See Kāṭhaka for the Vehicle school.

Kathak Dancer Richa Jain performing the chakkarwala tukra, one of the many popular highlights of Kathak

Kathak performance by Sharmila Sharma and Rajendra Kumar Gangani at the Guimet Museum (November 2007)

Kathak (Hindi: कथक) is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it absorbed certain features of Persian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era.

The name Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means he who tells a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly कत्थक katthak, with the geminated dental to show a derived form, but this has since simplified to modern-day कथक kathak. kathaa kahe so kathak is a saying many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated, 's/he who tells a story, is a kathak', but which can also be translated, 'that which tells a story, that is 'Kathak.'

There are three major schools or gharanas of Kathak from which performers today generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Benares (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively), Jaipur and Lucknow ; there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

Repertoire[link]

Pure Dance (Nritta)[link]

The structure of a conventional Kathak performance tends to follow a progression in tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. A short danced composition is known as a tukra, a longer one as a toda. There are also compositions consisting solely of footwork. Often the performer will engage in rhythmic 'play' with the time-cycle, for example splitting it into triplets or quintuplets which will be marked out on the footwork, so that it is in counterpoint to the rhythm on the percussion.

All compositions are performed so that the final step and beat of the composition lands on the 'sam' (pronounced as the English word 'sum' and meaning even or equal, archaically meaning nil) or first beat of the time-cycle. Most compositions also have 'bols' (rhythmic words) which serve both as mnemonics to the composition and whose recitation also forms an integral part of the performance. This recitation is known as padhant. Some compositions are aurally very interesting when presented this way. The bols can be borrowed from tabla (e.g. dha, ge, na, 'ti' 'na' 'ka' 'dhi na') or can be a dance variety (ta, thei, tat, ta ta, tigda, digdig, tram theyi and so on).

Often tukras are composed to highlight specific aspects of the dance, for example gait, or use of corners and diagonals, and so on. A popular tukra type is the chakkarwala tukra, showcasing the signature spins of Kathak. Because they are generally executed on the heel, these differ from ballet's pirouettes (which are properly executed on the toe or ball of the foot). The spins usually manifest themselves at the end of the tukra, often in large numbers: five, nine, fifteen, or more, sequential spins are common. These tukras are popular with audiences because they are visually exciting and are executed at great speed. Other compositions can be further particularised as follows:

Music to Kathak is normally provided by tabla and sitar players

1. Vandana, the dancer begins with an invocation to the gods;
2. 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;
3. Aamad, from the Persian word meaning 'entry'; the first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol in to the performance;
4. Salaami, related to Ar. 'salaam' - a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style;
5. Kavitt, a poem set on a time-cycle; the dancer will perform movements that echo the meaning of the poem;
6. Paran, a composition using bols from the pakhawaj instead of only dance or tabla bols;
7. 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.;
8. Gat, from the word for 'gait, walk' showing abstract visually beautiful gaits or scenes from daily life;
9. Lari, a footwork composition consisting of variations on a theme, and ending in a tihai;
10. Tihai, usually a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam'.

Expressive Dance (Nritya)[link]

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 (lit. '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 darbar environment, because of the proximity of the performer to the audience, who can more easily see the nuances of the dancer's facial expression. Consequently, it translates to the modern proscenium stage with difficulty. 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. Shambhu Maharaj was known to interpret a single line in many different ways for hours but all the Maharaj family (Acchan Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj and Achhan Maharaj's son Birju Maharaj) have found much fame for the naturalness and innovativeness of their abhinaya.

History of Kathak[link]

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (April 2009)

The story of Kathak begins in ancient times with the performances of professional story-tellers called kathakas who recited or sang stories from epics and mythology with some elements of dance. The traditions of the kathakas were hereditary, and dances passed from generation to generation. There are literary references from the third and fourth centuries BC which refer to these kathakas. The two texts are in the archives of Kameshwar Library at Mithila.

An extract runs as follows:

maggasirasuddhapakkhe nakkhhate varanaseeye nayareeye uttarpuratthime diseebhage gangaye mahanadeeye tate savvokathako bhingarnatenam teese stuti kayam yehi raya adinaho bhavenam passayi (Prakrit text, 4th century BC).
Translation:
in the month of margashirsha, in the shukla-paksha nakshatra, to the north west of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, the shringar dance of the kathaks in praise of God pleased Lord Adinatha.

