Parts of a Kathak recital: vandana to gat bhaav
Vandana is the opening prayer. Aamad means "arrival": the first composition that announces the tala. A toda is a short piece of dance bols that ends on sam. A paran is a stronger piece, built from the heavy bols of the pakhawaj drum.
A tihai is a phrase played three times. A chakradar is a "wheel": a toda and a tihai that turn three times and finish on sam.
Gat nikas is a graceful walking entrance, often with a veil drawn aside. Gat bhaav is a short story told by gestures and face alone, with no words.
Dadra, kaharwa and roopak: the theka
A tala is a fixed count of beats, split into parts (vibhags). The theka is the bol pattern that marks it.
- Dadra: 6 beats, 3 + 3. Theka: Dha Dhi Na | Dha Tu Na.
- Kaharwa: 8 beats, 4 + 4. Theka: Dha Ge Na Ti | Na Ka Dhi Na.
- Roopak: 7 beats, 3 + 2 + 2. Theka: Tin Tin Na | Dhi Na | Dhi Na.
Sam, tali and khali
Sam is the first beat, the strong "home" beat, written X. Tali means a clap and is written with a number (2, 3...). Khali means "empty": the hand waves and is written 0. In dadra: sam on 1, khali on 4. In kaharwa: sam on 1, khali on 5. Roopak is special: it starts with khali on beat 1, and has tali on beats 4 and 6.
How tihai and chakradar work, and how to write notation
Tihai length = 3 x phrase + 2 x gap. Example: phrase 3, gap 1 gives 9 + 2 = 11 beats. In an 8-beat tala the tihai must start on beat 7 so that the last bol lands on sam (beat 1).
Writing a toda or paran: draw the tala as a row of beats, write one bol (or more) in each cell, put a bar line between vibhags, and mark X for sam and 0 for khali. Add a number for each tali. A toda ends on sam; a paran does the same with pakhawaj bols.
Costume and make-up: a Kathak dancer wears a long flared skirt or an angarkha with a dupatta (both with jewellery), ghungroo on the ankles, and eyes lined bold so the expression reaches the last row.
Key formulas and definitions
- Tihai length = 3 x phrase + 2 x gap
- Dadra = 6 beats (3 + 3); sam 1, khali 4
- Kaharwa = 8 beats (4 + 4); sam 1, khali 5
- Roopak = 7 beats (3 + 2 + 2); khali on 1, tali on 4 and 6
- Chakradar = 3 x (toda + tihai), ends on sam
- In an 8-beat tala, an 11-beat tihai starts on beat 7
- Notation: X = sam, 0 = khali, numbers = tali, | = vibhag line
Worked examples
1. A tihai has a phrase of 4 beats and a gap of 1 beat. How many beats long is it?
3 x 4 + 2 x 1 = 12 + 2 = 14 beats.
2. In kaharwa (8 beats), a tihai is 11 beats long. On which beat must it start to end on sam?
Start beat = (2 - 11) mod 8 = (-9) mod 8 = 7. Check: beats 7, 8, then 8 more beats 1 to 8, then beat 1 again = 2 + 8 + 1 = 11.
3. A chakradar has 3 turns. Each turn is a toda of 6 beats plus a tihai of 8 beats. How long is the whole piece?
One turn = 6 + 8 = 14 beats. Three turns = 42 beats.
4. Write the theka of dadra with sam and khali marked.
X Dha Dhi Na | 0 Dha Tu Na. (6 beats: sam on 1, khali on 4.)
Common mistakes
- Mixing up toda and paran: a toda uses dance bols, a paran uses pakhawaj bols.
- Forgetting the gaps: a tihai has two gaps, not three.
- Thinking khali means silence. Khali is a wave of the hand while the beat is still counted.
- Saying roopak starts with a clap. It starts on khali (0), not sam (X) as a clap.