DANCE CLASSES
In the beginners course you will learn the basic movements of Kathak. Students explore the rhythmic foot-percussion and the different sounds that a dancer produces by using his feet and ankle bells (Laddi, Tihai).
From the beginning we will be dealing with the recitation of the acoustic syllables of Kathak (padhant). This assists the basic understanding of different technical dance compositions as well as various rhythmic cycles and beats (Tala). Teental (a rhythmic cycle of 16 beats) will be predominantly used. Apart from the verbal recitation of dance compositions we will occupy ourselves with the written notation of Nritta or pure abstract dance compositions.
Various hand positions and gestures, poses and movements are shown and explained as well as simple compositions (Tukura, Thoda) and expressional elements like Gat-Bhava, Kavitta, Vandana.
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Having absorbed and digested the basic material, the learnt compositions progress to become rhythmically complex. New Talas are covered (Jhaptal, Dhammar). We start to explore various movements of the wrist, learn how to integrate them in the dance (meend, lava shika, etc), practice fast pirouettes on the heel and free the subtle use of head and eye-movements.
Emphasis is placed on experiencing the body-feeling and poses, relaxed and tensed, the axis of the body and breathing.
New fixed compositions taught among others are tarana and sargam.
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Advanced level students will consolidate and expand further upon the intermediates. Double spins are added. As well as knowledge and proficiency in several talas - rupak, jhaptal, chartal sawari, chautal, dhammar, pancham sawari, teental, - emphasis will be laid on the expression of story-telling in Kathak style ( Abhinaya). Different moods (rasa) will transport their nuances in compositions such as Thumri, Bajan, Ghazal, etc.
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