A 3rd century BC Sanskrit shloka (Mithila, late Mauryan period):

...anahat...nrityadharmam kathakacha devalokam...
Translation:
...sound...and the Kathaks whose duty is dance for the divine peoples

There are also two verses from the Mahabharata which also refer to Kathaks:

Kathakscapare rajan sravanasca vanaukasahadivyakhyanani ye ca'pi pathanti madhuram dvijaha
(Mahabharata, verse 1.206.2-4, Adiparva)
Translation:
With the king on the way to the forest were the Kathakas pleasing to the eyes and ears as they sang and narrated sweetly.

Noted Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan, recipient of the Padma Shri

Shovana Narayan notes: 'Here the emphasis on ‘pleasing to the eyes’ is indication of the performing aspect of the Kathakas.' The other verse is in the Anusasanika Parva. In the post-Christian era, there is also reference to Kathak in the Harsha-charita of Bana.

By the 13th century a definite style had emerged and soon technical features like mnemonic syllables and bol developed. In the 15th-16th century at the time the Bhakti movement, Rasalilas had a tremendous impact on Kathak. The form of dance even made its way to the Kathavachakas who performed in temples.

Change in the Bhakti Era[link]

During the era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was used to narrate tales from the lives of these figures. Popular performances included Sri Krishna’s exploits in the holy land of Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna-Leela (Krishna’s childhood). It was in this time, the dance moved away from the spirituality of the temple and began to be influenced by folk elements.

In the Mughal Period[link]

It was when the dance reached the Mughal court after the 16th century that Kathak began to acquire its distinctive shape and features. Here it encountered other different forms of dance and music, most especially dancers from Persia. Dancers were enticed from the temples to the courts by gifts of gold, jewels and royal favour. Patronage soared as a social class of dancers and courtiers emerged in the royal palaces, where dance competitions were held frequently. The environment of the North Indian Mughal courts caused a shift in focus for Kathak, from a purely religious art form to court entertainment. Dancers imported from the Middle East spread their ideas to Kathak dancers, as they borrowed ideas from Kathak to implement in their own dance. Kathak absorbed the new input, adapting it until it became an integral part of its own vocabulary.

Kathak began to shift away from other traditional Indian dances, such as Bharatanatyam. The demi-plié stance of most other Indian dance forms gave way to straight legs taken from the Persian dancers. To emphasize the flamboyant and elaborate rhythmic footwork as many as 150 ankle bells on each leg were worn. It was also during this period that the signature 'chakkars' (spins) of Kathak were introduced, possibly influenced by the so-called whirling dervishes. The straight-legged position gave a new vitality to the footwork, which wove percussive rhythms in its own right, whether together with or in complement to the tabla or pakhawaj. By this stage, the varied influences had introduced great flexibility into Kathak in terms of presentation and narrative dance. As it moved away from the temple through folk dances to the court, it gathered many accretions of the themes on which the narrative dance could treat, resulting in a broader catchment of material for abhinaya pieces, and a less stylised and slightly informal presentation style which often incorporated improvisation and suggestions from the courtly audience. The fusion of cultures developed Kathak in a singular manner, but although it was by now substantially different from the other Indian dance forms, the roots of the style remained the same, and as such it still displays a consanguineity with the others, particularly in the hand-formations during story-telling, and some of the body-postures, for example the tribhangi position, which is common to most Indian dance forms.

Later court influences[link]

Many emperors and princely rulers contributed to the growth and development of Kathak into different gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities in which they developed. The Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, not only enjoyed giving patronage to dancers, but danced himself, taught by Durga Prasad. He himself choreographed a dance, Rahas, that he danced himself with the ladies of his court. He brought teachers to his palaces, aiding the expansion of technical vocabulary, and formed the basis of the Lucknow gharana, emphasizing sensuous, expressive emotion. The Lucknow gharana placed emphasis on the abhinaya and natya elements or expressional qualities of the dancing; it was famed for its subtlety and grace (nazakat). This contrasted sharply with the Jaipur gharana, which became renowned for highly intricate and complex footwork, and fast, sharp, and accurate dancing. Even after the Mughuls, courts in Rajasthan enjoyed Kathak as a sophisticated art form, fostering the growth of the Jaipur gharana. The Benares gharana was also created in this time.

