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British rule and independent India
The British Empire completed its conquest of India by the end of the 18 th
Century. The new rulers of India , in general, did not appreciate the religious
flavor in the classical performing arts of this vast country. Practice of
classical dance forms declined in most parts of the country, due to lack
of patronage and encouragement from the governing authorities. It was the
thread of devotion that encouraged Kathakar families to continue to nurture
their art and hand it down to the next generation.
In 1947, India gained its independence from the British rule. The years preceding the independence saw a surge of nationalist movement that resulted in a new phase of awareness and revival of cultural heritage including classical performing arts traditions. Since independence, the State and corporate business are emerging as the new patrons of Art and culture.
The last 40 years have seen more women entering the scene though in some traditional families it is still a taboo for female members to perform in public. The informal interactive nature of the dance had to be sacrificed as Kathak entered the pros
cenium stage. Some of the minute and subtle nuances sacrificed as more emphasis began to be placed on speed and the more dramatic elements such as pirouettes (Taiyari , in the language of Kathak).
In the late seventies one of the interesting developments in Kathak was the experiments in group-choreography with large - scale dance ballets produced by the Bharatiya Kala Kendra. Initially these productions based on religious themes such as Ram Lila or Krishna Lila. Later historic themes introduced with Ballets like 'Taj Mahal'. Even later innovative Kathak artistes like Kumudini Lakhia ventured into non-religious abstract themes.
Written by Sushmita Ghosh.