Storytelling

The word “Kathak”, originates from the Sanskrit word “Katha”, also known as “story narrative” (National Heritage Board, 2019). It is a classical Indian dance form that ties in “narrative and bhakti (devotional) elements” (National Heritage Board, 2019). In the past, Kathakaars, which means storytellers, would recite or sing tales taken from the Indian epics of mythology in temples, streets and gatherings which eventually developed into an early version of the Kathak dance form (InSync, n.d.).

As mentioned in an interview with Anjani Ambegaokar, the 2004 National heritage Fellowship awardee, she believes that Kathak dancers deliver stories with “intricate rhythmic footwork, graceful movements, and subtle facial expressions” (Das, 2011). As all these elements have meanings behind them, each of these elements can also tell a story when performed individually (Das, 2011). This shows us how storytelling has played a major role in the Indian dance.

Not to mention, it is important for the Kathak dancers to deliver the stories well. Ananya Chatterjea, a two decade long Indian classical dancer writes that to be the perfect dancer, one must be able to allow his or her physical self “slip away before the audience’s eyes” and step into character as the narrative unfolds (Jacolbe, 2019).

Satya Narayana Charka, a Kathak dance instructor, explains that in the past, Kathak dancers would dance in the temples, showing epic stories of India like Ramayana and Mahabharta. These stories use the Gods and Goddesses as examples to educate the audiences on life lessons (Charka, 2008). Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic that writes about Prince Rama’s quest to save Sita, his wife, from Ravana (The British Library Board, n.d.). Prince Rama and Sita will face obstacles along the way and these issues surfacing can be easily reflected on our lives (The British Library Board, n.d.).

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