View source for Kathak

{{Italic title}}
{{Short description|Classical dance form from North India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use Indian English |date=May 2017}}
{{cleanup lang|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox dance
| name        = ''Kathak''
| genre       = [[Indian classical dance]]
| instruments = [[Ghungroo]], [[Tabla]], [[Manjira]]
| image       = Kathak contemporary 03.jpg
| image_size  = 
| caption     = Shinjini Kulkarni presenting a Kathak performance
| origin      = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
}}
{{Hinduism}}

'''''Kathak''''' is one of the eight major forms of [[Classical Indian dance|Indian classical dance]].<ref>{{Cite web|title='Kathak — India's only secular classical dance form'|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1454196|access-date=2018-12-29|website=Dawn|date=29 December 2018 }}</ref> Its origin is attributed to the traveling bards in ancient [[northern India]] known as ''Kathakaar'' ("storyteller"), who communicated stories from the [[Hindu epics]] through dance, songs, and music. Its name derives from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''kathaa'' which means "story", and ''kathakaar'' which means "the one who tells a story" or "to do with stories". As time went on the dance-form acquired aspects of technical movement expertise in addition to the story-telling features, so that nowadays performers usually give equal emphasis to both.

''Kathak'' evolved during the [[Bhakti movement]], particularly by incorporating the [[Krishna legends in Kathak|childhood and stories of the Hindu deity Krishna]], as well as independently in the courts of north Indian kingdoms.<ref name="reenashah8" /><ref name="Lochtefeld2002p358" /> During the period of Mughal rule, the emperors were patrons of ''Kathak'' dance and actively promoted it in their royal courts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC Arts - BBC Arts - Kathak: Does every gesture have a meaning?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2MMxwpfq6Dm0b5ywHRJkwHq/kathak-does-every-gesture-have-a-meaning|access-date=2020-06-02|website=BBC|language=en-GB}}</ref> ''Kathak'' performances include Urdu ''[[ghazal]]'' and commonly used instruments brought during the Mughal period.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-02|title=Kathak, The Indo-Persian Dance Style {{!}}|url=https://disco.teak.fi/asia/kathak-the-indo-persian-dance-style/|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Asian Traditional Theatre & Dance|language=en-GB}}</ref> As a result, it is the only Indian classical dance form to feature Persian elements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.neontommy.com/news/2014/06/kathak-dance-puts-hinduism-and-islam-same-circle.html|title = Kathak Dance Puts Hinduism and Islam in the Same Circle}}</ref>

Stylistically, the ''Kathak'' dance form emphasizes rhythmic foot movements, with the ankles adorned with small bells (''Ghungroo'') and the movement harmonized to the music and especially its rhythm.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p358"/><ref>{{cite book|author=John H. Beck|title=Encyclopedia of Percussion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8U83AgAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-74768-0 |pages=170–175 }}</ref> The legs and torso are generally straight, and if a story is being told, it is through a developed vocabulary based on the gestures of arms and upper body movement, facial expressions, neck movements, eyes and eyebrow movement, stage movements, bends, and turns. The main focus of the dance becomes the eyes and the foot movements. The eyes work as a medium of communication of the story the dancer is trying to communicate. With the eyebrows the dancer gives various facial expressions.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p358"/><ref name="marysnodgrass166"/> 

''Kathak'' is mainly found in three styles or schools, called "''gharana''", named after the cities where the ''Kathak'' dance tradition evolved – [[Jaipur]], [[Varanasi|Banares]], and [[Lucknow]].  These forms used to be quite distinct in their style and presentation but in recent years have converged to an extent, although they still retain their specialities. {{Sfn|Williams|2004|p=83}}{{Clarify|date=May 2024|reason=Four distinct forms, but three cities listed }} The Jaipur ''gharana'' focuses on technical expertise, with long pure dance compositions and fast spins and footwork; the Banaras gharana focuses on footwork and story-telling about Krishna, and Lucknow ''gharana'' focus more on grace and elegance.  There is a fourth, much smaller gharana which evolved in the court of the king of [[Raigarh]], where the king invited representatives of all three gharanas to his court to serve as court dancers and teachers.  The result produced some unique compositions, known as the Raigarh gharana.

''Kathak'' is a performance art that has survived and thrived as an [[oral tradition]], innovated and taught from one generation to another verbally and through practice.<ref name=reenashah9/> It transitioned, adapted, and integrated the tastes of the Mughal courts<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2MMxwpfq6Dm0b5ywHRJkwHq/kathak-does-every-gesture-have-a-meaning|title=BBC Arts - Kathak: Do every gesture have a meaning? - BBC Arts|website=BBC|access-date=2017-07-29}}</ref> in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly by [[Akbar]], but stagnated and went into decline during the [[British Raj|British colonial era]],<ref name="Ghuman2014p97"/> then was reborn as India gained independence and sought to rediscover its ancient roots and a sense of national identity through the arts.<ref name=marysnodgrass166>{{cite book|author=Mary Ellen Snodgrass|title=The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMGpDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5749-8 |pages=165–168 }}</ref><ref name=reenashah9>{{cite book|author=Reena Shah|title=Movement in Stills: The Dance and Life of Kumudini Lakhia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sSKU2DROHMgC&pg=PA8|year=2006|publisher=Mapin |isbn=978-81-88204-42-7 |page=9 }}</ref>

==Etymology and nomenclature==
The term ''Kathak'' is rooted in the [[Vedas|Vedic]] term ''[[Katha (storytelling format)|Katha]]'' ({{langx|sa|कथा}}) which means "story, conversation, traditional tale".<ref name=reenashah8>{{cite book|author=Reena Shah|title=Movement in Stills: The Dance and Life of Kumudini Lakhia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sSKU2DROHMgC&pg=PA8|year=2006|publisher=Mapin |isbn=978-81-88204-42-7 |pages=8 }}</ref><ref name="Lochtefeld2002p358">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration|year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8 |pages=358–359 }}</ref> It differs from the numerous folk dance forms found in the north and other parts of the Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Banham1995p522">{{cite book|author=Martin Banham|title=The Cambridge Guide to Theatre|url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto0000banh|url-access=registration|year=1995|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-43437-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto0000banh/page/522 522]–525}}</ref>

