Major taals

In Kathak, taal refers to the rhythmic cycle or beat structure that is used as the basis for the dance. The taal is indicated by the accompanying music and is typically divided into a specific number of beats.

Some common taals used in Kathak are:

Teen Taal: This taal has 16 beats, which are divided into four groups of four beats each. It is the most widely used taal in Kathak and is suitable for both fast and slow tempos.

Ek Taal: This taal has 12 beats, which are divided into three groups of four beats each. It is often used for fast-paced, energetic dance pieces.

Jhaptaal: This taal has 10 beats, which are divided into two groups of five beats each. It is typically used for slower, more expressive dance pieces.

Dadra: This taal has 6 beats, which are divided into three groups of two beats each. It is often used for light, romantic dance pieces.

It is important for Kathak dancers to be able to identify and keep track of the taal as they dance, as the footwork and hand gestures are often based on the beat structure of the taal. 

Compositions and sequence of Dance

Compositions can be further sequenced as follows: 

Vandana

The dancer begins with an invocation to the gods.

Thaat

The first composition of a traditional performance; the dancer performs short plays with the time-cycle, finishing on sam in a statuesque standing (thaat) pose.

Aamad

From the Persian word meaning 'entry'; the first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol into the performance.

Salaami

Related to Ar. 'salaam' - a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style.

Kavitt

A poem set on a time-cycle; the dancer will perform movements that echo the meaning of the poem.

Paran

A composition using bols from the pakhawaj instead of only dance or tabla bols.

Parmelu or Primalu

A composition using bols reminiscent of sounds from nature, such as kukuthere (birds), jhijhikita(sound of ghunghru), tigdadigdig (strut of peacock) etc.

Gat

From the word for 'gait' (walk) showing abstract visually beautiful gaits or scenes from daily life.

Lari

A footwork composition consisting of variations on a theme, and ending in a Tihai.

Tihai

A footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam'.

Toda

A dancer performs to the composition of time beats in a rhythmic cycle, ending with Tehai and arriving on the 'sam', a concluding beat.

Laey and Laey-Kari

LAEYS - The literal meaning of  Laey in English could be related to Tempo. 

Whenever a musical instrument is played, or a dance is performed there is an associated "Laey" with it. Laey tells the speed of your dance and singing.

3 major laeys are:

1. Vilamvit laey - The literal meaning of vilamvit in English is delayed. This says that in Vilamvit laey the music is played at a slower pace hence the speed of dance is very slow.

2. Madhya laey - The literal meaning of madhya in English is medium. This says that in madhya laey, the music pace is little faster than vilamvit laey, hence the dance is also in a higher pace.

This is usually the normal pace of singing and dancing. Broadly speaking, madhya laey is double the pace of vilamvit laey 

3. Drut laey - The literal meaning of drut in English is double. This says that in drut laey, the music pace is very fast hence the dance is also in a higher pace. Broadly speaking, drut laey is double the pace of madhya laey.


I'll get back with the type of laey-kari in my next topic.

MADHUBALA

No words for this astonishingly beautiful and a superb actress. 

A Gem of Indian Cinema. Will be missed always. 

Few shots of Madhubala's Kathak dance from the Classic Movie MUGHAL-E-AZAM

Mohe Panghat pe Nandlal chhed gayo re....... 

and the song of rebellious love..........

Pyaar kiya to darna kya.....jab pyaar kiya to darna kya

The Dress and the Ghungroos

Ghunghru

Ghunghru or ghunghroo are the small bells the dancer ties around his or her ankles. The Kathak bells are different from those of other Indian dance styles, as they are not affixed to a pad or strip of leather, but rather are individually woven along a thick string. The usual number of bells is 100 on each ankle, although for the initial stages of learning or for children, 25 and 50 belled strings are widely available to allow the dancer to get used to them.

There is a more or less accepted upper ceiling of 150 bells on each ankle. Greater figures than this tend to involve the topmost circle of bells being tied further and further up a dancer's calf. This is generally regarded as unsuitable, because it is at some distance from the point of impact, giving rise to the upper levels of bells being prone to delayed sounding given the intervening space and amount of leg. Greater numbers are also unnecessarily difficult to control since they are more likely to sound at unwanted moments, being affected by the movement of the whole of the lower leg, rather than just the ankle.

A typical Kathak ghungroo set looks like this:

Costume

Kathak is a wonderful blend of Hindu and Muslim culture. The costumes are very gorgeous for both Hindu (Lahenga-Choli) and Muslim - (Churidar-Kameez-Vest) called Angrakha.

As the dance style itself has changed to reflect the different regions and cultures in which it found itself, so too has the costume and performance dress of the dancers.

PS: As a rule, the dancer should be tied from waist when performing Kathak.