During this period, Kathak was also extensively performed by tawaifs, who themselves developed the art in parallel to its refinement in court. They frequently performed abhinaya on lighter classical music of such as dadra, kajri and tappa as well as thumri. Given the tawaifs' environment, their performance style of Kathak also differed from the court style, involving more of what in Kathak is termed naKhra ('mischievous playfulness'). As the dance teachers of these tawaifs were also often the dance teachers of the court dancers, there was a fairly free interchange of ideas between the two milieus, and this helped consolidate the repertoire of Kathak.

During the Raj[link]

The advent of British Rule in India sent Kathak into sharp decline. The Victorian administrators publicly pronounced it a base and unlovely form of entertainment, despite often privately enjoying the pleasures of the tawaif. Indeed, by associating Kathak solely with the tawaifs and then associating the tawaifs with out-and-out prostitution, Kathak acquired an unwholesome image: the entirely British concept of nautch. Kathak was, to Victorian eyes, an entertainment designed solely for the purposes of seduction. During these times of cultural hardship, the role of the tawaifs in preserving the art forms should not be underestimated. Famous tawaifs such as Gauhar Jan were instrumental in the maintenance and continuation of Kathak, even as it was officially denigrated by the prevailing political opinion. Kathak first received world's attention in the early 20th century through Kalka Prasad Maharaj, whose sons Acchan, Lacchhu and Shambhu Maharaj, went on carry forward the tradition for the next generation, both as dancers in their own right and later as dance gurus.^[1]

Today[link]

Today, Kathak has regained its popularity after the period of decline during the rule of the British Empire (where it was frowned upon by Victorian administrators), and it is now one of the eight officially sanctioned classical dance forms of India. Kathak's current form is a synthesis of all the input it has had in the past: court and romantic aspects sit comfortably side-by-side with the temple and mythological/religious. The work of the Maharaj family of dancers (Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and one of the great current dancers still alive today, Birju Maharaj) and his students including Saswati Sen have been very successful in spreading the popularity of Kathak. Another disciple of Acchan Maharaj is Sitara Devi, daughter of Sukhdev Maharaj of Banaras. Her lively, zestful and fiery performances have impressed many audiences. Shambhu Maharaj also trained Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, who, along with Birju Maharaj, has introduced the relative innovation of multi-person choreographies in Kathak, which was traditionally a solo dance form. She has gained a strong reputation for combining purely classical movements and style with distinctly contemporary use of space.Rajashree Shirke, a disciple of Madhurita Sarang (who in turn is a disciple of Birju Maharaj), is playing a pioneer role in reviving the age-old of tradition of story telling in temples by Kathakars.

Gharanas[link]

Because of the linear nature of the passing of knowledge from guru to shishya, certain stylistic and technical features began to fossilise and became hallmarks of a particular school, guru or group of teachers. The different styles are known as gharanas, and these are:

Lucknow Gharana[link]

The Lucknow Gharana of Kathak dance came into existence mainly in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah the ruler of Awadh in the early 19th century. It was in this period that the Lucknow gharana of Kathak attained maturity and perfection. This was due to the pioneering efforts of Thakur Prasad Maharaj, the court dancer and guru of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and subsequently by his illustrious sons Bindadin Maharaj and Kalkadin Maharaj. Kalkadin Maharajji’s sons Achchan Maharaj, Lachu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj also contributed to the further development of this gharana style.

The Lucknow style or Kathak dance is characterized by graceful movements, elegance and natural poise with dance. Artistically designed dance compositions, emotive vocal compositions like thumri-s, dadra-s, hori-s along with abhinaya (expressional acting) and creative improvisions are the hallmarks of this style.

Presently, Pandit Briju Maharaj (son of Achchan Maharajji) is considered the chief representative of this gharana.

Jaipur Gharana[link]

The Jaipur Gharana developed in the courts of the Kachchwaha kings of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Importance is placed on the more technical aspects of dance, such as complex and powerful footwork, multiple spins, and complicated compositions in different talas. There is also a greater incorporation of compositions from the pakhawaj, such as parans.

Benares Gharana[link]

The Benares Gharana was developed by Janakiprasad. It is characterized by the exclusive use of the natwari or dance bols, which are different from the tabla and the pakhawaj bols. There are differences in the thaat and tatkaar, and chakkars are kept at a minimum but are often taken from both the right- and the left-hand sides with equal confidence. There is also a greater use of the floor, for example, in the taking of sam.