The ''Kathak'' dancers in ancient India were traveling bards and were known as ''Kathakas''<ref name=reenashah8/> or ''Kathakar''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=5 }}</ref><ref name="NettlStone1998p493">{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone, James Porter and Timothy Rice|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC |year=1998|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1|pages=493–494}}</ref>

''Kathak'' has inspired simplified regional variants, such as the ''Bhavai'' – a form of rural theatre focusing on the tales of Hindu people ([[Shakti]]) – and one which emerged in the medieval era, and is presently found in [[Gujarat]], [[Rajasthan]], and [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Martin Banham|title=The Cambridge Guide to Theatre|url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto0000banh |url-access=registration|year=1995|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-43437-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto0000banh/page/103 103]–104 }}</ref> Another variant that emerged from ancient ''Kathak'' is ''[[Thumri]]''.<ref name=koskoff955/>

''[[Thumri]]'' was developed by the [[tawaif]] community who were called "[[nautch]]" dancers by the British. Their history as ''Kathak'' dancers have been erased in modern India. ''<small>Pallabi Chakravorty. (2008)</small>''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chakravorty|first=Pallabi|title=Bells Of Change: Kathak Dance, Women And Modernity In India|publisher=Seagull|year=2008|isbn=978-1905422487|location=India}}</ref>''<small>"Bells Of Change: Kathak Dance, Women And Modernity In India"</small>'', also see ''<small>"The Tawaif And The Item Girl: A Struggle For Identity"</small>'' <ref>{{Cite book|last=Munsi, Chakraborty|first=Urmimala Sankar, Aishika|title=The Moving Space: Women in Dance|publisher=Primus Books|year=2017|isbn=978-9386552501|pages=65–80}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Sharmila Sharma et Rajendra Kumar Gangani 2.jpg|thumb|Performance by Sharmila Sharma and Rajendra Kumar Gangani at the [[Guimet Museum]] (November 2007)|alt=|left]]
{{Quote box | bgcolor=#FFE0BB |align=right 
|quote= '''Performance arts and culture'''
<poem>
Let Nātya (drama and dance) be the fifth [[Vedas|vedic scripture]].
Combined with an epic story, 
tending to virtue, wealth, joy and spiritual freedom, 
it must contain the significance of every scripture 
and forward every art.
</poem>
|source =— ''Nātyaśāstra'' 1.14–15<ref>{{Cite web|title=Natyashastra|publisher = Sanskrit Documents| url=http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/natya01.pdf}}</ref><ref name=mog17>{{cite web|title=The Mirror of Gesture|author=Coormaraswamy and Duggirala|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1917|page=4|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924012568535#page/n5/mode/2up}}; Also see chapter 36</ref>}}

According to Mary Snodgrass, the ''Kathak'' tradition of India is traceable to 400 BCE.<ref name="marysnodgrass165">{{cite book|author=Mary Ellen Snodgrass|title=The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMGpDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5749-8 |pages=xxii, 165 }}</ref> The earliest surviving text with ''Kathak'' roots is the ''[[Natya Shastra]]'',<ref name="marysnodgrass165" /> attributed to sage [[Bharata Muni|Bharata]]. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200&nbsp;BCE and 200&nbsp;CE,{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn|Tarla Mehta|1995|pp=xxiv, 19–20}} but estimates vary between 500&nbsp;BCE and 500&nbsp;CE.{{Sfn|Wallace Dace|1963|p=249}}

The most studied version of the ''Natya Shastra'' text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters.{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn|Emmie Te Nijenhuis|1974|pp=1–25}} Natalia Lidova states that the text describes the theory of ''Tāṇḍava'' dance ([[Shiva]]), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, and standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances, including ''Kathak''.{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn| Kapila Vatsyayan | 2001}}<ref>{{cite book|author1=Cheris Kramarae|author2=Dale Spender|title=Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QAOUAgAAQBAJ |year=2004|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-96315-6|page=296}}</ref> Dance and performance arts, states this ancient Hindu text,<ref>{{cite book|author=Guy L. Beck|title=Sonic Liturgy: Ritual and Music in Hindu Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UzUMCAAAQBAJ |year=2012|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-61117-108-2|pages=138–139 |quote='''Quote:''' "A summation of the signal importance of the Natyasastra for Hindu religion and culture has been provided by Susan Schwartz, "In short, the Natyasastra is an exhaustive encyclopedic dissertation of the arts, with an emphasis on performing arts as its central feature. It is also full of invocations to deities, acknowledging the divine origins of the arts and the central role of performance arts in achieving divine goals (...)".}}</ref> are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues, and the essence of scriptures.<ref name=mog17/><ref>{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=ix }}, Quote: "Like other Indian classical dance forms, Kathak also lays claim to ancient roots and a genesis as a temple dance or religious story telling method, and many dancers both in India and the diaspora will explain their art form in its purest state as a devotional activity, a type of sadhana or spiritual practice".</ref>

The 2nd century BCE panels found in [[Bharhut]] show the dancers in a vertical stance with their arms' positions already suggesting today's ''Kathak'' movements. Most of the dancers have one arm near the ear in a <nowiki>''pataka hasta''</nowiki> ([[mudra]]). In subsequent years, the hasta was lowered to the bust level.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Rhythmic Echos and Reflections KATHAK|last=Narayan|first=Shovana|publisher=Roli Books Pvt Ltd|year=1998|isbn=8174360492|location=India}}</ref>

