I love this piece. Watched it over and over again. After learning bharatnatyam during my childhood, I have been learning kathak since 2 years. The thing i love about this is (and a lot of other kathak pieces) it's hard to distinguish between the music and the dance... it just all comes together... I can just feel the rhythm in the air!
I am fairly new to the study of Indian Classical music and, though I have seen numerous instrumental performances, this is the first time I have ever seen dance to accompany a raga. It absolutely blew me away. Cheers to the beautiful Indian culture :)
i agree with parrotmania and pushpanjali. all the classical dance forms from india are unique and special in their own way. Rajendraji and Sharmilaji are 2 of the best kathak dancers in the world. Jaipur gharana is known for its lighting speed movements and footwork. and wht an example, the jugalbandi is absolutely amazin. wht lightness....criticisms will always be there, people are free to give their opinions. so we shouldn't fight over them. neways thx for this amazing video.
Simply I have no words. Its amazing! The most amazing technical thing I think is In later (half) part each performer will dance full teental, then half of it and then one forth, one eighth and then one matra and then half and one forth matra I guess and then together. What a combination!
i am not indian but i think this is really beautiful to watch. i like all traditional dances of the world. but i have to say that i always had deep affections for india.
cool, studying bollywood for performing arts a college and they said this was a number of videos i had to watch and anaalyise, one thing i can say already is that i love the combination of subtlty and more obvious movements in this dance
Hi the bliss.. I didn't mean any offence if it came out in that way. lol mean laughs out loud. I was laughing at the comment about "if kathak comes from south africa then i come from africa". I have the greatest respect for both kathak and B.N artists. Such discipline, strength and beauty in your art. I only wish I had started kathak sooner too.
I agree with parrotmania 100%. I train in both Kathak and Bharatanatyam (my ancestors came from both North & South India) and I love them both equally. I also appreciate all classical Indian dance because they all represent the diversity and beauty of India. To love one is to love them all.
Oh! I feel that I have entered into the realms of Sublime Beauty. The problem with such an exquisite journey is that afterwards one is happy with nothing less than the Sublime, and there isn't a lot of that around! (Is it possible to buy a CD of this, please?)
Modern Kathak does have Persian influence. Mughal empress Noor Jehan was Persian, and she brought a lot of Persian influence into the Mughal court. Early Kathak probably had the demi-plié.
wow I hope I can see a performance when Im in India coming September/october. Anybody knows a good place to go see Kathak ? Please help !! :-) thanks !
i am so desperate to learn.... but there are no teachers around where i am at :( :( if i had a job in India i'd be there right now! :( lol enough of my lamenting.... this is excellent and very moving!! thanks for posting!!
The contribution of Harappa is not limited to simply the units of measurement, but the reason behind devising these PARTICULAR units of measurement. If you care to investigate more, you might discover how the units are devised to facilitate easy planning and division in even the most complicated of architectural plans. But that would require stepping out of the cocoon of comforting escapism of toeing the 'accepted' line. I advise you to check if you have the 'jigar' for this undertaking.
In fact, come to think of it, the demi-plie is INTIMATELY related to the dance costume. Even in the west, there is no use of Demi-plie in gown wearing ball room dances, whereas the exposed legs of ballet depend upon it. Much like Kathak and Bharatnatyam. This further strengthens my case that it's not such a good idea to issue sweeping statements attributing 'facts' based only on contemporaneity. There also has to be a fundamental REASON for things to change, not mere coincidence.
@resplendentsmile It can't be a fatal accident if he did not die - I would say 'life-threatening', serious, near-fatal, coma-inducing etc. but a fatal accident is one in which the victim does from his injuries. Nothing wrong with your facts, just poniting out English usage.
Along with the formalised Kathak of 'respectable' venues such as the temple and the court, there were also the folk varieties bearing traits of Chhau. The Kathak that we know now is very largely the result of the strict norms of 17th Century Jaipur and Lucknow gharanas. In Lucknow, such was the degree of refinement that even tawaifs refused to make any movement below the waist as it was deemed un-ladylike! ...continued
I understand what you are saying - excellent work - I am being extremely pedantic, but a fatal accident would have meant he did not survive the accident - he did. A better word would have been a life-threatening or serious accident.
