Madhu Nataraj’s ‘Kathayan in Kathak’ shows how the dance form has evolved to tell new stories

Madhu Nataraj presents ‘Stories in Kathak’ at the Bangalore International Centre. | Photo Credit: Photo: Suresh Babu

‘Narratives in Kathak’, performed by Natya Stem Dance Company at Bangalore International Centre (BIC), was a dance between whirl and stillness, history and modernity, silence and music of resurgence. Each aspect of this dance had its own texture, colour and vocabulary, but a unified language developed by the dancers in body, mind and spirit shone through.

Presenting Kathak as a form that has suffered the most ‘invasions, encroachments and bans’, Madhu Nataraj, Founder, Stem Dance Company, and Director, Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography (the two institutions that form Natya Stem Dance Company), set the tone for an evening of storytelling on storytellers and their form, Kathak – which, curiously, was once a term for “storytellers”.

Dancers during a performance. | Photo Credit: Photo: Suresh Babu

leisurely pace

The pace of the program was slow, though we traveled through several centuries, going back and forth from the past to the future, gathering (sometimes shocking) new insights on mythology, and fresh perspectives on textbook history. The interactive nature of the performance provided greater access to understanding a classical dance form that has apparently evolved in rhythm with everything happening around it. We learned how beautifully the form speaks when it is silent; how it has changed and molded its motifs according to the times. Each performance, presented by a group of experienced, much-traveled dancers, spoke of Kathak’s pluralistic roots, its flexibility, and its tendency to boldly re-invent itself and tell its stories better.

Starting with a well-coordinated piece on Kathak’s first incarnation during the time of Vaishnavism’s rule in parts of India, ‘Tales in Kathak’ takes us back centuries to the time when the ghungroos of temple dancers fell silent, and re-emerged on the bodies of court dancers, who embellished their ingenuity in new dance ornaments. This pattern of showcasing Kathak’s transformation with historical contexts runs parallel to a rich, visual narration of its power to transform the voices of storytellers and promote social agency.

Madhu Nataraj provides a glimpse into the history of the dance form. | Photo Credit: Photo: Suresh Babu

Interesting information

From artistically transforming the portrayal of Krishna in “Begum Ki Muskurat” to showcasing Kathak’s inherent ability to put gender issues like cross-dressing very lightly, these pieces delighted and informed the audience, without being mere displays of technical prowess. To quote Madhu Nataraj, who ties the show together with its gentle, profound history, in the context of “globalisation and polarisation”, one can appreciate the significance of the journey of this dance form. And just like that, the unjustified erasure of the contribution of prostitutes in developing this form was effectively conveyed. Rare, old choreographies enthralled the audience, as did modern choreographies that addressed important issues like climate change.

‘Tales in Kathak’ at BIC was presented as part of the celebrations of 60 years of the Natya Sansthan, which was started in 1964 by two pioneering women, Maya Rao and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. The intention to keep the culture alive in its entirety, and for its own sake – and not as “a crutch for some festival or annual day event”, has ensured that Natya has remained relevant for 60 years, “far beyond the prevalent start-up culture,” says Madhu. This has been possible through the core belief that “the role of dance institutes is to become the nerve centres that create the ecosystem,” she adds.

A journey of six decades

This performance highlighted how new stories are being told through Kathak. | Photo Credit: Photo: Suresh Babu

“To mark six eventful decades, 60 collaborations are being dreamed up and worked on, 24 of which are already underway or completed,” she says. Believing that “collaboration gives you the power to harness the idea of ​​collective action, whether it is artistry or social change,” Madhu follows in the footsteps of her mentor and mother Maya Rao, under whom she trained closely. She explains that the Natya Sansthan’s early collaborations with people like Anil Biswas and the Dagar Brothers have set the stage for collaborations being developed in areas as diverse as climate action and social change.

“Kathak has the essence of pluralism in its DNA,” says Madhu. She discusses how Kathak is rooted in India’s innate tendency to be pluralistic and has constantly adapted to the influences of the times. She also emphasises that as a feminist, she has felt the need to take a stand against the promotion of narrow-mindedness or patriarchy through dance. This has meant constant dialogue with arts organisers and applying sensitivity to the artistic portrayal of traditional stories, especially age-old mythological tales. These and other aspects of Natya Sansthan’s practice have come through the carefully developed lens of Natya STEM Dance Company’s ‘Kathaayen in Kathak’, where every story is told in rhythm and with a deep need to make connections.