The term ''Kathakas'' in the sense of "storytellers" appears in ancient Hindu texts, such as the ''[[Mahabharata]]'':<ref name=buitenen400/>

{{Blockquote|
<poem>
{{lang|sa|वेदवेदाङ्गविद्वांसस्तथैवाध्यात्मचिन्तकाः।
चौक्षाश्च भगवद्भक्ताः सूताः पौराणिकाश्च ये॥२॥
'''कथका'''श्चापरे राजञ्श्रमणाश्च वनौकसः।
दिव्याख्यानानि ये चापि पठन्ति मधुरं द्विजाः॥३॥}}

Followed by the scholars of the Vedas and Vedangas, and by those who ponder on their soul,
by persons skilled in music, by the devotees of Bhagavata, (...)
by ''Kathakas'' (reciters of the sacred lore), by dwellers of forests, (...) 
by those who sweetly recite celestial histories.
</poem>
|''Adi Parva CCVI.2-3'' | Mahabharat, Book 1<ref name=buitenen400>{{cite book|author=J.A.B. van Buitenen|title=The Mahabharata, Volume 1: Book 1: The Book of the Beginning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pPVJCgAAQBAJ |year=2011|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-21754-3|page=500}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The verse number is of the critical edition used by JAB van Buitenen. There are many manuscripts of the Mahabharata, and in some versions such as the one translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt in 1894, this verse is found in his chapter 226.}}}}

Bards, actors, dancers, songsters, and musical reciters of legends and stories are mentioned hundreds of times in the Hindu Epics.<ref>{{cite book|author=J.A.B. van Buitenen|title=The Mahabharata, Volume 1: Book 1: The Book of the Beginning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pPVJCgAAQBAJ |year=2011|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-21754-3|pages=20–28, 55–58, 122–125, 170, 285, '''347''', 400}}</ref>

===Bhakti movement era===
Textual studies suggest that ''Kathak'' as a classical dance form likely started in Banares ([[Varanasi]]) and from there migrated northwest to Lucknow, Jaipur, and other parts of north and northwest India.<ref name=walker100>{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA100|year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=100–102 }}</ref> The Lucknow tradition of ''Kathak'' dance attributes the style to a [[Bhakti movement]] devotee named Ishwari from the [[Handia, Uttar Pradesh|Handia]] village in [[Prayagraj district|Prayagraj]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], who credited Hindu god [[Krishna]] appearing in his dream and asking him to develop "dance as a form of worship".<ref name=walker100/> Ishwari taught his descendants, who in turn preserved the learning and developments through an oral tradition over six generations, ultimately yielding the Lucknow version of the ''Kathak'' dance – a family tree that is acknowledged in both Hindu and Muslim music-related Indian literature.<ref name=walker100/>

[[File:Kathak Dancers Namrata Rai & Vishal Krishna.jpg|thumb|A picture from The Musical - Gita Govinda, Namrata Rai as Radha and Vishal Krishan as Krishna<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/countless-emotions-one-goal/article29459022.ece | title=Countless emotions, one goal | work=The Hindu | date=19 September 2019 | last1=Gupta | first1=Madhur }}</ref>]]
The evolution in ''Kathak'' dance theme during the Bhakti movement centered primarily around divine Krishna, his lover Radha, and milkmaids (''gopis'') – around legends and texts such as the [[Bhagavata Purana]] found in the [[Vaishnavism]] tradition of Hinduism.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/> The love between Radha and Krishna became symbolism for the love between [[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]] (soul within) and the supreme source (Cosmic soul everywhere), a theme that dance ballet and mimetic plays of ''Kathak'' artists expressed.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/> Although central Asian influence of ''Kathak'' rapid whirls has been proposed, [[Sangita Ratnakara|''Sangitaratnakara'']], a 13th-century Sanskrit text on Indian classical music and dance in Chapter 4 mentions a dance movement with rapid whirling around like a wheel keeping the arms in the Dola pose and bending the body inwards called 'Cakramandala'. It is employed in worshipping gods and in vigorous movement.<ref>{{Cite book|last=srangadeva|url=http://archive.org/details/SangitaRatnakaraChapter4|title=Sangita ratnakara chapter 4}}</ref>

The emergence of Raslila, mainly in the Braj region (Mathura in Western U.P.) was an important development. It combined in itself music, dance, and the narrative. Dance in Raslila, however, was mainly an extension of the basic mime and gestures of the ''Kathakars'' or story-tellers which blended easily with the existing traditional dance.

===Mughal era===
With the coming of the Mughals, this dance form received a new impetus. A transition from the temple courtyard to the palace durbar took place which necessitated changes in presentation. In both Hindu and Muslim courts, ''Kathak'' became highly stylized and came to be regarded as a sophisticated Islamic form of entertainment. Under the Muslims, there was a greater stress on nritya and bhavag - the dance's graceful, expressive, and sensuous dimensions.

The Mughal era courts and nobles accepted ''Kathak'' as a form of aristocratic entertainment, which low income families were willing to provide.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mary Ellen Snodgrass|title=The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMGpDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5749-8 |page=166 }}</ref> According to Drid Williams:

{{Blockquote|
It should be remembered that the first Kathak dancers were, after all, Hindus who danced for Moghul overlords. Too much outward expression of religious belief was without doubt undesirable. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the wide use of 'abstract' dancing, intricate bell work (''tatkar''), dazzling turns and the fleeting, transient, glimpses of Radha and Krishna in Kathak arose both to remind the dancers about their reasons for dancing and (gently, unobtrusively) to deceive their courtly Moghul audiences. Perhaps ''tatkar'' and ''tukras'' formed the bulk of these first dancers' performances. Gradually more and more images, then stories of Krishna and Radha crept in.
|Drid Williams|''Anthropology and the Dance''{{Sfn|Williams|2004|p=85}}}}