And the inspiration for Kathak are the Vedas themselves where Dance id an offering to the Gods, as is common knowledge. Later, Persian motifs formed a part of Kathak as presentation themes, not dance skills, and were meant for the formality of the courts, not ritual representation which had strict norms. To say that modern kathak forms and techniques are derived from Persian influences is hugely incorrect. Where is the evidence of any such high levels of technique in Persian dance ever?
I suppose pizza-throwing is the net-equivalent of frustrated foot-stomping. Suit yourself. And yes, if you used units of Angul and Vitashti, then you would in a very fundamental way be indebted to the great minds of Harappa. Your choice of using that great system for creating pizzas will however speak about the quality and level of your own mind. As regarding the Taj-Mahalay theory, I would hesitate to pendulum-swing to the right so far without greater tangible proof.
In 'Mail Today' of this date, there is an article about how even the Taj Mahal is built acc to the architectural norms of ancient India, traced back to Harappa itself. And to think that the Brits claimed Italian origins of the Taj! This just goes to show how erroneous it is to 'manufacture' notions based on lazy evaluations of surface skimmings. If straight-leg were such an indicator, then it would be not incorrect to theorize on African/Chinese/Eskimo dance influence on Kathak as well!
Modern Kathak having Persian influence is a widely accepted part of the canon. I am not sure why you are so determined to not agree, but in any case you should publish your own research with enough evidence so that believers in Persian influence can be corrected. You mention the factors that shaped modern Kathak. I wonder where they got their inspiration. Many things have been attributed to Noor Jehan, such as Persian influence in the Mughal court.
In my opinion no one should take sides between classical dances. did u noe that all 10 major classical dances are different and unique. y should there be a better 1. this is just like fighting over carnatic and hindustani music.the arguement is just going to bring us no where. both systems are different and same in their own ways.honestly thse age old arts should never be prejudiced in my humble opinion-avid supporter of the arts
Many things have been attributed to Noor Jehan, like the extraction and use of ruh-gulab, but Kathak has nowhere been mentioned. As for the demi-plie of early Kathak, there were many types of Kathak, as even now. The use of straight leg was more likely an outcome of various factors such as concurrent social norms which disfavoured hip-movements as too sexual in religious/court dance, the increasing development of chakkars, and even the greater use of the lehenga/sari making demi-plie redundant.
Thanks for your generous praise @siddis31. I am sick and tired of the slavish thinking of us Indians. Seems the Brits have left but we have not left them, and we continue to steadfastly refuse to credit the great achievements of our ancestors because that might make us 'non-progressive'. It is this which prompts me to argue so forcefully, even if it means that some 'intellectuals' and 'secular' minded people get upset. Too bad for them, but I love my India and am not ashamed of this at all!
You must be joking. Maybe you'd have a point if she was dancing on the next beat, but she's dancing BETWEEN beats, which is sloppy. And watching synchronized dancers is definitely more interesting than watching sloppy dancers. Maybe you have a different opinion, but my instincts tell me that puts you in the minority.
The reason I mentioned the Taj was to show how surface appearances and lazy correlation (tuq-bandi) cannot replace basic ground research. The Imperialisst Brits haplessly seized upon an itinerant Italian to allocate an Italian basis for the Taj, Max Mueller formed his Aryan Invasion theory on anti-semiticism and his belief in creationism, and now we have 'Persian' influences on Kathak based on the straight leg. There may well be Persian influences, I myself acknowledge thematic contributions...
What are you talking about? Did you even read the article I have referred to, or are you just shooting from the hip? And yes, I feel no embarrassment in giving dues where they belong. I have little value or time for the great fashion of pseudo-intellectualism. Do yourself a favour and try a little bit of research into the matter being spoken about before you shoot-off your pre-mature oh-so-glib remarks.
