In a bid to win against the crab blues, SPIC MACAY established the ‘Sarva Mangal Yog Series’ on the web having a versatile mixture of dancing, songs, craft and art workshops along with a yoga camp. The workshops extend across five days that provide an ambit of tasks for young students to research areas of artwork, cultural history and heritage.
Kathak exponent Rani Khanam is just one of those professors from this programme, practice a lot of students including students with formal dancing training in addition to the ones people who are now being initiated in to classical dancing to the very first time. Stressing the value of the lineage, personality and also the uniqueness of each faculty of Kathak, ” she introduces students to various gharanas. An artiste from the Lucknow gharana of Kathak, Rani Khanam joins the reflective mysticism of Sufi poets with the lyrical elegance of this Lucknow strategy to translate the gharana in creative manners.
“It’s very important to first understand the history of Kathak and trace the stories of different artistic lineages of the form to find your connection with it,” she states. “The term Kathak itself came into prominence after the 1960s, earlier it was known by different names. The storytelling tradition of the dance form is its most significant aspect.” She dwelt to the expansive character of this shape and also its particular prominence across North India. “The use of multiple languages and dialects in the compositions is proof of the fact that the form was adopted in, and adapted to several different regions, amalgamating many cultural traditions into its fold.”
Assessing rhythm
Gradually introducing learners into the taal system,” she says, “Rhythm anchors any form of music and dance as well as everyday life, in Kathak the importance of rhythm and footwork is unique and foremost.” Ektaal,” Dhamaar taal, Jhumra along with Deepachandi, Pancham Sawari and Gajajhampa, Teentaal, Punjabi taal were a number of those widely used taals she explains. Leading the students through basic footwork and stances she introduces them into the notions of tihai, gat and assorted sections of a specific article. While emphasizing the accuracy of those bearings and rhythmic moves, she demonstrates the softness of these gestures.
In accordance with Rani Khanam, stream and fluidity are corner stones of their Kathak movement ministry. She discusses different personalities from mythology which can be often depicted in dance recitals and divides the participants in to the principles of attempting abhinaya.
Since the workshop continues, each student appears on cam, demonstrating the simple footwork along with taal recitation. “Sharpness and precision are key in imbibing the taal,” finds the ace, adjusting the students . For many youths, this can be actually their first brush with the planet of Kathak plus they’ve many questions to ask. Sharing the value of repeat, clinic and riyaaz, the expert motivates the students to incorporate the dancing form in their everyday life to have been chilled inside and also expand their dancing travels.
The author is a Delhi based arts writer and writer.