PROGRAM FOR KATHAK ONLINE DANCE COURSES
Beginners batch:
1. Introduction about the origin and history of Kathak dance, music, poetry, gharanas, costume, jewellery and ghungroo.
2. Movement Vocabulary:
- the basic stance, feet, body, hand, head and torso positions
- tatkar – basic footwork in various speeds
- basic nritta hasta – upper body and hand movements - ref: ‘Ang Kavya’ by Pandit Birju Maharaj
- chakkars/spins based on 8, 5, 4, 3 and 1 step maintaining central axis, 2 step turn
- travelling and turning patterns in different direction
- selected stances and finishing positions – ref: ‘Ang Kavya’
3. Nritta (abstract dance):
- teehais and laris – rhythmic compositions executed through footwork
- tukras – rhythmic compositions performed with entire body
4. Nritya (expressive/interpretative dance):
- use of the face and body to communicate narrative
- asamyukta hastas – single hand gestures with meaning, ref: ‘Abhinaya Darpana’
- kavitts – rhythmic poetic forms including a simple storytelling
- expressive choreography to a shloka, vandana or a simple devotional song incorporating abhinaya, with a basic understanding of the characters
- technique based simple choreography
5. Theory and technical skills:
- understanding of the terms: sam, taala, țhekaa, taali, khaali, hasta, parhant, toŗa / tukra, tihai, laya, barabar, dugun, kavitt, ladi, lehra, vandana, shloka
- the basic notation of teentaal theka
- notation of all nritta and nritya compositions
- ability to recite shloka / vandana - devotional song and communicate the meaning
- ability to do the parhant (recitation of the rhythmic syllables) of teentaal theka in barabar, dugun and chaugun laya showing taali and khaali
Intermediate batch:
- Movement Vocabulary:
- ornamental and intermediate Nritta Hasta – upper body and hand movements - ref: ‘Ang Kavya’ by Pandit Birju Maharaj
- chakkar (pheris) – circles ref: ‘Ang Kavya’ and chakkar combinations
- feet positions (thokar) - ref: ‘Ang Kavya’
- stances and finishing positions – ref: ‘Ang Kavya’
- travelling and turning patterns in different direction
- tatkar and other footwork variations
2. Nritta (abstract dance):
- teehais, baants and laris – rhythmic compositions executed through footwork
- tukras, parans, aamad, thaat, gat nikas
- technique based choreography: sargam or tarana
3. Nritya (expressive/interpretative dance):
- use of the face, hastas and body to communicate narrative
- kavitts – rhythmic poetic forms including storytelling
- gat bhava – enacting a story without lyrics
- expressive choreography to a shloka, vandana, bhajan or thumri incorporating abhinaya, with more profound understanding of the characters
4. Theory and technical skills:
- understanding of the terms: matra, taala, sum, țheka, taali, khaali, bol, hasta, nagma/lehra, laya, ginti, jati, chakkardar, wazan, nritta, nritya, natya, abhinaya, bhava, rasa, chal, palta, parhant, upaj, thaat, aamad, tukra, tihai, gat, paran
- notation of all nritta and nritya compositions
- ability to recite lyrics of the choreography composition and communicate the meaning
- ability to do the parhant of teentaal theka in barabar, dugun, chaugun and athgun laya showing taali and khaali as well as parhant of the nritta compositions against the lehera