Raigarh Gharana[link]

This was established by the Maharaja Chakradhar Singh in the princely state of Raigarh in Chhatisgarh in the early 20th century. The Maharaja invited many luminaries of Kathak (as well as famous percussionists) to his court, including Kalka Prasad (the father of Acchan, Lacchu and Shambhu Maharaj) and his sons, and Pandit Jailal from Jaipur gharana. The confluence of different styles and artists created a unique environment for the development of new Kathak and tabla compositions drawn from various backgrounds.Some of renowned dancers of this gharana are Late Pt.Kartik Ram,Late Pt.Phirtu Maharaj,Late Pt.Kalyaandas Mahant,Late Pt.Barmanlak,Pt.Ramlal,Alpana Vajpeyi,Suchitra Harmalkar,MonicaPandeyBohre,Mohini Moghe,Bhagwaandas Manik,Bhupendra Bareth,Vaasanti Vaishnav etc.

Relationship with other art forms[link]

Kathak Yoga[link]

Kathak Yoga is a technique common in Kathak that was named by Pandit Chitresh Das. The dancer has to recite the taal, sing a melody, and perform complex footwork and spins in the same composition; frequently two or more of these elements occur simultaneously. The aim is to unify the various aspects of Kathak, so the dancer is constantly aware of the precise relationship of whatever composition is being danced (whether a song or a dance composition) to the rhythm cycle.

Flamenco[link]

There are many striking similarities between Kathak and Flamenco, a southern Spanish song and dance style that received much influence from the local gypsies, most notably in the lack of much deviation from the vertical axis, percussive footwork, and dependence on (sometimes complex) rhythmic cycles.

It is generally supposed that the Romani people emigrated from India sometime in the 11th century. One group entered Spain via Eastern Europe, having first passed westward through Iran (then Persia) and the fringes of the Ottoman Empire. In these places, they encountered the very same influences that were to later arrive in India through the Mughal incursions and have such an impact on Kathak. Thus, Flamenco and Kathak received the similar stylistic influences in two very different circumstances: The itinerant Romanis carried their Indian art forms' traditions with them and absorbed new influences as they traveled, while Kathak stayed rooted in India and received the same input as a result of those influences (Persian and aspects of Middle Eastern dance) being imported by a new regime. The similarity of Kathak and Flamenco is therefore explained by the same process — the grafting and mixing of Persian and Middle Eastern dance elements on to an Indian base — working in two ways.

Now the two traditions have had some seven or eight centuries in which to diverge; yet it is remarkable that the similarities between the two remain such that there have been many successful collaborative performances between Kathak and flamenco dancers (notably Sandra La Espuelita) without much need to dilute either style to accommodate the other.

[edit] 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.

Costume[link]

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

Female costume[link]

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.

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 also worn on the waist.

Male costume[link]

The traditional costume for men 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 Female Costume, above). Particularly older variety costumes include the small peaked cap too.

Prominent Artists and SNA Awardees[link]

1. Shambhu Maharaj 1955
2. Baijnath Prasad “Lacchu Maharaj” 1957
3. Sunder Prasad 1959
4. Mohan Rao Kallianpurkar 1962
5. Birju Maharaj 1964
6. Damayanti Joshi 1968
7. Sitara Devi 1969
8. Gauri Shankar Devilal 1974
9. Roshan Kumari 1975
10. Rohini Bhate 1979
11. Kartik Ram 1982
12. Kumudini Lakhia 1982
13. Durga Lal 1984
14. Uma Sharma 1987
15. Reba Vidyarthi 1991
16. Ramlal Bareth 1995
17. Rani Karnaa 1996
18. Sunderlal Sathyanarayan Gangani 1998
19. Shovana Narayan 1999-2000
20. Rajendra Gangani 2002
21. Sunayana Hazarilal Agarwal 2003
22. Urmila Nagar 2003
23. Saswati Sen 2004
24. Tirath Ram Azad 2005
25. Munna Shukla 2006
26. Geetanjali Lal 2007
27. Shashi Sankhla 2008
28. Prerana Shrimali 2009
29. Malabika Mitra
30. Anuradha Thakur Chopra [D/o Prof. Nirankari Thakur & Adv.K.D.A. Thakur ]
31. Umair Arif 2000-today
32. Pratishtha Sharma

See also[link]

• List of Kathak exponents
• Persian dance

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009)

