RhythmScape - Indian Classical Dance Experience - Kathak Aura

Reviewed By Karen Staehling

Fringe Reviewer

Kathak Aura brings “RhythmScape – Indian Classical Dance Experience” to the Kansas City Fringe Festival. Kathak is a classical dancer from Northern India that tells stories through intricate hand movements, musical footwork, and pirouettes.

The show is a collection of 4 different performances filmed on stages and in studios. It opened with an “Invocation to Ganesh” featuring dancers in colorful light-accentuated dresses performing delicate hand movements. From there the dances build in complexity to include rhythmic footwork and pirouettes. Audiences will enjoy hearing the dance as well as seeing the movements due to the rhythmic sounds produced by the ankle bell straps and footwork.

At times during the performance, audiences might want to know more about the culture and stories behind the dance especially if they are new to this art form. Having a short verbal or written introduction to each performance may have been helpful. Overall, audiences will enjoy escaping into the colorful dances and sounds of RhythmScape.