[[File:Namrrta Raai (Kathak).jpg|thumb|Namrata Rai (''Kathak'' Dancer) while performing Sufi poetries in a concert]] Over time, the ''Kathak'' repertoire added Persian and Central Asian themes, such as the whirling of Sufi dance. The dress replaced ''sari'' with items that bared midriff and included a transparent veil of the type common with medieval Harem dancers.<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Jonathan Gil Harris]]| year=2015| title=The First Firangis: Remarkable Stories of Heroes, Healers, Charlatans, Courtesans & other Foreigners who Became Indian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y4i7BwAAQBAJ&pg=PT149 |publisher=Aleph |isbn=978-9382277637 |pages=149 }}</ref><ref name="Kugle2016p230">{{cite book|author=Scott Kugle|title=When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KMo3CwAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-4696-2678-9|pages=228–230}}</ref> When the colonial European officials began arriving in India, the ''Kathak'' court entertainment they witnessed was a synthesis of the ancient Indian tradition and Central Asian-Persian dance form.

===British Raj era===
With the expansion of British colonial rule in 19th-century India, ''Kathak'' along with all other classical dance forms were discouraged and it went into decline.<ref name=reenashah9/><ref>{{cite book|author=Leslie C. Orr|title=Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F___xKcP8lMC |year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-535672-4|pages=11–13}}</ref> This was in part the result of the Victorian morality of sexual repressiveness along with Anglican missionaries who criticized Hinduism.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/><ref name="Walker2016p94"/> Reverend James Long, for example, proposed that ''Kathak'' dancers should forget ancient Indian tales and Hindu legends, and substitute them with European legends and Christian tales.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/> Missionaries recorded their frustration in ''Church Missionary Review'' when they saw Hindu audiences applaud and shout "Ram, Ram" during ''Kathak'' performances.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/>

The seductive gestures and facial expressions during ''Kathak'' performances in Temples and family occasions were caricatured in ''The Wrongs of Indian Womanhood'', published at the start of the 20th century, as evidence of "harlots, debased erotic culture, slavery to idols and priests" tradition, and Christian missionaries demanded that this must be stopped, launching the "anti-dance movement" or "anti-nautch movement" in 1892.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/><ref name="Ghuman2014p97">{{cite book|author=Nalini Ghuman|title=Resonances of the Raj: India in the English Musical Imagination, 1897-1947|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkVZAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA97 |year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-931489-8 |pages=97 footnote 72 }}</ref><ref name="Walker2016p94">{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA94|year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=94–98 }}</ref> Officials and newspapers dehumanized the ''Kathak'' dancers and the sources of patronage were pressured to stop supporting the Kathak performing "nautch girls" (also termed as ''devadasis'' and ''tawa'ifs'' in mid 20th century literature).<ref name="Walker2016p94"/> Many accused the dance form as a front for prostitution,<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/> while revivalists questioned the constructed histories by the colonial writers.<ref>{{cite book|author=Leslie C. Orr|title=Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F___xKcP8lMC |year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-535672-4|pages=5, 8–17}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=The Hindu Temple-dancer: Prostitute or Nun? |author= Amrit Srinivasan|journal= The Cambridge Journal of Anthropology|volume= 8| number= 1 |year =1983| pages= 73–99|jstor=23816342}}</ref>

Not only did missionaries and colonial officials ridicule the ''Kathak'' dancers, Indian men who had been educated in British institutions and had adapted to Victorian prudery also joined the criticism, states Margaret Walker, possibly because they had lost their cultural connection, no longer understood the underlying spiritual themes behind the dance, and assumed this was one of the "social ills, immoral and backward elements" in their heritage that they must stamp out.<ref name="Walker2016p94"/> However, the Hindu families continued their private tutoring and kept the ''Kathak'' art alive as an [[oral tradition]].<ref name=marysnodgrass166/> ''Kathak'' teachers also shifted to training boys to preserve the tradition, as most of the 20th-century ridicule had been directed at ''Kathak'' "nautch girls".<ref name="Walker2016p94"/>

''Kathak'' was brought to the attention of audiences outside India in the early 20th century through Kalkaprasad Maharaj.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gassner|first=John |author2=Edward Quinn|title=The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama|url=https://archive.org/details/readersencyclope0000gass |url-access=registration|year=2002| publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=0-486-42064-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/readersencyclope0000gass/page/453 453]}}</ref>

===Post-independence era===
The movement to end the colonial era and for an independent India, states Walker, also witnessed a revival of ''Kathak'' and more broadly, a cultural ferment and effort to reclaim culture and rediscover history.<ref name="Walker2016p99">{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA99|year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=99–102 }}</ref> [[File:Manisha.JPG|thumb|left|State of 'sam' performed by [[Manisha Gulyani]]]]The ''Kathak'' revival movements co-developed in Hindu ''gharanas'', particularly by the Kathak-Misra community.<ref name="Walker2016p99"/> Of these the Jaipur and Lucknow sub-traditions of ''Kathak'' have attracted more scholarship.<ref name="Walker2016p99"/>

The oldest ''Kathak'' department pat a degree college (university) was formed in 1956 at Indira Kala Sangeet University, a public university located in Khairagarh where [[Puru Dadheech]] instated the first ''Kathak'' syllabus for degree programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iksv.ac.in/department-kathak-dance|title=Department of Kathak Dance &#124; Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya}}</ref>  It was inspired by the diploma syllabus of [[Mohanrao Kallianpurkar]] at Bhatkhande College.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/interview-with-kathak-exponent-subhash-chandra/article7481903.ece| title = In tune with the old world - The Hindu| newspaper = The Hindu| date = 30 July 2015| last1 = Rajan| first1 = Anjana}}</ref>

