Understand Kathak Fundamentals Learn a Little About Gharanas and Mudras in Kathak

Mudras and Gharanas in Kathak Dance Form Style: There are eight Indian classical dance forms: Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Sattriya, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Bharatanatyam. Of all these styles, Kathak is the most widely known.The Sanskrit words Katha, which means "story," and Kathakar, which means "the one who tells a story" or "to do with stories," are the roots of the word Kathak. Similar to how Kathak originated, it is said to have come from itinerant storytellers called Kathakars in ancient northern India.The core of the Kathak dance style is synchronized footwork to music, ornamented with Ghungroo. The story is conveyed by upper body movement, facial emotions, bends, and most often, turns, with the legs and torso positioned normally straight. But the dance becomes mostly about the eyes and the footwork.One of India's eight classical dances is Kathak. Uttar Pradesh's traditional dance is called kathak. It can be traced back to Brajbhuoomi's Ras Leela. The Sanskrit term "Kathakar," which meaning a storyteller, is whence the word "Kathak" originates.

There, a male storyteller was called "Kathakar" while a lady storyteller was called "Kathika." Formerly, the Kathaks were a caste of storytellers who embellished their performances with gestures and music while giving performances in temples in north India.We will talk about the development of Kathak dance since its inception in this article. For the UPSC test, we will also gain insight into its key characteristics, the famous Kathak dancers and their costumes, the musical instruments utilized in the dance, and the dancers themselves.What is the Kathak? One of the eight main classical dance styles of India is Kathak, and it originated in Uttar Pradesh. Its beginnings are connected to the legendary Kathakars, or storytellers, of ancient northern India. In Sanskrit, "Katha" means "story," and "Kathakar" means "the one who tells a story" or "related to stories." This is how the word "Kathak" was generated. Traveling Kathakars used dance, songs, and music to tell tales from epics and ancient mythology. Kathak dancers use their hands, deft footwork, supple bodies, and—above all—their facial expressions to tell stories.