Slideshow
Project

Kathak: The Dance of Storytellers
Kathak: The Dance of Storytellers explores the philosophical and practical aspects of Kathak dance—its origin, development, and techniques.
Investigating this compelling dance style from cultural and historical perspectives, the book delves into the essential principles of Kathak, its schools and major artists, the format of Kathak performance, repertoire, Kathak music, predominant trends in training, and the system of practice through the lens of theory and application.
A rare resource, the text is a comprehensive read for dancers, teachers, and Kathak lovers.
Services
Performer
Kathak performance and lecture demonstrations.
Teacher/Choreographer
Sumbhaav School of Kathak Dance: Sumbhaav Dance Project; Trinity College, Hartford; CT Commission on the Arts; Arts for Learning.
Author
Kathak: The Dance of Storytellers
My Featured Video
Siddhartha: Interpreting Herman Hesse
Full-length choreography, based on Herman Hesse’s poetic-novella “Siddhartha". In collaboration with Anu R. Sharma and Damon Honeycutt.
Web Links

Expressive, sharp, alluring and precise, Kathak lives today as an important school of classical dance. Kathak is a North Indian classical dance, which originated over 2000 years ago as a temple dance. Kathak derives its name from ancient “Kathikas” of India, who were professional storytellers and recited verses from the great epics using explanatory gestures and music. The “Kathikas” were affiliated with the temples, and their stories and dances formed part of the daily rituals of worship. The Mogul invasion of India in the 15th century, however, changed the theme of Kathak. Under the Mogul empire, tempting rewards of gifts and riches lured dancers from the temples to affluent Mogul courts. Here, Kathak was influenced by dancers and musicians from Persia. Temple and court Kathak became two distinct styles in the atmosphere, theme costume, and music. The temple style described the mythological and spiritual significance, while the court style shifted its attention to rhythmic displays, fast footwork, and grandiose pirouettes. The major theme shifted from devotionalism to romanticism. Today, the impressive features of both temple and court Kathak have been integrated into one style that balances both the spiritual and physical aspects into one unified dance form.
www.kathakusa.com/