• Kothari, Sunil (1989) Kathak: Indian Classical Dance Art, New Delhi.
• Kippen, James and Bel, Andreine Lucknow Kathak Dance, Bansuri, Volume 13, 1996
• Pt. Birju Maharaj (2002) Ang Kavya : Nomenclature for Hand Movements and Feet Positions in Kathak, New Delhi, Har-Anand, photographs, ISBN 81-241-0861-7.
• Massey, Reginald (1999). India's Kathak Dance - Past, Present, Future. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 81-7017-374-4. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=yFXkPk3zMeYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Kathak&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false. 
• Bharti Gupta (2004) Kathak Sagar, New Delhi, Radha Pub., ISBN 81-7487-343-0
• Sushil Kumar Saxena (2006) Swinging Syllables Aesthetics of Kathak Dance, New Delhi, Hope India Publications, ISBN 81-7871-088-9
• Shivvangini Classes Shiva Mathur(Lucknow Kathak Dance)
• Dr.Puru Dadheech Kathak Nritya Shiksha, Bindu Publications, Indore, MP, India

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kathak

• Famous Kathak Dancers
• Kathak Dancer Naheed Siddiqui, Pakistan
• Kathak Jewelry
• Kathak Dancer Sheema Kirmani, Pakistan
• Kathak Dancer Umair Arif, Pakistan

Chitresh Das (Devanagari: चित्रेश दास) (born November 9, 1944) is a classical dancer of the North Indian style of Kathak. Born in Calcutta, Das is a performer, choreographer, composer, and educator. He was instrumental in bringing Kathak to the U.S.^[1] and is credited with firmly establishing Kathak amongst American dancers and the Indian diaspora.^[2] In 1979, Das established the Chhandam School of Kathak and the Chitresh Das Dance Company in California. In 2002, he founded Chhandam Nritya Bharati in India. Today, with over ten branches of Chhandam worldwide, Das continues to teach dance as a way of life, a path for attaining self-knowledge and as a service to society.

Pandit Das continues to perform and teach to audiences across the globe, frequently touring through India, North America and Europe. He is well known for his virtuosic footwork, rhythmic adeptness, compelling storytelling,^[3] as well as his own innovation of “Kathak Yoga”.^[4]

Early life and background[link]

Chitresh Das was born in Calcutta, West Bengal to parents Nrityacharya Prohlad Das and Smt. Nilima Das. His parents founded “Nritya Bharati,” one of India’s first institutions for dance that housed teachers of several classical and folk styles. Prohlad Das, himself a dance scholar and choreographer, used traditional dance forms to express modern issues, such as in his revolutionary work “Abhyudaya” (meaning “awakening”) staged before Indian Independence in 1947.^[5] Das frequently cites his mother, Nilima Das, on having a profound impact on his life as a dancer, often stating, “mother is the first guru”.

Growing up in his parents' dance school in Calcutta, Nritya Bharati, Pandit Das was surrounded by great literary artists, poets, dancers, and gurus of the times. He has fond memories of iconic dancers such as Rukmini Devi Arundale, Uday Shankar, Balasaraswati and the legendary Shambhu Maharaj coming to visit his home.

With encouragement from his mother, Das began his study of Kathak at age 9 under Kathak guru, Pandit Ram Narayan Misra, a well-known disciple of Shambhu and Acchchan Maharaj. Das was schooled in both major Kathak traditions, embodying each in his artistry: the graceful and sensual elements of the Lucknow school combined with the dynamic and powerful rhythms and movements of the Jaipur School.

Das was a child prodigy in India who quickly attained national fame, performing at age 11 with the legendary tabla maestro Samta Prasadji and in a special concert for the great Indian dance icon Uday Shankar. Das graduated from Rabindra Bharati University in Calcutta and earned his M.A. in dance from Prayag Sangit Samiti in Allahabad.

Teaching career[link]

Chitresh Das was brought to the United States in 1970 on a Whitney Fellowship to teach Kathak at the University of Maryland. In 1971, Pandit Das was invited by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach Kathak and establish a dance program at the Ali Akbar College of Music (AACM) in San Rafael, California.^[6]

By 1979, he left the AACM faculty to form his own dance school called Chhandam; his “Chitresh Das Dance Company” (CDDC) was incorporated in 1980. In 1988, Das formed the first university accredited Kathak course in the U.S. at San Francisco State University; several current dancers of CDDC began studying with Das in the SFSU program. Das was also a guest faculty member at Stanford University.

