Kathak, in the Eyes of a Dancer

 

“The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.”

- Charles Baudelaire

 

“I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what it too deep to find for words.”

- Ruth St. Denis

 

Classical Indian dance is known to be one of the hardest dances to master. It is said that one cannot become an expert in any classical Indian dance without at least ten years of practice and dedication to the dance form. Yet the Kathak dancer I watch at this performance makes it seem effortless. With such grace and elegance she swiftly moves her hand and pirouettes on the spot. Her eyebrows move up and down with the rhythm of the music, and her face has an expression of pride mixed with hubris. She performs a dance composition called thaat, where the dancer holds a variety of poses while creating a mood and atmosphere through the expression of the personality in facial gestures.  

 

Kathak is a north Indian classical dance, with alternating passages of emotional mime and dancing. There are four different styles of Kathak - Jaipur, Lucknow, Benaras and Raighad, originating from different areas in Northern India. Learning Kathak for twelve years was no easy task. I started learning when I was ten years old, when I first started it seemed to be another hobby I picked up. Although as I grew up and learned more theory, so did my interest in Kathak grow. I was performing in shows throughout most of high school and university. The dance form, especially the expressional part of it, requires a multi-faceted and vibrant personality. The dancer has to be able imagine how a specific character would react emotionally to certain situations such as a being separated from a lover, or being angry with a cheating lover.

 

I continue to teach and learn Kathak, and dancing everyday has taught me to take all things in stride.