kathak
Footwork-heavy Indian classical
Kathak is one of the major classical dance forms of India, originating in northern India.
It combines intricate footwork, rapid spins, and expressive gestures to tell stories—traditionally drawn from Hindu mythology and later influenced by Mughal court culture.
The name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning story: She trained in kathak for twelve years before her first solo performance.
Slang for pistol
Indian paired hand drums
- tempoRate of musical performance
- footworkSkilled lower-limb movement
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
percussion · polyrhythm · beat · groove · meter · pulse · matra
Skilled lower-limb movement
- pirouetteBallet turn on one foot
- choreographyDesigning performance movement sequences
- recitalSolo musical performance
- performanceCarrying out a task
stage · costume · soloist · repertoire · rehearsal · ensemble · applause · curtain
Indian paired hand drums
Recounting events aloud
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- epicImpressively grand in scope
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
tale · narrator · parable · Mahabharata · Ramayana · Shiva · devotional · enactment
Fitted top under sari
Leg-bottom ornament or sock
Complex psychological state
- gestureCommunicative body movement
- facialBeauty service for skin
- nuanceSlight shade of difference
- subtletyFine distinction, easily missed
sentiment · evocative · lyrical · soulful · interpretive · artistry · eloquence · intensity
North Indian metropolis
gat
Slang for pistol
tabla
Indian paired hand drums
- tempoRate of musical performance
- footworkSkilled lower-limb movement
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
cadence · percussion · polyrhythm · beat · groove · meter · pulse · matra
footwork
Skilled lower-limb movement
- pirouetteBallet turn on one foot
- choreographyDesigning performance movement sequences
- recitalSolo musical performance
performance · stage · costume · soloist · repertoire · rehearsal · ensemble · applause · curtain · spotlight
tabla
Indian paired hand drums
tabla
Indian paired hand drums
- matraIndic vowel marker
storytelling
Recounting events aloud
folklore · tale · narrator · parable · Mahabharata · Ramayana · Shiva · devotional · enactment · characterization
choli
Fitted top under sari
anklet
Leg-bottom ornament or sock
emotion
Complex psychological state
subtlety · sentiment · evocative · lyrical · soulful · interpretive · artistry · eloquence · intensity · pathos
Lucknow
North Indian metropolis
Lucknow
North Indian metropolis
Mughal · court · lineage · preservation · ancestry · culture · patronage · temples · customs · historical
- Asian pastimesmahjong, origami, karaoke, tai chi, go
- folk artstribal art, folk opera, folk theater, Celtic knotwork, Navajo weaving
- movement artscontemporary dance, modern dance, ballet solo, jazz dance, interpretive dance
- world dancesalsa, samba, tango, flamenco, waltz
- South AsianIndian, Pakistani, Bengali, Bangladeshi, Hindi
- Indian folklorefolktales, animal fables, trickster tales, folk traditions, moral stories
kathakhip-hop
Rhythmic spoken-word music
street dance · folk dance · breakdancing · contemporary dance · modern dance