According to a BBC Arts article, ''Kathak'' is unique in being practiced by the [[Islam in India|Muslim community]] of the India, and thus has a "historical link to [[Islam]]."<ref name="bbcartskathak">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2MMxwpfq6Dm0b5ywHRJkwHq/kathak-does-every-gesture-have-a-meaning|title=BBC Arts - Kathak: Does every gesture have a meaning? - BBC Arts|website=BBC|access-date=2017-07-29}}</ref> Farah Yasmeen Shaikh, a Muslim and a disciple of Pandit Chitresh Das in the [[Lucknow]] school, considers ''Kathak'' as a "confluence of Hindu and [[Muslim culture]]s", and has presented her performance in [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1175112|title=Kathak is a confluence of Hindu and Muslim cultures, says Farah Yasmeen Shaikh|last=Noorani|first=Asif|date=2016-04-06|work=Images|access-date=2017-07-29|language=en}}</ref> In contrast, states BBC, [[Nahid Siddiqui]] (a legendary ''Kathak'' dancer from Pakistan, settled and nurtured in the UK), "has a hard time practising and presenting her [Kathak] art in her birth-country of Pakistan".<ref name=bbcartskathak/>

While most scholars consider ''Kathak'' as an ancient art, some such as Margaret Walker suggest the modern ''Kathak'' is a 20th-century phenomenon, more a form of cultural revival, if one relies on the music-related Indian documents.<ref>{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker |title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-11737-7|page=8}}</ref>

==Repertoire==
[[File:Kathak 3511900193 986f6440f6 b retouched.jpg|thumb|''Chakkarwala tukra'' is a swirling part, here performed by [[Richa Jain]]]]
A modern ''Kathak'', in all three major sub-traditions called Lucknow, Banares, and Jaipur styles (''gharana''), states Bruno Nettl, consist of three main sections - the invocation, one pure (abstract) dance recital, and one expressive dance.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/>

The invocation (''vandana'') consists of the dancer coming to stage and offering respect to his or her [[guru]] and the musicians on the stage. If the team is from the Hindu tradition, the dancer(s) combine facial expressions and hand gestures (''mudra'') to invoke Hindu gods and goddesses; while a Muslim performance replaces the devotional expressions with a ''salami'' (salutation).<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/>

The pure dance is called a ''nritta'', while the expressive dance is called a ''nritya''.<ref name=koskoff955>{{cite book|author=Ellen Koskoff|title=The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73MO0eiQD_EC&pg=PA955 |year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-99404-0 |pages=955 }}</ref> A ''Kathak'' performance can be solo, duo, or team. In a technical performance, the speed and energy the dancers exchange with the audience increases in multiples, that is, the tempo doubles or quadruples.<ref name=walker2>{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |page=2 }}</ref> During the performance, one or more of the ''Kathak'' artists may come to the microphone, interact with the audience, explain something, tell an anecdote in a particular language, or rhythmically recite a song.<ref name=walker2/>

The dresses of the dancer and the facial cosmetics between a Hindu or Muslim ''Kathak'' dance troupe varies. The stage typically is bare with no distracting background, states Williams, with musicians seated on rugs downstage right (audience's left), and if it is a Hindu performance there is an image of dancing [[Shiva]] ([[Nataraja]]) or a [[Ganesha]] on the stage's left with flowers and perfumed incense burning.{{Sfn|Williams|2004|pp=85-86}}{{Refn|group=note|Alternatively, there may be an image of a spiritual leader or someone that the Kathak artists revere.}}

===Pure dance (''Nritta'')===
The ''nritta'' performance starts off with a ''thàth'' sequence, which is a slower graceful movement of wrists, neck, and eyebrows.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/><ref name=walker2/> Thereafter, the dancer gradually increases speed and energy, while completing a sequence of ''bol'' (mnemonic syllables in Indian tradition).<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/> Each ''bol'' has short sections, similar to technical exercises in Western dance traditions, wherein the dancer engages the audience with ''tora'', ''tukra'', ''[[parhant]]'', ''paran,'' and others stressing footwork, gestures, and turns.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/><ref name="Khokar1984p136"/> Each section when completed has a punctuation mark, usually a sharp turn of the head.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/> Each ankle is adorned with small bells (''ghungroo''), which may have just one bell or hundreds. The dancer's rapid movements and footwork in a ''nritta'' is perfectly timed to the musical beats (''tala'') and tempos, and the footwork sequences are called ''tatkars''.<ref name="NettlStone1998p493"/><ref name="Khokar1984p136">{{cite book|author=Mohan Khokar|title=Traditions of Indian classical dance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=prjnAAAAMAAJ |year=1984|publisher=Clarion Books|pages=136–138 |isbn=9780391032750 }}</ref>

Most of the ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast, and rhythmic.<ref name=koskoff955/> In a ''Kathak'' ''nritta'', as with all classical Indian dance forms, the viewer is presented with pure movement, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range, and pattern. It aims to engage the senses (prakriti) of the audience.<ref name="Descutner2010p45">{{cite book|author=Janet Descutner|title=Asian Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8tCYjXOtkdgC |year=2010|publisher=Infobase|isbn=978-1-4381-3078-1|pages=45–46}}</ref>

