In the Kathak style, this is not rigid and allows the artist to use a variety of free movements, thus leaving interpretation of a story or poem and rhythmic improvisation greatly to the artist’s powers of imagination and creativity. Nritya, the second element of Kathak performances, emphasizes abhinaya, which is the recounting of a story or song through mime, gestures of the hands and symbolic postures of the body. The beauty of this part of Kathak lies in the exact rendering of rhythmic patterns provided by musical instruments, through graceful body movements and the mystery of the artist’s footwork. Nritta, the first and the technical aspect, is a pure dance form focusing on technique, a tremendous sense of rhythm and joy of movement. Kathak performances normally consist of two parts, Nritta and Nritya. In traditional solo performances a dancer may represent all of the characters of a story through a rich repertoire of gestures, facial expressions and graceful movements of the limbs. The Kathakars communicate stories through dance and mime which combine the two main elements of this dance style which utilize rhythmic foot movements, hand gestures, facial expressions and eye work.
The genre developed during the Bhakti movement which is the trend of theistic devotion which evolved in medieval Hinduism. These Kathakars wandered around and communicated legendary stories via music, dance and songs quite like the early Greek theatre. Kathak is one of the main genres of ancient Indian classical dance and is traditionally regarded to have originated from the traveling bards of North India referred as Kathakars or storytellers. The article explores how the narrative potential of kathak opens the way for Muslim women participants to delve into movement possibilities and improvisational potential of both the South Asian dance form and hip-hop.Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances. Aesthetic and ideological meeting points occur onstage in the critically praised hour-long show, while counter-hegemonic possibilities emerge in associated workshops. Four specialists in kathak, hip-hop, African Caribbean and contemporary dance are joined by three musician-vocalists who eschew instruments, utilising their voices and bodies to create a vibrant rhythmic score influenced by a cosmopolitan mix of styles. Birmingham-based Sonia Sabri Company's Kathakbox is a collaborative production exploring the theme of 'ticking boxes' which sets out to challenge preconceptions about identity.
With questions of identity and multiculturalism remaining at the centre of debates in the press, political and academia arenas, a dance production tackles these issues head on in a surprisingly humorous and accessible way.
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