Kathak

During my growing up days in Jharia, there were no extra curricular activities for children. For that matter, who needed those things?  We girls were all natural dancers, thanks to our Gujarati blood. Mother thought of channelising our talent in Garba to classical dance. With great difficulty, she found a teacher who would teach Kathak. This gentleman was from North Bengal or Nepal. He asked us to buy Ghungroo. We were so excited wearing them and walking all around the house. Eight feet playing the musical with the Ghungroo. 'Sir' as we addressed him taught us the first basic step. We were not particularly committed students. Our issue was that 'Sir' came to teach us on Sunday evenings at 4pm. Our Sunday evenings were sacrosanct. They involved a trip to Dhanbad, visiting our father's Nani Ghar ( Maternal Grandparents' house), our Granduncle's house, a temple in Dhansar and snack buying at Rajendra Market. This was followed by dinner at Skylark Hotel. We were back home by nine thirty pm. This was too much excitement for six small children and the dancing could not curb it. If the dance class finished at five pm, we would miss a lot of our outing. It became dark in Dhanbad early and there used to be load shedding every evening. The dance teacher had to travel a long distance from a coal mine to come and teach us. His weekdays schedule was packed and this was the only time he could allot us. We missed him a couple of turns and then he stopped coming as it was not viable for him. But we never forgot the "Ta thai thai tat, Aa thai thai tat"


When I came to Mumbai, I realised there are a lot of classical dance forms and everything is not Kathak or Bharatnatyam. I did not yet know the difference for long. Dancing became the Disco type and I badly lagged behind . The Mumbai Garba was so different from the Dhanbad style that I was lost even in the area that I thought I had expertise. Now where dancing is concerned, I am lost at home and outside.  A friend's mother had her own Kathak academy. I never talked to Ma about it . Wish I had. Though I did talk with a few of her students, who gave me sound advice,when I was looking at a dance form for my child.

My friend has just joined Kathak dancing. She was performing on stage. I was invited to watch the recital. Her Kathak Guru started the program by acknowledging her Guru and the fellow artists, musicians and singers. Rupali Tai was totally connected to the audience. She showed us Kathak dance by a Mumbai local train traveller, by a working Mom, by a child observing her Mom etc. Every part of the dance was so relevant to the fast paced life we lead today. I know a purist may not agree with me. What I liked was the way she made Kathak an approachable dance form. She made it very real life for the audience which mostly consisted of parents of her students. She would narrate a real life conversation or incident and translate that into dance form. We laughed, we giggled and we tried to tap our feet to her Ghungroo ke taal. Her performance was mesmerising.

The colourful costumes of students, the welcoming colours of the big Rangoli made at the entrance of the auditorium, the children all raring to go on stage and the musical instruments, together made the melody. Am amazed at the various dance forms available in India, the recitals to live and recorded music and children switching effortlessly between the two. No one was missing Bollywood item numbers here. A Harmonium, tabla and Ghungroo created more music without any help of special effects or acoustics. The hand, feet, neck and eye coordination give a better workout than a session in the Gym or Aerobics.  Why aren't all of using an ancient dance form to stay fit? Why not use one of our traditional Yoga systems than the foot thumping music of the dancercise which is in vogue these days? It will help us have more teachers and more classical dance forms available to the public. It won't be like a sole Kathak teacher in the whole district like Dhanbad. Many children who love dancing to Bollywood and Hip Hop will easily take on new dance forms which will give them correct posture and good base for dancing. Then we won't be watching a Varun Dhawan fall off while executing his first dance step on a TV awards show. Dance is all about creating a balance. Balance of the mind, body and breath. Isn't that what we are all looking for...Balance.