation on the melodic and metric line on the one hand and the poetic line on the other. Today, Kathak has emerged as a distinct dance form. Being the only classical dance of India having links with Muslim culture, it represents a unique synthesis of Hindu and Muslim genius in art. Further, Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music. Both of them have had a parallel growth, each feeding and sustaining the other.
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