His own school of Chhandam has continued to grow with branches in San Francisco, Fremont/Union City, Berkeley, Mountain View, San Jose, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. His disciples, Joanna De Souza and Gretchen Hayden went on to establish branches of Chhandam in Toronto (1990) and Boston (1992), respectively. Today, Chhandam currently has 550 students enrolled at branches across North America.^[7]

Through the years Das would return annually for several months to India in order to teach and perform. In 2002, Pandit Das reopened his parents’ school of Chhandam Nritya Bharati in Calcutta, India. In 2010, Pandit Das inaugurated the second branch of his school in India, Chhandam Nritya Bharati, in Mumbai. While in India, Pandit Das continues his work with the New Light Foundation teaching Kathak dance to the children of sex workers of the Kalighat red light district in Calcutta, as a part of a program to help them break free of the cycle of exploitation.^[8]

As he was trained by his Guru, Pandit Ram Narayan Misra, Das trains his own students, both in the US and India, within the guru-shisya parampara (the tradition of master and disciple). A Guru is “one who removes the darkness” through direct knowledge and training.^[9] Das remains committed to preserving the traditional one-to-one transmission of knowledge between guru and shisya in today’s society; he has trained many disciples who have gone on to become solo artists in their own right.^[10]

Performing career[link]

Pandit Chitresh Das has performed extensively throughout America, India and Europe, touring both as a solo artist, in collaborative productions, as well as with the Chitresh Das Dance Company. Das consistently tours and performs throughout India. Select performances within India include the Surya festival (1982); Pandit Ravi Shankar’s Rimpa Festival in Benares (1983), representing his home state of West Bengal in tours throughout India (1998, 1999), Dover Lane Conference, Kolkata (1979, 1982, 1984, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2003); National Kathak Festival in New Delhi (2003), Fort William, Kolkata (2005) where he performed before 4,000 Indian soldiers, UMAQ Festival, New Delhi (2004, 2006, 2007), U.S. Consulate 50th Anniversary in Mumbai (2008), Karamatullah Khan Festival in Kolkata (2008), Mumbai Festival (2008), 50th Anniversary Festival, IIT Kharagpur, India (2009) amongst others.

Das has performed extensively though out the United States since the early 70s. In 1984 Das was selected to perform in the Olympic Arts Festival during the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Other select American performances include the Lincoln Center (1988), International Kathak festival in Chicago (2004), American Dance Festival (2004, 2006), and the American Folk festival (2008). In the San Francisco Bay Area, Chitresh Das and his Dance Company have been a mainstay of the local dance season and his company’s home season has included such masterpieces as “Gold Rush” (1990), “Sadhana” (1991), “East as Center” (2003), and his most recent award winning collaboration with tap dancer, Jason Samuels Smith, “IJS: India Jazz Suites” (2005 to present). The original IJS collaboration was selected as the number one dance performance of 2005 by the San Francisco Chronicle^[11] as well as receiving the Isadora Duncan Ensemble of the year award (2005). Since IJS has toured extensively, including four tours to India,^[12] performances across America,^[13] including Hawaii, and Australia.

In 2006, the Chitresh Das and Chhandam organized a festival of Kathak dance in San Francisco, the largest Kathak festival ever to take place outside of India;^[14] it brought together Kathak dancers from all over the world. Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco inaugurated the festival by proclaiming Sept 28th “Kathak Day”.^[15]

In earlier years, Das also performed throughout Europe, including Bonn and Aachen International Dance Festivals (1983), Logan Hall in London (1984), and Nijmegen and Arnhem, Holland (1984). In the late eighties, he also performed throughout in Germany, Poland, and Hungary with Tanzprojekt.

On Screen[link]

In 2004, Pandit Das was featured on a national PBS program, and in a BBC series “Eighty Treasures Around the World”; the program featured Pandit Das performing in a historic court in Calcutta.^[16] He was also featured in the PBS series “Indians in America”. In January 2005 and 2006, Pandit Das’ solo performances were featured on national Indian television. In 2007, he was featured on PBS station KQED’s performing arts profile show Spark.^[17]

Das’s collaboration with Jason Samuel Smiths is the subject of an upcoming national documentary, ‘Upaj’ to be nationally broadcast on PBS in 2011. Das also appeared on the popular Indian talk show “Oye! Its Friday” show filmed in Mumbai in 2009.

