Whirling Divas and Fancy Feet

So, in the spirit of being in Lucknow and as solace that I missed Shannon's wedding (*sob*), last evening I went to a Kathak dance performance at a cultural center in Lucknow. Kathak is one of the classical dance practices of India, and a certain type of Kathak, called Lucknow Gharana, actually was formulated in Lucknow. The dancers were accompanied by live musicians and singers.

The show started about 45 minutes late, which was about the same lateness as the play I say on Friday. (Unfortunately, I actually showed up on time for the dance - but not for the play. Or rare timeliness, however, did allow me and my friends to get pretty good seats....) After the initial round of speeches, the first part of the performance began. During this part a varying number of women (between one and six) and sometimes the one male member of the group danced on the stage. The dancing had a lot of twirling, fancy footwork, and complex hand gestures. Furthermore, the performance seemed to start slowly and then became faster and faster in tempo as the act proceeded. I believe the acts were telling stories, but I was so intent upon watching the dancers that I didn't pay enough attention to the words sung by the singers.

After the first part, there were more speeches and then a much too short intermission. I think the intermission was probably geared more for the men in the audience than the women, because the women had to wait until all the men had finished in the restroom before they could individually venture into the restroom. By the time we had our turn, the second half had started.

The second half of the performance, however, was well-worth the wait and rushed intermission. During this act, a single woman danced alone on the stage (but still accompanied by the live musicians). As opposed to the earlier focus on larger bodily movements, this woman was actually using her feet somewhat like a drum to make music and the effect was impressive. She had many bells wrapped around her ankles and she must have had something between her toes, because every time she stamped her foot, a sound like a drum beat was heard. In this way, she was able to actually create a beautiful and complex musical performance.

The dance was so beautiful and unique that as soon as I become better, I hope to learn Kathak. I can't wait to improve upon my uncoordinated and unrythmic side....