Kathak

Kathak (Hindi: कथक) is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement.

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 as "she/he who tells a story, is a kathak", but which can also be translated as "that which tells a story, that is 'Kathak'".

There are two major schools or gharana of Kathak from which performers today generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Jaipur, Lucknow and (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.

Dil To Pagal Hai

Dil To Pagal Hai (translation: The Heart Is Crazy), also known as DTPH, is a 1997 Indian Coming of age musical romantic film directed by Yash Chopra. The film depicts the love lives of the dancers in a musical dance troupe. It stars Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Karisma Kapoor in lead roles, with Akshay Kumar in a supporting role. It was Khan's third collaboration with Yash Raj Films after Darr (1993) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). The soundtrack was composed by Uttam Singh, while the lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi. The film was screened retrospective, during the 2014 International Film Festival of India in the Celebrating Dance in Indian cinema section.

It was the first Bollywood film to be shot in Baden-Baden and Europa Park, both German tourist attractions. Dil To Pagal Hai was a major commercial success, and became highest grossing Indian film of the year worldwide. The film garnered praise for its storyline and soundtrack. Additionally, the film won three National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards. The film has attained cult status over the years and is regarded as one of Chopra's best.

Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit (born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Hindi cinema. A leading actress in the 1980s, 1990s and early-2000s, Dixit has been praised by critics for her acting and dancing skills. She has received six Filmfare Awards, four for Best Actress, one for Best Supporting Actress and one special award. She has been nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress a record fourteen times. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government of India in 2008.

Dixit made her film debut in Abodh (1984) and received wider public recognition with Tezaab (1988). She went on to establish herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema with the films Ram Lakhan (1989), Parinda (1989), Dil (1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Raja (1995), and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). She also garnered critical acclaim for her work in the dramas Anjaam (1994), Mrityudand (1997), Pukar (2000), Lajja (2001) and Devdas (2002). In 2002, she took a sabbatical from films to raise her children and made a comeback with the musical Aaja Nachle in 2007, later starring in the 2014 dramas Dedh Ishqiya and Gulaab Gang.

Dance

Dance is a performance art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements, or by its historical period or place of origin.

An important distinction is to be drawn between the contexts of theatrical and participatory dance, although these two categories are not always completely separate; both may have special functions, whether social, ceremonial, competitive, erotic, martial, or sacred/liturgical. Others disciplines of human movement are sometimes said to have a dance-like quality, including martial arts, gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming and many other forms of athletics.

Performance and participation

Theatrical dance, also called performance or concert dance, is intended primarily as a spectacle, usually a performance upon a stage by virtuoso dancers. It often tells a story, perhaps using mime, costume and scenery, or else it may simply interpret the musical accompaniment, which is often specially composed. Examples are western ballet and modern dance, Classical Indian dance and Chinese and Japanese song and dance dramas. Most classical forms are centred upon dance alone, but performance dance may also appear in opera and other forms of musical theatre.