Lol, please understand that 'wide acceptance' is overrated. Were it not, then crap such as Aryan Invasion would not stand discredited today. And Noor Jahan's Persian influence does not automatically mean that everything was infused by it. Kathak waas already a highly developed dance way back when the gypsies took it and made the Flamenco. Contrast this with Persian dance on youtube itself and tell me where you see the 'thaats', the 'taraanas', even the musical stimuli for Kathak.
Umm, not really sure about the 'Persian' bit and it's straight leg. Kathak was always based heavily on chakkars and leg taals, both of which necessitate straight leg. And the influence in the 16th cent was Mughal, not Persian, and it introduced new themes rather than new techniques. I hope that clears a few misconceptions. Kathak is even accorded pre-historic status by some anthropologists, and its techniques are famously recorded deep down in Indian lit. contemporaneous with the Vedas.
...BUT I would have serious objections to ASSUMING things based on merely the association of Noor Jahan with Persia. Did she train dancers? Was she even particularly fond of dance? Is there any recorded evidence of her specific contribution here? Mere 2+2 is not good enough to draw conclusions. That would be the greatest disservice to the rigors & sacrifices of the great artistes down the ages who spent their lives refining this art. Give credit where credit is due... NOT where you 'feel' it is.
Those battling the bulge should not throw pizzas at others! It's easy to dish them out, but taking them is another story, isn't it? Sorry to disappoint you but much of what I have written is NOT with you in mind. It is my take on how history and 'facts' have often been manufactured. Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing. Better than both is to believe nothing, see everything, and then draw your own conclusions. I don't see why I have to change my name for you to understand that ?
Lol. Sure thing. Besides, human beings are not like numbers and are multi-facetted and complex. Just assuming things based on armchair assumptions (such as Noor Jahan was Persian therefore everything in India was from Persian sources) is the hallmark of lazy, immature, armchair 'scholarship'. Nothing like good, rounded, solid research, and actual experience of the thing before one dares spout forth.
I don't understand why you're so against the idea of Persian influence? No one said its a Persian only dance, just that it's a fusion of the Persian styles of stance and spins, with the Indian system of music and stories.
elina2010, have some respect for people far greater than you. ten years of experience is nothing compared to their years of 'sadhana'. and have you ever heard of different styles of kathak itself? even i've been learning kathak for several years, tho not of this gharana, and i have gathered enough to not speak beyond my knowledge. i daresay ur guru wouldn't have called this pathetic....
Persia offered thematic novelties to Indian dance, but really had little in terms of dance skill to offer to India. Why must we disbelieve our own ancient treatises on dance when there is no evidence of any highly developed Persian 'dance' EVEN TODAY? Kathak is unique because Indian music is unique. Is there any Persian skill equal to the tabla/sitar? In these areas India exists on a very different plane, just see for yourself! Why discredit living facts in favour of armchair colonial 'history'?
I love this piece. Watched it over and over again. After learning bharatnatyam during my childhood, I have been learning kathak since 2 years. The thing i love about this is (and a lot of other kathak pieces) it's hard to distinguish between the music and the dance... it just all comes together... I can just feel the rhythm in the air!
now this is what i call kathak.very graceful movements and a fantastic footwork.the pair is enviable
The ancestor of flamenco zapateado.
I am fairly new to the study of Indian Classical music and, though I have seen numerous instrumental performances, this is the first time I have ever seen dance to accompany a raga. It absolutely blew me away. Cheers to the beautiful Indian culture :)
i agree with parrotmania and pushpanjali. all the classical dance forms from india are unique and special in their own way. Rajendraji and Sharmilaji are 2 of the best kathak dancers in the world. Jaipur gharana is known for its lighting speed movements and footwork. and wht an example, the jugalbandi is absolutely amazin. wht lightness....criticisms will always be there, people are free to give their opinions. so we shouldn't fight over them. neways thx for this amazing video.
Simply I have no words. Its amazing! The most amazing technical thing I think is In later (half) part each performer will dance full teental, then half of it and then one forth, one eighth and then one matra and then half and one forth matra I guess and then together. What a combination!
i am not indian but i think this is really beautiful to watch. i like all traditional dances of the world. but i have to say that i always had deep affections for india.
cool, studying bollywood for performing arts a college and they said this was a number of videos i had to watch and anaalyise, one thing i can say already is that i love the combination of subtlty and more obvious movements in this dance
Watching this ten years later : this is more sublime than ever....
