5th Year Kathak Definitions

Gat Nikas

Gat Nikas

Gat is derived from the word “gati” referring to speed. Nikas is a movement used in kathak, but in a literal sense it means to emerge. Therefore, when we create a nikas and dance with it constantly, in a designated speed - that is known as gat nikas. There’s minimal usage of nritya syllables.

Gat Bhaav

Gat bhaav is an expressional aspect in kathak dance where a story is being told. Usually, there is more than one character being portrayed by one dancer. The change in character is represented with a twirl/palta. There is no word of literature used in gat bhaav.

Greeva Bhed

Greeva bhed refers to the types of neck movements. There are four types of greeva bhed according to abhinaya darpana:

1. tiraschina

2. parivartita

3. prakampita

4. sundari

Gat-tora

Section of Hindustani instrumental performance accompanied by tabla in which a short composed melody, the gat - is alternated with improvisational passages.

Dam & Bedam

Dam/damdaar bandish refers to any bandish that has space or gap between syllables or segments (in case of chakkardaar bandish). A bedam bandish, on the contrary, is a piece with no space or gap between syllables or segments in terms of recitation.

Bedam Chakkardaar Paran

Without pause, a paran with successive tihai sections.

Damdar Chakkardaar Paran

Which allows pause in tihai sections.

Urap

When a dance jumps forward and goes back acting or enacting gracefully.

Tirap

When a performer walks diagonally maintaining swastik moment (clockwise or counterclockwise).

Urmai

When a dancer bounces in the air, he puts his foot on one side of the earth.

Laag

Graceful mixture of one movement in another movement

Daant

Acting with ingenuity and fineness along with dance.

Ghunghat

Ghunghat is taking veil on the face or taking dupatta over the head that drag down and covers the face.

Dam

The meaning of dam to take halt or pause. When there is small pause or halt in between two stanzas (palle) of tihai is called dumdar tihai.

Bedum

When there is no halt or pause in two stanzas (palle).

Kataksh

Simple meaning is looking to the side or at an angle with “chanchalta.” It is a sharp slanting glance. In kathak, it has an important place. It is practiced while doing Bhav Nritya like Thumri, gazal, or showing Nav Ras Abhivyakti.

Kasak

The beautiful movement of wrists in the dance done according to Taal and Laya.

Masak

The shoulders are moved in a circular fashion in which the chests and lower side are also helpful. It’s rendered while doing Gat Nikas, chal, and presenting Thaat. Movements described by it are the subtle movements of the chest and shoulder during gentle breathing (inhaling and exhaling) done in Taal or Laya.

Jati Paran

The paran is presented by choosing Laya of a particular Jati. It is identified as Paran of that Jati. There are huge number of parans in kathak such as Sath Paran, Gat Paran, Bol Paran, Taal Paran, yati paran, farmaaishi paran, chakkardaar paran. Types of Jati are Atrishya Jati, Tishra Jati, Mishra Jati, Chatursha Jati, and Khanand Jati.

Gati Bhed

Gati is a word which denotes the graceful gait enacted by the dancer in the kathak dance. Gati Bhedas or the different types of speeds in walking as Gajgamini, Mayur, Hamsa, and Simha while showing nayak Nayika bhed is presented.

Toda

Toda is performed after aamad. It is a combination of words, which is repeated twice. It has only bols like tat tat thun thun tigdha digdig thai, it has a simple laya. One gets the first lesson in toda while learning kathak.

Salami

Salami is a Persian word. It means to greet. It is not a very old word in Kathak. Like Aamad, Thaat, etc. words entered Kathak, similarly, Salami was used in the mughal period when court dancers used to greet the darbaries with a salam before commencing their performance. With the passage of time the form of salami was changed. In mughal darbar, they did salami after doing a short tukda finishing it with a tihai. In hindu darbar, dancers did namskar with a short tukda and salami changed its form.

Thaat

Thaat is the first step of dance and is performed in many ways. Sometimes an artist picks a small tukda with lehra and reaches sum with a special style, this too is thaat. In kathak dance, Thaat has a very special role to play because standing before audience in Thaat mudra the dancer scans the audience and the entire auditorium. The audience can also assess the dancer. Movement of the wrist, expression, movement, neck gesture, etc. add aesthetic to thaat. It is done slow pace or vilambit laya.

Aamad

Aamad means to come or to enter. In Persian there is a word OMED, Aamad is derived from it. It is believed that the use of Aamad began in the mughal period, but now it has become an integral part of kathak. All the four gharanas of Kathak the todas of Aamad are performed differently. Dancers from Jaipur and Lucknow gharana complete their Aamad by TaThei Tat Thei or Thei Tat Thei.

Tihai

Repetition of any beat or rhythmic phrase (bol or a group of bol) 3 times and ends on sum is Tihai. Tihai can begin or any beat (matra) of taal but always ends on sum. It can be as small as repetition of beat 1, 1, 1 or Dha Dha or it can take an entire avartan.