Courtly dances of India

By BERNADETTE RAE

Kathak dance, one of India's six dance disciplines, began in the Hindu temples of the north as a devotional and dramatic acknowledgment of the gods and to re-enact the great stories of the scriptures: the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas of Sanskrit literature. From there it moved into the courts of both Hindu and Muslim rulers and the emphasis became more one of lavish entertainment.

It was also carried by bands of early gypsies into Spain, where the flamenco of today bears striking witness to its influence, in intricate footwork, whirling pirouettes, graceful hand movements and dramatic facial expressions.

A leading exponent of kathak performs in Auckland this week. Vandana Paul, from the Jaipur gharana (or school), will dance in the Auckland Town Hall's Concert Chamber on Tuesday night*, accompanied by four musicians. Vocalist Ramesh Barihaar, Shakeel Khan on the tabla, Vijay Sharma on the sitar and Vandana's teacher, Guru Ravi Kuma, will accompany her on the pakhawaj (a second form of drum), creating the distinctive, rhythmic sounds so important to the tradition.

Vandana began her training as a 5-year-old. Fifteen years later she commenced her professional career - and still practises for up to 10 hours a day, necessary, she explains, to keep her combinations of mime, footwork and "rounds" in perfection.

A traditional kathak performance features a solo dancer on stage, surrounded on all sides by the audience. The repertoire includes "amad", the dramatic entrance of the dancer on to the stage; "thaat", a slow and graceful section; "tukra", "tora" and "paran", improvised dance compositions; "parhant", rhythmic light steps and "tatkar" or footwork.

Auckland's dance audience has more frequently seen the South Indian dance of Bharat Natyam.

Kathak, Vandana explains, is less angular, more rhythmic, more courtly and romantic than the rigorous and religious-themed Bharat Natyam.

Male dancers in the kathak tradition wear a Persian costume of wide skirts and round caps while women wear either a fully gathered skirt (langha) with a fitting blouse and a long scarf, or a full dress (tarana), again with flowing skirt and veil-like scarf, ideally suited to showing off the graceful movements of the dance.

At 30 years of age, and based in Delhi, Vandana Kaul is one of her country's youngest professional Kathak dancers, and has already toured widely through Europe, China, the Middle East.

* Vandana Kaul, Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber, Tuesday (not Wednesday as originally reported), 7.30pm.