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Presents layers of the Kathak maestro's personality as witnessed by one of his foremost disciples. This book reveals how this icon of Indian dance, who is a mentor for thousands and an inspiration for countless people across the globe, is actually an unassuming, simple person outside his artistic world. Saswati Sen has known Pandit Birju Maharaj for over forty-five years. Gradually, she began to see the divinity in her talented master and decided to write a book on his life and work. Birju Maharaj: The Master Through My Eyes presents layers of the Kathak maestro's
This revised fascinating edition looks at the lives of over 300 successful men & women in their respective fields - providing inspiration for others to follow their examples.
This book will be helpful for Prathama, Madhyama of Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith, Praveshika, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Year of Prayag Sangit Samiti, Prayagraj, Surnandan Bharati, Kolkata, Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune along with 9th and 10th Board. I hope it benefits the budding talents of Classical dance of Kathak.
Kathak, the Indian classical dance form prevalent in the North, has a long past. Nurtured in the holy precincts of the Hindu temples, Kathak dance has over the centuries, attained refinement and enriched itself with various hues and embellishments. The art of story-telling which found expression in various forms like the Akhyana by the Manabhattas of Gujarat, the Pandavani by the artistes telling stories in Madhya Pradesh, the Harikathas and Kalakshepams of the South, the Kirtanas of the West, the art of Wari-liba, story-telling of the North-East, specially of Manipur, reflects the rich heritage Kathak has inherited over the years. In forms such as Baithakachi Lavani and the bhava to the Ghazals the range is both varied and vast. Though essentially seen in its solo form, Kathak in its Natya aspects shares a large corpus of the Rasalilas of Brindavan. Its journey from the Hindu temples to the courts of the Mughals is quite fascinating and the various elements it has imbibed over the different periods in history have given Kathak an equisite character. The Persian influence, the patronage of the Muslim kings, the flowering of the two main gharanas (schools), the Jaipur and the Lucknow, and the contribution of the Maharaj Brothers, the famous descendants of Kalka-Bindadin, viz.; Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj, the great gurus of Jaipur like Jailalji and Sunder Prasadji portray Kathak as it has developed in recent times. Whereas the Choreographic attempts by Madame Menaka and later on by Birju Maharaj and Kumudini Lakhia provide a perspective for viewing Kathak in its many-faceted forms. The footwork, the nritta pieces like tode, tukde, parans, the improvisational aspects and the simple graceful gats and gat-nikas, the illusion of miniature paintings coming to life and many other aspects are vividly captured in this most comprehensive and thoroughl;y researched book on Kathak. It has an attractive section on the contemporary practitioners ranging from Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Damayanti Joshi, Kumudini Lakhia, Rohini Bhate, Roshan Kumari, Gopi Krishna, Durgalal to the young exponents who carry forward the tradition in the present times. Lavishly illustrated with colour and black and white photographs and designed by Dolly Sahiar the many-splendoured beauty of Kathak is captured in this volume, which should appeal to the cognoscenti and lay readers alike.
Kathak, the classical dance of North India, combines virtuosic footwork and dazzling spins with subtle pantomime and soft gestures. As a global practice and one of India's cultural markers, kathak dance is often presented as heir to an ancient Hindu devotional tradition in which men called Kathakas danced and told stories in temples. The dance's repertoire and movement vocabulary, however, tell a different story of syncretic origins and hybrid history - it is a dance that is both Muslim and Hindu, both devotional and entertaining, and both male and female. Kathak's multiple roots can be found in rural theatre, embodied rhythmic repertoire, and courtesan performance practice, and its history is inextricable from the history of empire, colonialism, and independence in India. Through an analysis both broad and deep of primary and secondary sources, ethnography, iconography and current performance practice, Margaret Walker undertakes a critical approach to the history of kathak dance and presents new data about hereditary performing artists, gendered contexts and practices, and postcolonial cultural reclamation. The account that emerges places kathak and the Kathaks firmly into the living context of North Indian performing arts.
I Can Never Say I Was Born To Dance, She Says With A Subtle Hint Of Pride. Yet For This Very Reason, Kumudini Lakhia Went On To Become One Of The Great Modern Innovators Of North Indian Classical Dance. Though She Studied Kathak Throughout Her Life, Her
The Book Narrates The Story Of The Sad, Rather Step-Motherly Treatment Meted Out By Orthodox Musicians To Thumri-Especially Their Castigation Of Thumri As A Dance Form. Such Apathy And Castigation Stem From A Colonial Milieu And The Education That Went With It. For All Practical Purposes Not Only Is The Thumri S Dance Portion Too Often Totally Ignored, But It Is Even Considered Superfluousl. The Author Impresseson The Reader The Close Link Between The Dance And The Music. Such At Least Was The Indissoluble Union Of Style In The Past. The Author Hopes That The Book Will Correct This Disturbed Relationship. As Such The Work Is Of Immense Artistic Importance.
The Dances Of India Are Among The Oldest Dance Genres Still Widely Practiced Today. In Recent Years They Have Become Increasingly Known And Appreciated All Over The World. This Book Details The History Of The Several Styles Of Indian Dance And Gives An Account Of The Cultural, Religious, Social And Political Factors Which Influenced Their Growth And Development. There Are Fascinating Side-Lights On The Etiquette And Mores Of Indian Society. Many Of The Myths And Legends Which Form The Subject Matter Of The Dances Are Recounted And Theories Suggested To Explain Their Inspiration And Sources.This Is A Comprehensive Survey For Readers Who Want To Relate The Classical Dances To The Broader Background Of Indian Culture. For Students, Indian And Non- Indian, It Provides Valuable Historic And Technical Information; And For Dance Lovers It Serves As A Guide Telling Them What To Look For In A Performance. There Is, In Addition, An Overview Of India'S Many Folk Dances. The Glossary Of Terms Germane To The Different Styles Is A Useful Adjunct As Is The Bibliography.In The Latter Part Of This Book The Achievements Of Leading Delhi-Based Dancers Are Recorded And, At The Same Time, New Talent Is Readily Recognized.Written By An Acknowledged Authority, India'S Dances Is, Quite Simply, A Defmitive Volume On Some Of This Country'S Most. Enduring Contributions To World Culture.