Kathak

• Kathak originated from Uttar Pradesh and traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient India who were called ‘kathaks’, Sanskrit for storytellers. 
• The dance form has traces of temple and ritual dances and later in the 16th century even borrowed from Persian and Central Asian dances. 
• The Bhakti movement, too, majorly influenced the dance when it was used to tell stories of Radha and Krishna and childhood exploits of Krishna. 
• Dancers usually belong to one of the three ‘gharanas’ – Benaras, Jaipur and Lucknow. The Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, was a great patron of dance and during his reign, the form developed prominently. 
• The world came to know of this dance form in the 20th century through Kalka Prasad Maharaj. His sons further developed the form. Some famous dancers are Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Shovana Narayan, Uma Sharma and Kumudini Lakhiya.