Kathak

(Kathak by Mrudula Rao)

It was a great evening with the live Kathak performance
at 'Dharani Kalotsav', Fine Arts Hall, Kochi.
Mrudula Rao was on stage with her magical kathak movements.
She took audience hearts with
rhythmic footwork and spectacular spins.

KATHAK:
Kathak is the North Indian style of classical dance,
characterized by rhythmic footwork danced under the
weight of more than 100 ankle bells, spectacular spins,
and the dramatic representation of themes.
The Style includes use of elegant swirls,
lightning quick pirouettes, sudden poses and rapid
stamping of feet and subtle gestures through which
emotions are expressed.

The name Kathak is derived from the
Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit
means s/he who tells a story, or to do with stories.

COSTUME:
More commonly, the costume is a lehenga-choli
combination, with an optional odhni or veil. The lehenga is
loose ankle-length skirt, and the choli is a tight fitting
blouse, usually short-sleeved. Both can be highly
ornately embroidered or decorated. The lehenga is sometimes
adapted to a special dance variety, similar to a
long ghaghra, so that during spins,
the skirt flares out dramatically.



About the performer, Mridula Rao.
Mridula has been intensively training in Kathak
and Bharatanatyam for 12 years.
She is a graded performer for India's National Broadcaster.
She has also given several performances for Indian Government &
Private Television channels and has won solo dance competitions
at the State & National levels.

Now she is on the teaching faculty of Abhinava School of Dance,
Bangalore., imparting Kathak training to young talent.