One of 8 classical Indian dance forms:

• Bharata Natyam; Kathak; Kathakali; Kuchipudi; Manipuri; Mohiniyattam; Odissi; Sattriya

• Different regions of India have different dance styles (Kathak is from the North)
• Your Guru is your mirror
• Facial expressions are very important and often exaggerated (mostly joyous, but it depends on the narrative of the dance)
• Symmetry is a key feature: movement performed on right and left of the body for balance
• Generally, it’s very precise
• Sometimes a dancer will directly interpret every word of a song, other times it’s more abstract
• Sometimes, dancers wear bells (this limits your legs to staying low, bells can weigh 5kg on each foot)
• All dance classes are started and ended with a greeting:
  • addressing the ground, a higher power, family and friends, the audience

ACTION

• hand gestures are called HASTAS, each has a meaning
• Complex stamping and tapping of the feet
• focus is mostly on the hands (position of eyes is important)
• percussive feet
• Stamping with a flat foot (the arch of your foot makes contact with the floor too, unlike ballet)
• co-ordination is key (facing, eyes, arms, fingers, feet all have to be consciously controlled)

SPACE

• generally low levels (a lower centre of gravity allows your feet to move faster)