Female costume



Traditional (and perhaps more specifically Hindu) costume sometimes consists of a sari, whether worn in an everyday style, or tied up to allow greater freedom of movement during dance. However, more commonly, the costume is a lehenga-choli combination, with an optional odhni or veil. The lehenga is loose ankle-length skirt, and the choli is a tight fitting blouse, usually short-sleeved. Both can be highly ornately embroidered or decorated. 


The lehenga is sometimes adapted to a special dance variety, similar to a long ghaghra, so that during spins, the skirt flares out dramatically. The ghaghra is a long, very full, gathered skirt with a broad gold or silver border. Narrow silver or gold bands radiate all the way from waist to hem. The choli, worn with the ghaagra, is usually of a contrasting color and has embroidered sleeve-bands.





Mughal costume for women consists of an angarkha (from the Sanskrit anga-rakshaka 'limb-keeper') on the upper body. The design is akin to a chudidaar kameez, but is somewhat tighter fitting above the waist, and the 'skirt' portion explicitly cut on the round to enhance the flare of the lower half during spins. The skirt may also be cut on the round but beginning just below the bust; this style is known as 'Anarkali' after the eponymous dancer who popularised it. 

Beneath the top, the legs are covered by the chudidaar or figure hugging trousers folded up giving the look of cloth bangles. Optional accessories are a small peaked cap and a bandi or small waistcoat to enhance the bust-line. A belt made of zari or precious stones is sometimes also worn on the waist.

Male costume

The traditional costume for men is to be bare-chested. Below the waist is the dhoti, usually tied in the Bengal style, that is with many pleats and a fan finish to one of the ends (although it is not unknown for dancers to tie the garment more simply). There is the option of wearing a men's bandi too.

The Mughal costume is kurta-churidar. The kurta can be a simple one, or again, adapted for dance to incorporate wider flare, but is usually at least knee-length. Men may also wear an angarkha (see costume, below). Particularly older variety costumes include the small peaked cap too.

Important Dance Elements

Fingers of hand as they are called in Hindi:

Thumb- Angushtha

Fore Finger - Tarjani

Middle Finger - Madhyamika

Ring Finger - Anamika

Little Finger - Kanishtha

Types of Circles:

These are the ways and type of circles that are made during dance: 

Static

Dynamic

Sitting circles

Navras: 

These are the Nine Sentiments (expression/acting) that are represented through the dance:

1. Shant - Quiet
2. Veer - Hero
3. Krodh - Anger
4. Adbhut - Surprise
5. Vibhastsya - Disgust
6. Karun - Pathos
7. Hasya - Comedy
8. Bhaye - Fear
9. Shringar - Beauty

Hand Gestures:

Asanjukta Hasta Mudra (Single Handed Gestures)
Sanjukta Hasta Mudra (Combined Handed Gestures)

Gat Nikas:

A composition describing the movement of a bird (e.g. peacock, swan), animal (e.g. elephant, lion), a human charactor or Hindu Gods and Goddesses and is usually performed with the beats of a percussion instrument accompanied by string instruments e.g. Sarengi, Sitar, Swarmandal etc. Gat Nikas, commonly called Gat Vab, is named as follows.

Parvati Gat - movement of Hindu Goddess Parvati (Goddess of strength)
Stri Gat - movement of a lady
Mayur Gat - movement of a peacock
Gajagamini Gat - movement of an elephant

There are many other Gats e.g. Ghunghat (veil), Holi (festival of colors), Lahenga (a Hindu dress or costume), Selami (a Muslim way of salutation to the audience) etc. There are variations in eye, neck, feet movements.

Nritya: Dance with Expressions and Feelings

Expressive Dance (Nritya)

The simple equation goes like this:

Nritta + Abhinaya = Nritya

Aside from the traditional expressive or abhinaya pieces performed to a bhajan, ghazal or thumri, Kathak also possesses a particular performance style of expressional pieces called bhaav bataanaa ('to show bhaav or 'feeling'). It is a mode where abhinaya dominates, and arose in the Mughal court. 

It is more suited to the mehfil or the darbaar environment, because of the proximity of the performer to the audience, who can more easily see the nuances of the dancer's facial expression. 

A thumri is sung, and once the mood is set, a line from the thumri is interpreted with facial abhinaya and hand movements while seated. This continues for an indefinite period, limited only by the dancer's interpretative abilities. 

PS: The text of thumri is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Awadhi and Brij Bhasha. Thumri is characterized by its sensuality, and by a greater flexibility with the raga.

Bollywood Connections

The most famous Hindi Movies in which some amazing Kathak dance is performed are:


Pakizah - By Meena Kumari

Mughal e Azam - By Madhu Bala

Devdas - By Madhuri Dixit

Dil to Pagal Hai : By Madhuri Dixit