Wah re Wah !! Kya baat hai! Laakhon mein ...do!!
Hi the bliss.. I didn't mean any offence if it came out in that way. lol mean laughs out loud. I was laughing at the comment about "if kathak comes from south africa then i come from africa".
I have the greatest respect for both kathak and B.N artists. Such discipline, strength and beauty in your art. I only wish I had started kathak sooner too.
Has to one of the best Kathak guru-shishya jugalbandi . I want to see the whole performance. Can you tell me where I could get the CD to buy.
I love this video. The dancers are great and movements are beautiful. Does anyone know a good kathak teacher in Northern Virginia, USA?
I agree with parrotmania 100%. I train in both Kathak and Bharatanatyam (my ancestors came from both North & South India) and I love them both equally. I also appreciate all classical Indian dance because they all represent the diversity and beauty of India. To love one is to love them all.
finally some good kathak on youtube!
apparently this is the inspiration of Flamenco... very interesting
Oh! I feel that I have entered into the realms of Sublime Beauty. The problem with such an exquisite journey is that afterwards one is happy with nothing less than the Sublime, and there isn't a lot of that around! (Is it possible to buy a CD of this, please?)
Modern Kathak does have Persian influence. Mughal empress Noor Jehan was Persian, and she brought a lot of Persian influence into the Mughal court. Early Kathak probably had the demi-plié.
Thanks very much for your encouraging comments. It means a lot to me that there are still people who are willing to trek away from the beaten path :)
this was absoluelty beautiful!!! well done!!!
wow I hope I can see a performance when Im in India coming September/october. Anybody knows a good place to go see Kathak ? Please help !! :-) thanks !
J'étais dans la salle !!! C'était superbe !
Excellent. Kathak is a Great Indian Dance form.
Great Dance. Hope to see them compete on DynamycDesi contest
I think the male dancer's the one that's in sync, and the girl is off. I might be wrong...
i am so desperate to learn.... but there are no teachers around where i am at :( :( if i had a job in India i'd be there right now! :( lol enough of my lamenting.... this is excellent and very moving!! thanks for posting!!
2.02 to 6.09 were awesome
very nice performance..... never seen one live here at Malaysia . . .
Amazing..salute to wonderful dancers like them
@SuperhumanChichi i think she was flicking something away so she doesn't step on it (?)
Beautiful! The jugalbandi is quite amazing.
Yes, a a rare and beautiful gem !
Magnifique!!! une grâce absolu, c'est tout simplement un délice !
The contribution of Harappa is not limited to simply the units of measurement, but the reason behind devising these PARTICULAR units of measurement. If you care to investigate more, you might discover how the units are devised to facilitate easy planning and division in even the most complicated of architectural plans. But that would require stepping out of the cocoon of comforting escapism of toeing the 'accepted' line. I advise you to check if you have the 'jigar' for this undertaking.
A Master Piece !!!!!!!!!!!!!
guruji is just great!!
Excellent!
What particular dance form U was dance? Do U have any idea about Indian classical dance? About Kathak?
In fact, come to think of it, the demi-plie is INTIMATELY related to the dance costume. Even in the west, there is no use of Demi-plie in gown wearing ball room dances, whereas the exposed legs of ballet depend upon it. Much like Kathak and Bharatnatyam. This further strengthens my case that it's not such a good idea to issue sweeping statements attributing 'facts' based only on contemporaneity. There also has to be a fundamental REASON for things to change, not mere coincidence.
@resplendentsmile It can't be a fatal accident if he did not die - I would say 'life-threatening', serious, near-fatal, coma-inducing etc. but a fatal accident is one in which the victim does from his injuries. Nothing wrong with your facts, just poniting out English usage.
great steps...great dancing...
Along with the formalised Kathak of 'respectable' venues such as the temple and the court, there were also the folk varieties bearing traits of Chhau. The Kathak that we know now is very largely the result of the strict norms of 17th Century Jaipur and Lucknow gharanas. In Lucknow, such was the degree of refinement that even tawaifs refused to make any movement below the waist as it was deemed un-ladylike! ...continued
very good performance.
