Dance Style Resource

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Kathak

Kathak originated from north Indian forms of nomadic dances, some dating all the way back to the fifteenth century. The name of the dance signifies storytellers (kathakar), often pilgrims, who performed mythological and moral Hindu stories in the temple grounds and village squares. Around the eighteenth century, Kathak evolved into the sophisticated form of high (court) dance.
The characteristics of Kathak include a vertical body stance and vigorous and intricate footwork with fast pirouettes on the spot. All these aesthetic elements relate to the interplay between the dancer and the musician, who interprets the percussive musical rhythms. One of the very characteristic elements is the use of spoken word which is when the rhythmic repetition of particular words is used to respond to the musicians’ accompaniment in the form of a ‘question-answer’ call out. While there are no particular codified hand gestures but rather a simpler, and harmonious upper body work, the expressive aspects and storytelling are related to the dancer’s rhythmic expression and the subtle, natural facial expressions.

Sources: The International Encyclopedia of Dance. (1998) Selma
Jeanne Cohen (ed.). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press;
Anjana Rajan, Kathak on www.artindia.net
and Chandam School of Kathak www.kathak.org

Kathakali

Kathakali is a genre of Indian male dance-drama that originated in seventeenth-century southwestern India. The stylized movements as well as the appearance of the performer serve as a depiction of epic Hindu themes especially from the myths of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The heroic characters and the overall style of dance drew on the traditional aesthetics of military exercises, as well as in the shaman-priest rituals from the ninth century.
Traditionally associated with the dry season, December to June, Kathakali is performed in festivals and opened spaces. The characteristic movement patterns are used to assist in the dance’s complex storytelling and the five distinct characters in Kathakali are depicted through individual characteristic movement, dramatic make-up design and elaborate head pieces.
Even though Kathakali used to be associated predominantly with local and domestic celebrations, nowadays this genre of Indian dance drama is gaining international popularity as a theatrical dance form.
Sources: International Encyclopedia of Dance. (1998) Selma
Jeanne Cohen (ed.). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press
and Anjana Rajan, Kathakali on www.artindia.net

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