Kathak Rhythms

Traditionally attributed to the traveling bards of ancient northern India known as Kathakars, Kathak gained refinement and complexity in technique and aesthetics over two millennia. Kathak Rhythms, directed by Guru Akhila Rao, is a Kathak dance school and performing company based in Dallas-Fort Worth that uses the classical Indian dance form as a method for artistic and cultural engagement. Kathak Rhythms' presentations range from traditional to contemporary themes while maintaining the purity of the dance form. The company offers solo concerts, mini and full-length dance-theater productions set to live music accompaniment or recorded music tailored to fit a wide range of audiences, budgets, and time limits. Lecture-demonstration-workshops (Rhythms of North India) introduce participants to movement, traditional gestures for storytelling, and musical mathematics. Repertoire productions include Destination India (highlighting regional influences), Gharanas of Kathak (distinct features of the dance form nurtured through family lineage), Shakti (celebrating women in many avatars), Kathak on the Silver Screen (a journey of cinematic magic of Kathak from the golden sixties to the present) and El Dorado (90-minute ballet of dance-music-art-multimedia, commissioned by Renu Forum). With traditional, contemporary and diverse collaborative works, the dance company is sure to capture the hearts of Texas audiences. Photo by Your Lensman Photography.