I am using inputs from learn kathak dot com to refreshen my knowledge of the history of kathak.
“Katha Kahe so Kathak Kahaye” i.e. one who tells story, known as kathak. The story of Kathak begins in ancient times with the performances of professional story-tellers called kathakas who recited or sang stories from epics and mythology with some elements of dance. These kathakas were hereditary, and dances were passed down from generation to generation. Kathak dance originated in the remote temples of north India where a group of people, namely the Kathakaars, danced and sung verses from the great mythological epics. Because of the association of this community with the style of dance, the dance was given the name Kathak. In the 13th century a definite style had emerged and soon technical features like mnemonic syllables and bols developed. In the 15th-16th century at the time the Bhakti movement, Rasalilas had a tremendous impact on Kathak. The form of dance even made its way to the Kathavachakas who performed in temples.
Kathak is one of the seven classical dance forms of India, the only one from North India. It is characterized by fast footwork (tatkar) and pirouettes (chakar). It has today a form that has been influenced at various times in the past by narratives of mythological lores by kathakas, temple dances, the bhakti movement and court dances in the 19th century. Performers today generally draw their lineage from two major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana and the Lucknow gharana born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings and the Nawab of Oudh respectively.
With Akbar, the dance reached the Mughal court after the 15th century, where it encountered other different forms of dance and music, most especially dancers from Persia. Kathak dance was impacted most comprehensively when dancers were enticed from the temples to the courts by gifts of gold and jewels. Patronage soared as a social class of dancers and courtiers emerged in the royal palaces, where dance competitions were held frequently. As the Mughal courts were centered in Northern India, Kathak, more than any other Indian dance-form, shifted its focus from a purely religious art form to entertainment. Dancers from the Middle East spread their ideas to Kathak dancers, as they borrowed ideas from Kathak to implement in their own dance. Slowly, the two dances became one, as a common link between the Muslim and Hindu culture. Kathak began to shift away from other traditional dances, such as Bharatanatyam.
To emphasize the flamboyant and elaborate rhythmic footwork with as many as 150 ankle bells on each leg. It was also during this period that the signature 'chakars' (spins) of Kathak were introduced, possibly influenced by the so-called whirling dervishes. The straight-legged position gave a new vitality to the footwork, which wove percussive rhythms in its own right, whether together with or in complement to the tabla or pakhawaj. Kathak remained a solo art form, based on personal interpretations, and emotional values. Elements of beauty in the copious jewelry and costume of the dancers combined with poetic narration to tell fabulous tales of drama, triumph, and tragedy. The music, regalia, atmosphere, and themes developed through the fusion of cultures in a way that no other dance could. Although now substantially different from the other Indian dance forms, the roots of the style are the same, and as such it displays a consanguinity with the others, particularly in the hand-formations during story-telling, and some of the body-postures.
Many specific emperors contributed to the growth and development of Kathak into different gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities in which they developed. The Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, not only enjoyed giving patronage to dancers, but danced himself, taught by Durga Prasad. He brought teachers to his palaces, aiding the expansion of technical vocabulary, and formed the basis of the Lucknow gharana, emphasizing sensuous, expressive emotion. The Lucknow gharana placed emphasis on the abhinaya and natya elements or expressional qualities of the dancing; it was famed for its subtlety and grace (nazakat). This contrasted sharply with the Jaipur gharana, which became renowned for highly intricate and complex footwork, and fast, sharp, and accurate dancing. Even after the Moghuls, courts in Rajasthan enjoyed Kathak as a sophisticated art form, fostering the growth of the Jaipur gharana. The Benares gharana was also created in this time.
Today, Kathak has regained its popularity not only in India, but throughout the world, it is recognised as one of the seven classical dance forms of India. Kathak’s unique history has made it very different from other traditional dance forms, although it still retains the same roots. Presently, this classical dance is characterized by a combination of the temple and court forms, inclusive of both the devotion and romantic form that has shaped it through the years. The influence of theatre dance has presented itself in the movement towards dance productions of stories such as Shakuntala. Expressive motion, rhythmic accuracy, graceful turning, poised stances, technical clarity, hand gestures (mudras) and subtle expression (bhava-abhinaya) are important components of modern Kathak. The work of the Maharaj family of dancers (Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and one of the greatest current dancers still alive today, Birju Maharaj) has been extremely successful in spreading the popularity of Kathak.