===Expressive dance (''Nritya'')===
[[File:Kathak dance India November 2011.jpg|thumb|The expressive (''nritya'') stage of the ''Kathak'' dance, in Hindu dress]]
''Nritya'' is a slower and expressive aspect of ''Kathak'' that attempts to communicate feelings and storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions.<ref name=koskoff955/> In a ''nritya'', the dance expands to include words, musical notes, and gestures to articulate a legend or message. It is more than sensory enjoyment; it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer.<ref name="Descutner2010p45"/>
[[File:Kathak Solo Performance (15).jpg|thumb|Facial expressions]]
The expressiveness of ''Kathak'' is also found in other classical dances of India. Its roots are found in the ''Natyashastra'' text which defines drama in verse 6.10 as that which aesthetically arouses joy in the spectator, through the medium of actor's art of communication, that helps connect and transport the individual into a super sensual inner state of being.{{Sfn|Tarla Mehta|1995|p=3}} The ''Natya'' connects through ''abhinaya'' (literally, "carrying to the spectators"),{{Sfn|Massey|1999|p=10}} that is applying body-speech-mind and scene, wherein asserts ''Natyashastra'', the actors communicate to the audience, through song and music.{{Sfn|Tarla Mehta|1995|p=3}} Drama in this ancient Sanskrit text, thus, is an art to engage every aspect of life, in order to glorify and gift a state of joyful consciousness.{{Sfn|Tarla Mehta|1995|p=5}} According to Massey, another important ancient text that has influenced ''Kathak'' is the ''Abhinaya Darpanam'' of Nandikeshvara (~2nd century CE).{{Sfn|Massey|1999|p=10}}

In ''Kathak'', ''abhinaya'' is in the form of expressive gestures and pantomime set to music that usually outlines a legend or the plot of a well known story.<ref name=walker2/> The gestures and facial expressions convey the ''ras'' (sentiment, emotional taste) and ''bhava'' (mood) of the underlying story.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|p=10}} In the Hindu texts on dance, the guru and the artists successfully express the spiritual ideas by paying attention to four aspects of a performance: ''Angik'' (gestures and body language), ''Vachik'' (song, recitation, music, and rhythm), ''Aharya'' (dress, make-up, jewelry), and ''Satvik'' (artist's mental disposition and emotional connection with the story and audience, wherein the artist's inner and outer state resonates).{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=10-13}} A ''Kathak nritya'' performance, however, grants flexibility to the artists and invites improvisation, and it may not be accompanied with a song or recital about the legend.{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=94, 90-96}} The stories in ''Kathak'' performance generally tend to be about the Hindu god Krishna (or in some cases Shiva or Devi), and the stories come from sources such as the [[Bhagavata Purana]] or the Indian Epics. This form of expressiveness is also found in ''thumri'' and Persian ''ghazals''.<ref name=walker2/>

===Dresses===
[[File:Nahid_Siddiqui.jpg|thumb|''Kathak'' maestro [[Nahid Siddiqui]], in Muslim dress]]
The dresses vary among ''Kathak'' performers and find their sources in either Hindu or Muslim culture.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}}

The Hindu dress for female dancers has two variations.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}} One is based on a sari, but is worn in a style different from the customary style that goes over the left shoulder. A ''Kathak'' artist generally wraps the sari around the waist and it hangs down from the left.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}} A blouse called ''choli'' covers the upper body.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}} The artist may wear a scarf (called ''orhni'' in some places). Hair, face, ear, neck, hand, wrist, and ankle jewelry, typically of gold, may adorn the artist. A ''tika'' or ''[[Bindi (decoration)|bindi]]'' in the middle of the forehead is common.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}} The second variation of a Hindu ''Kathak'' dancer wears a either a [[Ghagra choli|ghagra]] or [[lehenga]], a long, full (just above the ankle), light-weight skirt.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kathak Dance Requirements {{!}} Kathak Dance Dress {{!}} Kathak Dance Costumes |url=https://www.adarshadresspalace.com/kathakdance-requirements.php |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=www.adarshadresspalace.com}}</ref> It will usually have an embroidered border that helps highlight the dance motion. The skirt is contrasted with a different color ''choli'', and a transparent scarf typically drapes over it and the dancer's head. Jewelry is typically present in the second variation.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=30-31}} 

The Muslim dress for female dancers also uses a skirt, but includes close fitting [[Churidar|churidar pyjamas]] and sometimes a long coat covering hands and the upper body. The head has a cover scarf and the jewelry is light.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0D3msgEACAAJ|title = The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures|isbn = 9780786497157|last1 = Akombo|first1 = David|date = 26 January 2016| publisher=McFarland }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Kathak Dance Requirements {{!}} Kathak Dance Dress {{!}} Kathak Dance Costumes|url=https://fancydressnoida.com/kathak-dress/|access-date=2023-02-13|website=www.fancydressnoida.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=David Akombo|title=The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ByGCwAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-2269-9 |pages=164 }}</ref> Another variation features the Kathak dancer wearing an [[anarkali]], a tunic with a flared skirt that can fall down to the dancer's ankles. The dancers wear churidar pyjamas or trousers underneath the anarkali.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2024-10-03 |title=The Art of Attire: A Guide to Kathak Dress - Enatyam Blog |url=https://www.enatyam.com/blog/the-art-of-attire-a-guide-to-kathak-dress/,%20https://www.enatyam.com/blog/the-art-of-attire-a-guide-to-kathak-dress/ |access-date=2026-01-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Hindu dress for male ''Kathak'' performers is typically a silk ''[[dhoti]]'' draped around the waist, and covered with a silk scarf tied over the top.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=31-32}} The upper body is usually left bare or with only the Hindu thread, but is sometimes covered with a loose sleeveless jacket. ''Kathak'' male artists also wear jewellery, but often of stones and much simpler than the female artists.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=31-32}}
The Mughal dress for male ''Kathak'' performers is kurta-churidar. The kurta can be a simple one, or cut as an angarkha.  There is also the possibility of adapting the angarkha or kurta for dance to incorporate wider flare in the lower portion. Particularly older variety dress includes the small peaked cap too.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

[[File:Flickr - dalbera - Henri Tournier (spectacle de danse Kathak, musée Guimet).jpg|thumb|left|A tabla drummer and other musicians play for a ''Kathak'' dancer.]]

