Kathak comes from North India. Its name comes from katha, the word for a story.
Long ago, travelling storytellers called kathakars told tales of Krishna in temples and villages, using songs, gestures and rhythm.
Later, the dance was also performed in royal courts, where it became faster and more sparkling.
Dancers spin round and round in fast turns called chakkars, and then stop perfectly still. Rows of small bells, called ghungroos, ring on their ankles.
The feet talk with the tabla drum. The dancer and the drummer play a game of copying each other, faster and faster.
Kathak has different schools, called gharanas. Pandit Birju Maharaj of the Lucknow gharana was one of its most loved teachers.
The big ideaStories can be told with feet, hands and bells, not only with words.
Talk about it: What story could you tell using only a clap and a stomp?
