Thaat by Pandit Chitresh Das
Anonymous
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In the language Hindi, one who dances Kathak, or a “kathaka” is a storyteller. The stories that I express through my dance are ones not only about Indian history but about themes that I can connect to today, such as self-concept and awareness. Thaat, the piece I perform in this video, is an example of this. Thaat is a stylized tuning of the mind, body, and spirit; a piece that displays the subtle techniques of the face and hands among swift footwork, fast chakkars (pirouettes), and sharp stances. Incorporated in this thaat are compositions that provoke different feelings, some more focused on displaying the changing between different speeds of footwork and others more focused on the gracefulness of the arms and sweeping movements. My performance is accompanied by musicians who draw inspiration from an original music score ("Thaat") created by Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of Kathak dance who spread the traditions of the art in the US and brought his own creative innovations to the dance. The recitation of the bols, or the sounds of the drums, is done by my teacher Rachna Nivas, a disciple of Pandit Chitresh Das and a renowned Kathak artist. The choreography has influences from both the teachings of Pandit Chitresh Das and Rachna Nivas.
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Pursuing creativity in my daily life grants me self-confidence. It teaches me to think beyond my normal boundaries and draw inspiration from what I admire in order to create something personal. It requires me to believe in my ability to be novel and become my own person.
