Costume, Makeup, Stage Presentation and Accompaniment
What this domain tests
Questions cover costume logic, makeup, stage craft and the roles of tabla, pakhawaj, harmonium, sarangi and vocal support. Answers should connect presentation choices to gharana and repertoire.
Core rules
- Female costume: commonly a lehenga-choli-odhni or churidar-kurta with dupatta; Lucknow styles may favour the angarkha and churidar, while Jaipur presentation often uses the ghagra. Ghungroo must be secure and evenly strung.
- Male costume: dhoti or churidar, kurta/angarkha, jacket and pagdi, varying by gharana and occasion.
- Makeup: clean classical shaping-kajal, bindi/tikka, alta or lip colour-should read from the auditorium without masking expression.
- Stage: entrance, salaami, padhant, use of space and eye contact are part of presentation; the dancer often recites bols before nritta.
- Accompaniment: tabla is standard; pakhawaj is associated with Jaipur and Banaras; harmonium or sarangi carries the lehera/nagma; vocalist and sarangi support thumri and bhajan.
Worked example
A five-minute teental presentation might use salaami, padhant, amad, tatkar, tukra and a thumri excerpt. The tabla player follows the dancer’s padhant and tihai; the sarangi or harmonium repeats the lehera; the vocalist enters for the thumri. The reasoning is that nritta needs rhythmic co-ordination, while abhinaya needs melodic and textual support.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming one fixed Kathak costume.
- Treating pakhawaj and tabla as interchangeable in every gharana.
- Ignoring the lehera’s role in keeping sam.
- Discussing makeup without linking it to character or rasa.