Kathak-parvah presented by Sangeet Natak Akademi

The video shows a Kathak performance from the programme Kathak Parvah organized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The piece is performed by six performers. Kathak is a classical dance form of northern India and the term Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story. Hence it is associated with Kathakars or storytellers. The Kathak dancers tell stories through their facial expressions, hand movements and footwork. The three distinguished schools or gharanas of Kathak are the Jaipur, Banaras and Lucknow gharanas. Kathak emphasizes foot movement and the dancer wears the ghungroos or small bells and is expected to synchronize her foot movement to the accompanying music.