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 Jaipur, Lucknow and Benares (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); 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. 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, usually a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathak

• published: 15 Sep 2013
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