Kathak: Indian Classical Dance
Interview with Janaki Kasi
1. How has learning Kathak affected you/your children culturally?
Learning Kathak has helped my kids to know the many mythological stories from our culture and the importance of every deity that we worship. It is dance form of northern India. In Sanskrit Kathak means “he who tells a story”. I have discovered that with body, barefoot rhythms with ankle bells (gunghroo), its combination of distinctive graceful hand gestures, and facial expressions one can express their thoughts like anger, happiness, grief and love etc. Its clothes and simple and bright that shows live simple and think bright.
2. Do you think it has important significance in the world?
The dance might not have a huge impact on the world but definitely helped my kids to learn values like how good always prevails , be humble and value whatever they have. Dance and music is a language of love and peace around world. Kathak usually starts with prayer, generally have Vishnu or Lord Ganesh the Hindu god of good fortune.
3. Have your children been exposed to this dance form?
Yes, my daughters have been learning Kathak for 2.5 years now and they enjoy it.
4. Would you recommend it to others?
I would definitely recommend the dance form to others. It is interesting form of telling a story with lot of expressions, pirouettes etc.
5. Why did you or your children learn Kathak?
My children loved the way the dance was giving them a story with simple expressions but with grace and hand/leg coordination. I love music and dance. Kathak it is combination of hand gesture, foot work, face expression It’s a beat of heart and keeps my mind body and soul health.
6. Do you think gender plays a role in Kathak?
Not really. In its inception, Kathak was a male dominated form of dance with gharanas but slowly was adapted by women.
7. Do more males or do more females participate in this dance?
It varies from where you live and who all are interested, but since the last two decades, there are as many male dancers as there are women dancers.
8. What makes Kathak unique or better or different from other Indian classical dances?
It is as unique as any other Indian dances. It has its own technique, hand/leg coordination and has an identification for itself. Kathak is form a dance with contributes many different moves from various different places around the word. Most of the moves are different in the way they are composed so you get a lot of variety.
9. If you have knowledge of American/other dances, would you compare it to any of them so that non-Indians would understand it?
Kathak is basically a dance that tells you a story. There are many striking similarities between Kathak and Flamenco, a southern Spanish dance style that received much influence from the local gypsies, most notably in the lack of much deviation from the vertical axis, percussive footwork, and dependence on (sometimes complex) rhythmic cycles. It can also be compared to ballet but with a lot of rough footwork. Kathak sometimes incorporates a kind of hip hop and jazz but again it incorporates a lot more rough tone with facial movements to go with the dance.
10. How does Kathak affect your/your children's day to day life such as in homework and school and integrating into American culture?
The dance helps them appreciate other forms of dance and the intricate details involved. It teaches them discipline, focus which helps them with their school and homework. The dance enforces that daily practice and dedication are a must to master any skill, studies included.