==Instruments==
The ensemble of musical instruments vary with any ''Kathak'' performer, ranging from two to twelve classical Indian instruments, or more in versions with synthetic innovations.<ref name=walker2/> The most common instruments that go with ''Kathak'' are ''tabla'' (a pair of hand drums) that sync with the dancer's feet rhythms, ''sarangi'', or harmonium with ''manjira'' (hand cymbals) that meters the ''tal'' (cycle), and other instruments to add effect, depth, and structure to the expressive stage of a Kathak performance.<ref name=walker2/><ref>{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone, James Porter and Timothy Rice|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC |year=1998|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1|pages=331–343}}</ref>

==Music==
The ancient music genre of India, [[Dhrupad]], was re-introduced into ''Kathak'' for the first time by India's senior ''Kathak'' exponent Mahamahopadhyay Dr. Pandit [[Puru Dadheech]]. He is India's first ''Kathak'' dancer to bring back Dhrupad on the formal ''Kathak'' stage and this composition in 28 matra. Shankar Pralayankar, his Dhrupad composition, has the unique status of regularly being sung in concerts by Dhrupad maestros the [[Gundecha Brothers]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afternoondc.in/culture/sunil-performs-the-naayak-in-kathak/article_235028 |title=Sunil performs 'the Naayak' in Kathak |access-date=11 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711061813/http://www.afternoondc.in/culture/sunil-performs-the-naayak-in-kathak/article_235028 |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==''Gharanas''==
''Kathak'' is a diffuse tradition, of which three ''gharanas'' (schools) are most well known and studied – [[Jaipur]], [[Varanasi]], and [[Lucknow]].{{Sfn|Williams|2004|p=83}} The schools place different relative emphasis between aspects of a ''Kathak'' performance, such as the acting versus footwork. The Lucknow style, for example, emphasizes acting while Jaipur style emphasizes the dance and footwork.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p358"/> Traditionally, the Jaipur ''gharana'' has had a strong spiritual flavor, covering a diverse range of ideas in Vaishnavism and Shaivism.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=25-26}}

[[File:Shovana Narayan.jpg|thumb|[[Shovana Narayan]], recipient of the [[Padma Shri]] for contributions to Indian classical dance]]
The Jaipur ''gharana'' traces its origins to Bhanuji, a famed Shiva Tandava dancer who upon visiting [[Vrindavan]] was inspired and taught Natvari Nritya.<ref name="Devi1990p166"/>{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=25-26}} Bhanuji's grandons Laluji and Kanhuji were similarly inspired by Krishna. They returned to Jaipur, and together they began the Jaipur ''gharana'' of ''Kathak''.<ref name="Devi1990p166">{{cite book|author=Ragini Devi|title=Dance Dialects of India|url=https://archive.org/details/dancedialectsofi0000ragi |url-access=registration|year=1990|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0674-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dancedialectsofi0000ragi/page/166 166]–167 }}</ref> The Jaipur style developed under the sponsorship of Rajput rulers, and they favored the ''Kathak'' dance with Hindu religious themes.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=25-26}} In the modern era, this school has continued their emphasis on dance and footwork with Jai Lal, Janki Prasad, Kundan Lal, Mohan Lal, and Nawal Kishore.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=25-26}} This school is best known for its systematic innovations in rhythmic dancing, and the use of dance movement to express a story.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=36-43, 54-55}}

The Lucknow ''gharana'' of ''Kathak'' dance attributes its origins to a rural Krishna devotee named Ishwari from the village in southeast [[Uttar Pradesh]], who aimed to develop ''Kathak'' dance as a form of loving devotion to Krishna.<ref name=walker100/> This school thrived after the Mughal Empire collapsed, when ''Kathak'' artists moved from Delhi to Lucknow under the sponsorship of Avadh [[nawab]]s who favored court dance culture.{{Sfn|Massey|1999|pp=26-28}} In the modern era, the Lucknow ''gharana'' style influences the dance school in New Delhi with Shambu Maharaj, Birju Maharaj, and Lacchu Maharaj.<ref name="Devi1990p172"/> ''Kathak'' choreography there has developed themes beyond Krishna-Radha, such as those based on the drama works of [[Kalidasa]]'s Shiva-Parvati and [[Bhavabhuti]]'s Malati-Madhav.<ref name="Devi1990p172">{{cite book|author=Ragini Devi|title=Dance Dialects of India|url=https://archive.org/details/dancedialectsofi0000ragi |url-access=registration|year=1990|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0674-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dancedialectsofi0000ragi/page/172 172]–173 }}</ref> This school has also attempted a Hindu-Muslim ''Kathak'' fusion style, highlighting the court dancers' theme.<ref name="Devi1990p172"/>

The Banares ''gharana'' is the third major style, traditionally believed to be the oldest.<ref name=walker100/> Its history is unclear. According to Kothari, the school started with Janakiprasad from a village near [[Jaipur]] who resettled in Varanasi,<ref>"Kathak Dance" https://www.auchitya.com/kathak-banaras-gharana/</ref> but one whose ancestors were famed dancers and musicians.<ref name="Kothari1989p59"/> Janakiprasad was a dancer and a Sanskrit scholar, and credited with inventing the ''bols'' of Kathak, which are mnemonic syllables within the language of this classical dance of India.<ref name="Kothari1989p59">{{cite book|author=Sunil Kothari|title=Kathak, Indian Classical Dance Art|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAbMS6ynGJ8C |year=1989|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-223-9 |page=59}}</ref>

According to Nicole Lehmann, modern ''Kathak'' dancers show, to varying degrees, a fusion of the styles from all three ''gharanas''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Nicole Manon Lehmann|title=Sama und die "Schönheit" im Kathak: nordindischer Tanz und seine ihn konstituierenden Konzepte am Beispiel der Lucknow-gharānā|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aTQSh4o9gcUC&pg=PA290 |year=2010|publisher=LIT Verlag Münster|isbn=978-3-643-10252-2 |pages=290–291|language =de }}</ref>

