Northern India, between the 6th and 16th centuries
KATHAK
The narrative dance of northern India
Kathak is one of the eight officially recognized classical Indian dances, originating in northern India (Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi). Its name comes from "katha" (story) and "kathakar" (storyteller): originally, Hindu bards narrated the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata through song and dance. Under the Mughal Empire (16th-19th centuries), the dance evolved through contact with Persian culture and became more abstract, with intricate rhythmic footwork (tatkar).
Three main schools ("gharanas") are distinguished: Lucknow (refinement, grace, expression), Jaipur (rhythmic and technical virtuosity), and Banaras (a balance of the two). Today, Kathak is taught in major academies (the Kathak Kendra in Delhi) and represented by internationally renowned artists such as Birju Maharaj (who passed away in 2022) and Aditi Mangaldas.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Kathak is danced to complex rhythmic cycles (tala) played on the tabla — most often in 16 beats (teental), but also 10, 12, or 14. The dancer wears 100 to 200 bells (ghungroos) on each ankle, turning their footwork into a percussion instrument. Virtuosity lies in the ability to improvise precise rhythmic mathematics while maintaining grace and expression.
Styles and fundamentals
A Kathak recital is organized into two parts. Nritta (pure dance) displays technical virtuosity — tatkar (footwork), tukda (short rhythmic phrases), chakkar (fast spins), paran (phrases borrowed from the tabla). Nritya (expressive dance) tells a story through gesture and facial expression (abhinaya), set to a text or poem.
Main figures
- 01
Tatkar
Rhythmic footwork with the ghungroos, performed across different rhythmic cycles (tala). The foundation of the whole vocabulary.
- 02
Chakkar
A fast spin on the spot. A virtuosic signature of Kathak: some dancers chain up to 108 without losing the tala.
- 03
Tukda
A short rhythmic phrase (usually 4 to 8 beats) that ends on a "sam" (landing on the first beat of the cycle).
- 04
Paran
A phrase borrowed from tabla vocabulary, executed with the feet. A direct dialogue between dancer and percussionist.
- 05
Gat
A stylized walk that portrays a character (a lover, a horseman, a gazelle). Introduces the nritya.
- 06
Abhinaya
Facial and eye expression that interprets a poem or a mythological scene.
Reading the music
The classic Kathak trio: tabla (percussion), sarangi or harmonium (melody), voice. The tala structures everything: each phrase resolves on the sam, the rhythmic resolution the audience awaits.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Same family
Traditions Asiatiques & Orientales
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Kathak.