Excellent...superb.!!!
Kya Baat Guru Rajendra ji
अद्भुत !
lovely lovely lovely
I understand what you are saying - excellent work - I am being extremely pedantic, but a fatal accident would have meant he did not survive the accident - he did. A better word would have been a life-threatening or serious accident.
wow!
That Jugalbandi was incredibleeeeeee
mind blowing.
Great!
Thanks Hidimb.
Very professional!
superb.
very graceful.
And the inspiration for Kathak are the Vedas themselves where Dance id an offering to the Gods, as is common knowledge. Later, Persian motifs formed a part of Kathak as presentation themes, not dance skills, and were meant for the formality of the courts, not ritual representation which had strict norms. To say that modern kathak forms and techniques are derived from Persian influences is hugely incorrect. Where is the evidence of any such high levels of technique in Persian dance ever?
I suppose pizza-throwing is the net-equivalent of frustrated foot-stomping. Suit yourself. And yes, if you used units of Angul and Vitashti, then you would in a very fundamental way be indebted to the great minds of Harappa. Your choice of using that great system for creating pizzas will however speak about the quality and level of your own mind.
As regarding the Taj-Mahalay theory, I would hesitate to pendulum-swing to the right so far without greater tangible proof.
Excellent! keep it up
Wah!!! excellent .with all good wishes
fm Mishalnazdn
In 'Mail Today' of this date, there is an article about how even the Taj Mahal is built acc to the architectural norms of ancient India, traced back to Harappa itself. And to think that the Brits claimed Italian origins of the Taj! This just goes to show how erroneous it is to 'manufacture' notions based on lazy evaluations of surface skimmings. If straight-leg were such an indicator, then it would be not incorrect to theorize on African/Chinese/Eskimo dance influence on Kathak as well!
i can do this dance, i love kathakkk!
Without a guru you can't.
Does anyone know what raga is this?
Modern Kathak having Persian influence is a widely accepted part of the canon. I am not sure why you are so determined to not agree, but in any case you should publish your own research with enough evidence so that believers in Persian influence can be corrected.
You mention the factors that shaped modern Kathak. I wonder where they got their inspiration.
Many things have been attributed to Noor Jehan, such as Persian influence in the Mughal court.
Thanks @purpoguh87.
i certainly see the straight leg though.
In my opinion no one should take sides between classical dances. did u noe that all 10 major classical dances are different and unique. y should there be a better 1. this is just like fighting over carnatic and hindustani music.the arguement is just going to bring us no where. both systems are different and same in their own ways.honestly thse age old arts should never be prejudiced in my humble opinion-avid supporter of the arts
the guy is dancing beautiful.i wonder how they didnt find a better girl than this one. she has no grace and no movement.
nice
Many things have been attributed to Noor Jehan, like the extraction and use of ruh-gulab, but Kathak has nowhere been mentioned. As for the demi-plie of early Kathak, there were many types of Kathak, as even now. The use of straight leg was more likely an outcome of various factors such as concurrent social norms which disfavoured hip-movements as too sexual in religious/court dance, the increasing development of chakkars, and even the greater use of the lehenga/sari making demi-plie redundant.
Thanks for your generous praise @siddis31. I am sick and tired of the slavish thinking of us Indians. Seems the Brits have left but we have not left them, and we continue to steadfastly refuse to credit the great achievements of our ancestors because that might make us 'non-progressive'. It is this which prompts me to argue so forcefully, even if it means that some 'intellectuals' and 'secular' minded people get upset. Too bad for them, but I love my India and am not ashamed of this at all!
I am online now....rmm what did I say, what did I miss.? oh wait..u meant the other Shiva. My bad. I'll just sit on the sideline and watch,,,
You must be joking. Maybe you'd have a point if she was dancing on the next beat, but she's dancing BETWEEN beats, which is sloppy. And watching synchronized dancers is definitely more interesting than watching sloppy dancers. Maybe you have a different opinion, but my instincts tell me that puts you in the minority.