Style and Contributions[link]

“Freedom comes through refined discipline with responsibility”.

In the early years, Das was known for his distinctively athletic style: fast and powerful emphasizing footwork and swift turns.^[18] Today, Das teaches in this rigorous style with focus on tayari (readiness of technique, speed, and stamina) and laykari (virtuosity of Indian classical rhythmic system), but equally emphasizes khubsurti (beauty) and nazakat (delicacy and refinement). Dancers must become adept at abhinaya (expression) and learn to masterfully portray the concept of 'Ardhanariswara' (the embodiment of the masculine and feminine) in their dance.

Das’s teaching and performance also emphasize Upaj, or improvisation. Whilst Das has choreographed many group pieces, he and his students continue to present traditional full-length Kathak solos, requiring the dancer to improvise on stage with live musicians for up to two hours.^[19]

One of Das’s most important contributions to his school and to the larger field of Kathak is his development of “Kathak yoga”. Kathak yoga involves the practice of simultaneously dancing, singing, and often, playing an instrument. In Kathak yoga, the dancer recites a chosen taal (rhythmic cycle), sings the melody and the theka (language of the drum) of the taal, while practicing precise complicated footwork.^[20] Kathak yoga is based on the fundamental yogic concept of integrating the mind, soul and body and was the subject of a doctoral dissertation at Harvard University by Dr. Sarah Morelli. Das himself has demonstrated Kathak yoga by dancing, singing, and playing tabla simultaneously. His company also exhibits the practice of Kathak yoga by adding the playing of instruments to their dance.^[21] The dancers simultaneously perform three contrasting concepts – complex rhythmic compositions with the feet and body, continuous singing of the rhythmic cycle, and playing an instrument (harmonium or manjira).

Selected Awards[link]

In 1987, and then again in 2003, Das was awarded the Isadora Duncan Dancer of the Year Award. In 2004 Pandit Das received the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. In 2005, he was named a “Dance Icon of the West” by the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum. In 2006 Pandit Das received the Goldie Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Francisco Bay Guardian. In 2007, Das received an award from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, a national arts institution inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in India in 1938, for outstanding contribution in the field of Kathak dance.

In 2009, Pandit Das was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed on a traditional artist by the U.S. Government. Das received the award, signed by President Obama, at a ceremony at the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill.^[22]

Many of Das’s productions have also received numerous awards, including Isadora Duncan Awards for his productions ‘East of Center’ (2003), India Jazz Suites (2005) as well as a special award for presenting the largest Indian classical dance festival outside of India, Kathak at the Crossroads (2006).

Pandit Das has also received numerous grants including from the Olympic Arts Festival, National Endowment for the Arts, National Dance Project, California Arts Council, Rockefeller Foundation, Irvine Fellowships in Dance, among others.

Serving Society through the Arts[link]

Since 2003, Das has worked closely with the New Light Foundation, a Kolkata-based NGO that works to free the children of red-light district workers from the cycle of prostitution and abuse through support services, education and care. Das and the teachers of Nritya Bharati are teaching the children of the New Light Foundation Kathak dance as a means for cultural and self-awareness and empowerment. Recently, the New Light group was invited by the German Ministry of Culture and International Cooperation to be a part of Kinder Kulture Karavane; in 2008, the New Light children travelled to Germany for a 6-week performing tour.^[23] Das has also worked with the Calcutta Blind Opera (or Shyambazar Blind Opera), teaching Kathak to visually challenged performers through emphasis on its rhythmic and musical components.

In Das’s teachings, he emphasizes the concepts of ‘tyaag aur seva’ (sacrifice and selfless service). Das himself, as well as the students of Chhandam, are encouraged to adopt the values of selflessness and sacrifice. These values must manifest both within the context of their study of Kathak and also permeate in other aspects of their lives by giving back to their communities and the society by and large.^[24]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Morelli, Sarah. 2007. “'From Calcutta to California': Negotiations of Movement and Meaning in Kathak Dance.” Ph.D. dissertation, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.

External links[link]

• Official Chitresh Das Dance Company and Chhandam School of Kathak Website
• Kathak Yoga, A New Dimension in the Evolution of Kathak
• San Francisco Chronicle chooses India Jazz Suites as #1 Dance Performance of 2005