Dance Extravaganza

Rani Khanam and Aamad Dance Centre will be performing live and mesmerizing the audience with her graceful eye and facial expressions and heart throbbing classical – Sufi moves at the ‘Old Fort Dance Festival’. With a total of 6 presentations choreographed by Rani Khanam, dancers Akansha Gairola, Neha Chouhan, Jaya Bhatt, Ridhima Bagga, Komal Khushwani, Ridhima Singh, Soumya Singh, Nisha Kesari, Shikha Sharma, Shubhangi Derhgawen, Falgun Saini, Soumya Kohli, Shubhangi Anand, Shubhangi Goyal and Tanya Aggarwal will be performing.

Rani Khanam is one of the astute interpreters of Gharana of Kathak today. She has earned great prestige for her dexterity, subtle footwork and rhythmic patterns. She is a highly respected Kathak dancer and choreographer today and also performs choreography based on Islamic verses and Sufiana Qalam. 

Rani Khanam is an empaneled artist in “outstanding category” of the Indian Council for Culture Relations and “Top graded” artiste at the Delhi Doordarshan. She engages in the widest range of dance related activities performing, teaching, organising the dance festival and also speaking to new young audiences. She is the Director of Aamad - Kathak dance center in Delhi, A respected Guru, Rani Khanam has cultivated and groomed some of the finest Kathak dancers in India and abroad. For the past two decades, Rani Khanam has performed regularly at reputed international festivals. The presentations include Yamuna Namah, Andaz-e-Raqs, Ashatapadi, Sargam, Basant-Hori and Nritya Gati. 

‘Yamuna Namah’ is based on ‘Yamunastakam’ written by Mahaprabhuji. Yamunaji blessed her devotees with eight fold powers, is capable of giving fulfillment of all the desires of the devotee in enjoying God’s love. Hindus worship the Yamuna and believe that the great river Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri in Himalayas and flows thousands of kilometers to finally merge at Triveni Sangam, Allahabad. 

‘Andaz-e-Raqs’ is a stylized dance that visualises sound and extends its aural dimensions into physical space, it highlights the contribution of Persian culture to Kathak dance. The graceful elegance of the Persian court lies in the use of breath, eyes, torso, neck and wrists, gradually leading to stylized walks and manipulation of the veil and voluminous, swirling skirt.

‘Ashatapadi’ is focused on the fascinating aspects of Lucknow style of Kathak dance ie an intrinsic part of geometry in Kathak dance. ‘Sargam’ refers to singing the notes instead of the words of a composition, with use of various ornamentations such as meend, gamak, kan and khatka, as part of a khyal performance. In this version, performed to the midnight raga (musical mode) of Raag Bageshwari in 10 beats taal Jhaptaal, abstract syllables are swiftly sung while the dancers brings out the essence of the melody and rhythm through complex footwork, intricate geometric shapes, and rapid turns.

‘Basant Hori’ is a composition of Hazrat Amir Khusrau the revered Sufi Mystic and poet of India is based on raag Basant Bahar and composed in taal Teentaal and it captures the essence of Sufi philosophy, where the Nayika (Heroine)/ bhakta (Devotee). The item incorporates the dancer with the essence of the melody and rhythm of nritta (pure dance) and nritya (expressive) aspect of Kathak dance.

‘Nritya’ combines dancing and action while interpreting the story. Known for its intricate compositions, rapid chakkars (pirouettes), complex Tatkar and Ladi (footwork) and stylized facial expressions, the Lucknow gharana of Kathak expounds on bhava or moods and emotions with graceful movement and delicate placing of hands. The choreography is influenced by the Awadh royalty. 

‘Nritya Gati’ also conveys a sense of pure joy of movement and rhythm, a mood is conveyed through technical aspects of Kathak dance.