Kathak – The dance form of storytellers

Kathak, is one of the classic Indian dance forms. As the name resembles, it was derived from the word ‘Katha’, meaning ‘Story’.

As it being said, Kathak is traditionally regarded to be as originated in north India (not sure as in which time period to be precise), attributed to the traveling bards known as Kathakars or storytellers; who were a nomadic tribe of artisans. They would wander from village to village, serenading the local populace with interesting stories from other parts of the country or Indian mythology.

In Kathak, the dancers narrates the story through a very intricate and complex movements of hands and feet along with facial expressions. Performers emphasizes mostly on graceful poses, expressions, movements and footwork. The dance form evolved eventually from a roadshow to court performances to an art form performed on stage.

Recently, I got an opportunity to attend a workshop organized by @nikonmea and @wildeyecreations, where I met these amazing performers. Workshop was mostly concentrated on setting up the lighting and capturing the fast movements and expressions. These are my take from the session.