Katha Dance Theatre

KATHA DANCE THEATRE (KDT) CREATES, PROMOTES AND TEACHES KATHAK DANCE OF NORTH INDIA THAT IS BASED ON CULTURAL HISTORY, STORYTELLING, POETRY, MUSIC AND MOVEMENTS. KDT IS DEDICATED TO MAKE LEARNING ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE AND RELEVANT, THUS ENHANCING THE LOCAL DIVERSE COMMUNITY.

KATHAK SCHOOL OF DANCE - WE FOLLOW AN ACADEMIC CALENDAR AND CONDUCT WEEKLY CURRICULUM BASED KATHAK DANCE. TRAINING OVER ASPIRING DANCER AGES BETWEEN 6 AND 60 IN 4 SESSIONS (FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER). IN ADDITION WE OFFER A SUMMER INTENSIVE SESSION FOR REINFORCING THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF KATHAK DANCE. DURING PANDEMIC, WE STARTED TEACHING VIRTUALLY WHICH BROUGHT STUDENTS FROM OTHER STATES. SO, WE CONTINUED TO TEACH IN PERSON AND AS WELL VIRTUALLY TO ATTRACT MORE STUDENTS WHO CANNOT ATTEND IN PERSON CLASSES.

IN FALL OF 2022 AND WINTER OF 2023 KATHA DANCE THEATRE TOURED TO FARIBAULT AND MANKATO, MN WITH IT'S PRODUCTION OF KATHAK YATRA - THE JOURNEY OF KATHAK DANCE THROUGH HISTORY. IT OFFERED THE VIEWER A GLIMPSE OF THE EVOLUTION OF KATHAK DANCE THROUGHOUT INDIA'S HISTORICAL ERAS. STARTING FROM THE TEMPLE PERIOD, THROUGH THE ROYAL COURTS OF THE KINGS AND THE EMPERORS, TO TODAY'S PROSCENIUM STAGES! THE WORD KATHAK IS DERIVED FROM THE SANSKRIT WORD KATHA, MEANING "A STORY." RHYTHMIC FOOTWORK, FAST PIROUETTES, AND COMPLEX MOVEMENTS CHARACTERIZE THIS GRACEFUL SPONTANEOUS DANCE. THE FORM HAS ITS ORIGIN IN THE NARRATIVE TRADITION OF THE VILLAGE MINSTREL, THE 'KATHAKARS', WHO SANG SONGS OF HEROIC TALES AND DRAMATIZED THEIR LYRICS WITH SUBTLE GESTURES AND EXPRESSIONS. AROUND THE 16TH CENTURY AD, THE ART CAME FROM THE TEMPLES TO THE ROYAL COURTS, WHERE IT ACQUIRED SECULAR ELEMENTS OF SOPHISTICATION, ESPECIALLY IN ITS PURE DANCE PASSAGES. IT ALSO REPRESENTED A UNIQUE SYNTHESIS OF BOTH HINDU AND MUSLIM CULTURES, BLESSING KATHAK WITH A UNIQUE BALANCE OF APPROACH THAT MAKES IT THE MOST NATURAL OF ALL INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE FORMS.

SPRING SEASON CONCERT (APRIL 2023): KDT COMPANY DANCERS AND APPRENTICES PERFORMED 'KATHAK E-MOTION' AT KDT SPRING SEASON SHOW, A RUN OF 3 SHOWS AT PARK SQUARE THEATER IN ST. PAUL, MN. WITH THIS PRODUCTION, DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER RITA MUSTAPHI CREATED A CLASSIC KATHAK WORK IN THE VEIN OF THOSE PERFORMED FOR KINGS AND EMPERORS IN 18TH CENTURY INDIA. KATHAK E-MOTION EMBODIES THE GRANDIOSITY AND OPULENCE OF HINDU AND ISLAMIC ROYAL COURTS WHILE ALSO EXEMPLIFYING THE ART FORM'S INTEGRAL EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS, KNOWN AS ABHINYA. USING KATHAK'S COMPLEX RHYTHMS, INTRICATE FOOTWORK, GRACEFUL MOVEMENTS, PIROUETTES AND GESTURAL STORYTELLING, KDT'S PROFESSIONAL KATHAK DANCERS RECOUNTED ANCIENT TALES OF GODS AND GODDESSES, DEPICT STORIES OF LOVE, AS WELL AS PERFORM ABSTRACT, PURELY EXPRESSIVE DANCES. 600 (APPROX.) ATTENDED THE SHOW