IN Pakistan, the word most commonly used for dance — naach — is often deployed as a form of ridicule. To say someone naach raha hai is rarely neutral; it carries connotations of mockery, moral suspicion and social inferiority. This linguistic discomfort reflects a deeper unease with the art itself — one that has steadily pushed dance to the margins of our cultural life.

Kathak, one of the classical dance forms of the subcontinent, stands in stark contrast to this perception. The word derives from ‘katha’, meaning story. Kathak is not merely movement set to rhythm; it is a complete art form with theory, practice, meaning and purpose. Its purpose is storytelling — and any story, spiritual or otherwise, can be told through it. This is why Kathak has endured for centuries, evolving across temples, courts and public spaces, absorbing influences while retaining its core.

It is exquisitely beautiful to watch, embodied with immense grace and depth. But beauty alone is not why it deserves preservation. Kathak is worth saving because it is ours. It is cultural memory carried in bodies, gestures and rhythms, passed down not through books alone but through living practice.

Mohsin Babar, a highly trained........

© Dawn