Kathak - Glimpses of Pt Chitresh Das' intricate choreography

[bahar1107]

Does anyone know any dance classes for Kathak in or near central london

[ichecku93]

@buddhalaughing you tell him! Actually, you have a very good point, women don't need a dupatta to dance.

[ichecku93]

Wow! Chitresh Das Ji is my idol, but I'm in Lucknow Gharana not Banaras. It's cool to see how the simplest foot work kicks in at 0:50 with Takita Dhikita Ghina. Of course I'm only a fourth year student and a teenage girl, but I really hope that one day I can dance like Deepti Gupta did in the third piece. She was so agile and quick and graceful, I was practically hypnotized! I mean anyone can do 14 chakkars like she did (if I counted correctly) but not as gracefully. It was great!

[chhandam]

@ichecku93 Thanks for your comments. Where do you study? Just an FYI - Pandit Das is actually of the Lucknow Gharana. Also, Deepti Gupta does not study with Pandit Das. I believe you are referring to Charlotte Moraga in the 3rd piece called "Layakari" in the green costumes. 

[ichecku93]

@chhandam Are you sure? I always thought Chitresh Das was of Benares. As for Deepti Gupta, I was mistaken about that. Thanks!

[ADMJCXNK97fan]

the costume actually is VERY important because the traditional dress highlights the dance.....which would be like a long pajami kurta except more flexible around the waist & yes the dupatta......otherwise it looks ridiculous

[RockinRani]

@MsAvatar2011 I'm sorry you see my voicing my opinion as defensive or somehow rude. My point was not about whether people can wear a beautiful costume or not, it was more about your emphasis on the importance of costume, where you said that the costume was as important as the dance itself. I don't expect you to agree with me, it's just that from my perspective those priorities seem off.

[RockinRani]

@MsAvatar2011 Just because it doesn't fit what you like as a costume it's unprofessional? Is all fashion design bad because you don't like it? Come on, be a little more open minded! Besides, costume is important, but it is a far SECOND to the quality of the dance. Anyone can put a beautiful costume, but to be a good dancer requires a great guru, talent, skill, blood, sweat and tears. Show me great dance in a bad costume any day! I can handle that, sorry if you can't.

[zxcvbnm123456789741]

love this one...

[SuperNeshe]

superb

[swapz1]

can someone please tell me

for how long one should practice kathak to perform like this?

[peacealways100]

@buddhalaughing

While I agree with your comment, but I also feel that for a public performance, they should have worn atleast a dupatta. The "Angarakha" the the ladies are wearing is what we usually wear for PRACTICE and NOT for a real performance!

It would have made the dance look even more beautiful.

Anyway, God Bless them. They are doing a great job:)

[buddycal1]

@peacealways100 Personally, I believe that the costumes the ladies are wearing are much more conducive to their appearance as DANCERS and not as the "performers" dancers of kathak once were. Their costume allows viewers to focus on the dance rather than be distracted by the beauty of the costume, or even of the dancers, as I have noticed that they go very light on the makeup as well. Besides, none of the styles of indian dance would exist if deviation from the norm weren't allowed. :)

[MOZAIKAPAU]

chapeau bas....bravo

[firas4li]

Wah!

[Bellydanceshiva]

bahut khub!

[subalternator]

tizzle

[kushjani01]

I love how this goes from contemporary feeling, to the feeling of the court. I love chaitee, because it feels like a court with all of the dancers and is so rich. The other dances have a very different feeling--great variety in artistry.

[xparox]

Are the girls on the stage during Chaitee really imperative to the performance? They seem to be overcrowding the choreography and attempting to outdo each other.

[kathakdd]

actually this is what contemporary Kathak should be--it sticks to the tradition of the four elements of tayari, laykari, khoobsurti and nazakat but is also innovative without becoming some diluted washed out version which is what you usually see these days.

[buddhalaughing]

That composition in the first piece is all on off beat--soooooo difficult! Beauty, complexity, tayari and laykari all wrapped up--Kathak at its zenith!

[thexdaisy]

the chreography was absolutley exquisite but if you noticed carefully that the girls weren't in tune with each other. That was the only thing that bothered me.

[SairaBX]

omg...where are their dupattas?!

[albaqaahuna]

Laykari is absolutely beautiful. Chitresh Das, for me, is an example of how kathak as an art evolves beyond the traditional notions of kathak as it moves beyond national boundaries. Thank you Panditji!

[tabla524]

you should past moer of "chaitee"...its so beautiful

[pushpanjali]

Omg... wow. His students are amazing. The choreography on the last dance was great.

[naturallydien]

I absolutely LOVE Dadaji's choreography. I also miss watching Jaiwanti's performance. Her smile was just adorable.

[ddill78]

Amazaing!