dance technique

  Dancing in the streets 20 January  Use of Chakkars.  Chakkars are a type of turn used in Kathak dancing. These are different to normal turn (pirouettes) as they are lower down and the pivot is on the heel rather than the ball of the foot.  The dancers arm is usually held out and their knees are bent to help increase momentum when turning.  Here is an example of chakkar in my performance. Charraks are known as a ballet turn with in Northern India. However, there's a lot of contrast between the two because when you do a chakkar turn your knees are bent and low with your arm and feet turned out in first position where as with a balletic turn your legs are straight and arms are in or sometimes in a different position with an upright posture.  

Interpretation of story 'dancing on the streets' using Mudras.  The context of Kathak  Where did kathak originate from?  Kathak originated from the North of India.  What is the name of the original storytellers? The original storytellers were called Kathakas. Where was kathak originally performed? Kathak was originally performed at the court.  Features of Kathak dance. Mudras- these are the hand gestures used for storytelling.  Bols- Ta ka de mi. These are 1,2,3 and 4.  Gungurus- These are the bells that the dancers have around their ankles.  Tatkar- Takar is the feet movements which make the stomping.

 Exploring story through MUDRAS- 06.01.22