==Relationship with other art forms==
The north Indian ''Kathak'' dance differs from the south Indian ''[[Bharatanatyam]]'' in several ways, even though both have roots in the Hindu text ''Natya Shastra''. ''Kathak'' expressions – particularly in Hindu devotional styles – are more introverted and withdrawn, while ''Bharatanatyam'' is more extroverted and expansive.{{Sfn|Williams|2004|pp=85-86}} ''Kathak'' is normally performed in a standing form with legs and torso typically straight, while ''Bharatanatyam'' extensively utilizes bent knee form (''ara mandi'', half sitting position that is somewhat similar to ''Demi Plié'' ballet move).{{Sfn|Williams|2004|pp=85-86}}

''Kathak'' is also different from ''[[Kathakali]]'', though both are Indian classical dance traditions of "story play" wherein the stories have been traditionally derived from the Hindu epics and the Puranas.<ref name="claus2003p332"/> ''Kathakali'' emerged in the southwestern region of India (modern [[Kerala]]) and is distinctive in its elaborate codified colorful makeup, masks, and dress.<ref>{{cite book|author=Carol E. Henderson|title=Culture and Customs of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CaRVePXX6vEC |year=2002|publisher=Greenwood |isbn=978-0-313-30513-9 |pages=171–172 }}</ref> ''Kathakali'' traditionally has been troupes of predominantly male actor-dancers, who dress up as hero, heroines, gods, goddesses, demons, demonesses, priests, animals, and daily life characters.<ref name="claus2003p332"/> Both dance forms employ elaborate footwork, choreography, and hand gestures, but ''Kathakali'' integrates south Indian martial arts movements such as leaps and jumps. Both dance forms trace their roots to classical Sanskrit texts, but ''Kathakali'' has relatively more recent origins, more closely follows the ''Hastha Lakshanadeepika'' text, and began flourishing in the 16th century.<ref name="claus2003p332"/><ref name=zarrilli17/> While each has a different musical and dance language, both deploy a host of similar traditional Indian musical instruments.<ref name="claus2003p332">{{cite book|author1=Peter J. Claus|author2=Sarah Diamond|author3=Margaret Ann Mills|title=South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ienxrTPHzzwC |year=2003|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-93919-5 |pages=332–333 }}</ref><ref name=zarrilli17>{{cite book|author=Phillip B. Zarrilli|title=Kathakali Dance-drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play|url=https://archive.org/details/kathakalidancedr0000zarr |url-access=registration|year=2000|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-13109-4 |pages=xi, 17–19 }}</ref>

According to Miriam Phillips, the Indian ''Kathak'' and the Spanish [[Flamenco]] dance share many visual, rhythmic, and kinesthetic similarities.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Phillips | title=Becoming the Floor / Breaking the Floor: Experiencing the Kathak-Flamenco Connection | journal=Ethnomusicology | publisher=University of Illinois Press | volume=57 | issue=3 | year=2013 | pages=396–427 | doi=10.5406/ethnomusicology.57.3.0396 }}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kathak dance.jpg|''Kathak'' facial expressions
File:Kathak Duet Performance (5).jpg|''Kathak'' duet performance
File:Kathak dancer Namrata Rai with her group.jpg|''Kathak'' group performance
File:Kathak Dancers Namrata Rai & Vishal Krishna.jpg|Namrata Rai and Vishal Krishna
File:Kathak Facial Expressions (14).jpg|Sufi style-based ''Kathak''
File:Kathak Rounds (13).jpg|''Kathak'' pirouettes
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of Kathak exponents|List of ''Kathak'' exponents]]
* [[Khattak dance|''Khattak'' dance]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
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*{{cite book| author=Kapila Vatsyayan |title=Indian classical dance |year=1974 |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi |oclc= 2238067 }}
*{{cite book| author=Kapila Vatsyayan |title=Aesthetic theories and forms in Indian tradition |year=2008 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |oclc= 286469807| isbn= 978-8187586357}}
*{{cite book| author=Kapila Vatsyayan |title=Dance In Indian Painting |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58fUibaZdGYC |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-153-9}}
*{{cite journal | author =Wallace Dace | title=The Concept of "Rasa" in Sanskrit Dramatic Theory | journal=Educational Theatre Journal | volume=15 | issue=3 | pages=249–254 | year=1963 | jstor=3204783 | doi=10.2307/3204783 }}
* Kothari, Sunil (1989) ''Kathak: Indian Classical Dance Art'', Abhinav Publications, New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-7017-223-3}}
* Kippen, James and Bel, Andreine ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060615102638/http://www.pathcom.com/~ericp/kathak.html 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}}.
* 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
* Narayan, Shovana (2004) ''Kathak'', Wisdom Tree, {{ISBN|9788186685143}}
* Marami Medhi & Debasish Talukdar (2022) ''Kathak Volume-1 A Theoretical and Practical Guide''{{ISBN|9789357804202}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.607.7843&rep=rep1&type=pdf Courtesans and Choreographers: The (Re) Placement of Women in the History of Kathak Dance], Margaret Walker (2010)
*[https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/ethnomusicology.57.3.0396 Becoming the Floor/Breaking the Floor: Experiencing the Kathak-Flamenco Connection], Mariam Phillips (2013)
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZQeZWj_SRw Ganesh Vandana], [[Meghranjani Medhi]], Section 1: Invocation of a three part Kathak dance
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KYZ9D3uaXw#t=565 A Kathak performance], Shinjini Kulkarni, Aarohan (2015)

{{Dance in India}}

[[Category:Kathak| ]]
[[Category:Culture of Awadh]]
[[Category:Culture of Delhi]]
[[Category:Culture of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Culture of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Classical dance genres of India]]
[[Category:Dances of Pakistan]]