The reason I mentioned the Taj was to show how surface appearances and lazy correlation (tuq-bandi) cannot replace basic ground research. The Imperialisst Brits haplessly seized upon an itinerant Italian to allocate an Italian basis for the Taj, Max Mueller formed his Aryan Invasion theory on anti-semiticism and his belief in creationism, and now we have 'Persian' influences on Kathak based on the straight leg. There may well be Persian influences, I myself acknowledge thematic contributions...
What are you talking about? Did you even read the article I have referred to, or are you just shooting from the hip? And yes, I feel no embarrassment in giving dues where they belong. I have little value or time for the great fashion of pseudo-intellectualism.
Do yourself a favour and try a little bit of research into the matter being spoken about before you shoot-off your pre-mature oh-so-glib remarks.
Lol, please understand that 'wide acceptance' is overrated. Were it not, then crap such as Aryan Invasion would not stand discredited today. And Noor Jahan's Persian influence does not automatically mean that everything was infused by it. Kathak waas already a highly developed dance way back when the gypsies took it and made the Flamenco. Contrast this with Persian dance on youtube itself and tell me where you see the 'thaats', the 'taraanas', even the musical stimuli for Kathak.
Umm, not really sure about the 'Persian' bit and it's straight leg. Kathak was always based heavily on chakkars and leg taals, both of which necessitate straight leg. And the influence in the 16th cent was Mughal, not Persian, and it introduced new themes rather than new techniques. I hope that clears a few misconceptions. Kathak is even accorded pre-historic status by some anthropologists, and its techniques are famously recorded deep down in Indian lit. contemporaneous with the Vedas.
...BUT I would have serious objections to ASSUMING things based on merely the association of Noor Jahan with Persia. Did she train dancers? Was she even particularly fond of dance? Is there any recorded evidence of her specific contribution here? Mere 2+2 is not good enough to draw conclusions. That would be the greatest disservice to the rigors & sacrifices of the great artistes down the ages who spent their lives refining this art. Give credit where credit is due... NOT where you 'feel' it is.
Maybe THAT's Persian influence on Kathak! Lololol.
lolol!!
Those battling the bulge should not throw pizzas at others! It's easy to dish them out, but taking them is another story, isn't it?
Sorry to disappoint you but much of what I have written is NOT with you in mind. It is my take on how history and 'facts' have often been manufactured. Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing. Better than both is to believe nothing, see everything, and then draw your own conclusions. I don't see why I have to change my name for you to understand that ?
Lol. Sure thing. Besides, human beings are not like numbers and are multi-facetted and complex. Just assuming things based on armchair assumptions (such as Noor Jahan was Persian therefore everything in India was from Persian sources) is the hallmark of lazy, immature, armchair 'scholarship'. Nothing like good, rounded, solid research, and actual experience of the thing before one dares spout forth.
I don't understand why you're so against the idea of Persian influence? No one said its a Persian only dance, just that it's a fusion of the Persian styles of stance and spins, with the Indian system of music and stories.
elina2010, have some respect for people far greater than you. ten years of experience is nothing compared to their years of 'sadhana'. and have you ever heard of different styles of kathak itself?
even i've been learning kathak for several years, tho not of this gharana, and i have gathered enough to not speak beyond my knowledge.
i daresay ur guru wouldn't have called this pathetic....
Persia offered thematic novelties to Indian dance, but really had little in terms of dance skill to offer to India. Why must we disbelieve our own ancient treatises on dance when there is no evidence of any highly developed Persian 'dance' EVEN TODAY? Kathak is unique because Indian music is unique. Is there any Persian skill equal to the tabla/sitar? In these areas India exists on a very different plane, just see for yourself! Why discredit living facts in favour of armchair colonial 'history'?
And the guy is really a bit pathetic. Good effort but could have been much better coordinated. Worth a watch......but not a repeat.
ohh ok thanks! I wasn't sure about that move, just wanted to make sure. Great dance!
@ 0:37 - did she drop something (ghungaroo maybe?) or is that part of the dance?
It was neither a part of step nor ghungroo....but any other obstracle
Awesome.