where ghungroos speak

Welcome to Devaniya, the Kathak dance school headed by Jigyasa Giri. Here students are taught the basic movements and finer nuances of Kathak. Jigyasa has been teaching Kathak in Chennai from Year 2001. With more and more students joining the classes, she decided to formally launch her dance school, Devaniya, in Nov 2009.

“Madras being the city & citadel of Bharatanatyam…refreshing to have a Kathak school…thanks to the dedication & devotion of Jigyasa. The (kathak) form has an elfin charm, its mathematical precision delights, and its subtle abhinaya, engages.” – Ashish Khokar, Art Historian

Kathak is the enigmatic, energetic, classical dance form of Northern India. It has traversed a long journey from the temples of India to the courts of the mughal rulers, even the mehfils of the baijis, to films, yet always retaining its essence – flowing…lucid…graceful.
Originating in Lucknow, Jaipur and Benaras, Kathak got maximum patronage during the Mughal era; therefore the exotic Persian influence. Kathak has the endearing aspect of weaving through simple language and mneumonic syllables (bols) stories of Gods and Goddesses, love and might, also day to day simple chores like filling a pot of water or the churning of butter. As you will witness in any dance of kathak – one moment of energetic burst, and another of emotional rendering…the ghungroos reverberate to rhythms and emotions…

“Ecstasy in a dancer reveals the inner soul, like the petals of a lotus unfurling one by one, dedication & perseverance strengthen the body & mind towards flawless technique. At such a point of beauty, pride in the self dulls the divine grace…but humility…it is the most sparkling adornment of a dancer…it nurtures love & sensitivity thus igniting boundless creativity.” – Jigyasa Giri