--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-lk/course/kathak/foundation' title: 'Foundation Kathak course for beginners online | KalaSudha' author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-lk/user/4add8741a490747f' date: '2026-11-01T03:14:02+00:00' updated: '2026-11-05T22:40:21+00:00' type: website summary: 'Foundation Kathak, prepared by KalaSudha: tatkar, hastaks, padhant and the cycle, first compositions, a stepped turn and a short abhinaya study.' tags: - Foundation - Kathak image: 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/Kathak-Dance-Course-Lesson-Online-Cohort-KalaSudha.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f10421ed4f333b6bd_d20261101_m023547_c003_v0312014_t0020_u01793500547577&h=82966a5b&itok=qzWFO4c0' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/Kathak-Dance-Course-Lesson-Online-Cohort-KalaSudha.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f10421ed4f333b6bd_d20261101_m023547_c003_v0312014_t0020_u01793500547577&h=82966a5b&itok=qzWFO4c0' 'image:secure_url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/Kathak-Dance-Course-Lesson-Online-Cohort-KalaSudha.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f10421ed4f333b6bd_d20261101_m023547_c003_v0312014_t0020_u01793500547577&h=82966a5b&itok=qzWFO4c0' 'image:type': image/jpeg 'image:width': '1200' 'image:height': '675' 'image:alt': 'A Kathak dancer in a red kurta and ankle bells holds a pose with one arm extended in a bright practice room with a wooden floor and a patterned rug' --- 1. 1Foundation 2. --- [2Intermediate](/en-lk/course/kathak/intermediate) 3. --- [3Advanced](/en-lk/course/kathak/advanced) Kathak Prepared by KalaSudha # Foundation Kathak Foundation Kathak, prepared by KalaSudha: tatkar, hastaks, padhant and the cycle, first compositions, a stepped turn and a short abhinaya study. [Talk to an Advisor](/en-lk/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=1860) [See the modules ](#curriculum) Your path9–12 months Modules1A–1C LessonsOne-to-one or in a group Ends inA KalaSudha certificate Overview ## About Foundation **Foundation Kathak** takes beginners from preparing their practice space to an eight-minute programme. It is the first level of the Kathak course prepared by KalaSudha, taught in live online lessons. Your teacher approves your space, floor and footwear and the area you need to travel in, so you can practise at home. Module 1A builds clear **tatkar**, the footwork, with deliberate weight transfer. You recite the tatkar in padhant and clap the suggested Teentaal. You then coordinate four hastaks with the feet and show a first feeling through gaze and gesture. Module 1B adds density changes, a thaat, an opening greeting, an amad, three tukras, a stepped turn and reading and writing bols. Read the full overviewShow less Module 1C brings a simple tihai, a gat nikas, the stylised walk, and a two-minute abhinaya study, the expressive dance. You learn the text and music of a song without needing to sing, and watch two contrasting Kathak examples. See the [Kathak discipline page](/en-lk/dance/kathak) for the art form. Each module has 14 topics, eight core and six electives, and your path is 12 of them. As a typical guide, Foundation takes 9–12 months, and you agree the pace with your teacher. In a cohort, you dance the module rehearsal for fellow learners, and an elective has you dance a short sequence in unison with a peer. Foundation ends with an eight-minute programme with two minutes of expression and leads to a KalaSudha award (see [certificates](/en-lk/indian-classical-music-certificates)). [Ask about Foundation in the Academy](/en-lk/academy). ### What you will be able to do - Dance four slow cycles of tatkar with audible strikes and no uncontrolled stamping. - Recite four cycles of Teentaal with sam, tali and khali, without a visual prompt. - Hold four hastaks over slow tatkar without losing foot placement or arm line. - Recite and dance an amad and three tukras from memory, each arriving on sam. - Repeat a stepped turn four times with controlled entry, balance and ending. ### Before you start - You need no previous dance or music experience to begin Foundation Kathak. - You need practice wear, a space your teacher approves and a full-body camera view with your feet audible. [Ask about placement ](/en-lk/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=1860) Modules ## The three Foundation modules Foundation starts with the body and the feet, then first compositions, then expression and a first programme. Each module ends with a guided review and a presentation your teacher assesses. 1. 1A ### Module 1A: The body, the feet and the cycle 8 core + 4 teacher-set from 14 topics Prepare your space with an approved warm-up and alignment. Build clear tatkar, recite it in padhant and clap the suggested Teentaal. Then coordinate four hastaks with slow tatkar, show a first feeling through gaze and gesture, and find sam in a lehra. 1. 1 Space, Posture and Practice PreparationCore Prepare the practice space and establish a teacher-approved standing alignment and warm-up. 2. 2 Tatkar and Foot ArticulationCore Produce clear foot strikes through the first teacher-selected tatkar pattern. 3. 3 Padhant and the First CycleCore Recite the tatkar and clap proposed Teentaal with sam, tali and khali. 4. 4 Hastaks with the FeetCore Coordinate four teacher-selected basic hastaks with slow tatkar. 5. 5 Gaze, Gesture and a First FeelingCore Communicate a simple situation through coordinated gaze, hands and facial expression. 6. 6 Hearing the Lehra and Reference PitchCore Locate the accompaniment's cycle and tonic while distinguishing pitch height from rhythmic speed. 7. 7 Guided Movement and Sound ReviewCore Record and correct a posture fault and a foot-articulation fault. 8. 8 Module 1A PresentationCore Present basic footwork, coordinated movement and a short expressive response. 9. 1 Ghungroo Fitting and SoundElective Learn how your teacher ties ghungroo and how the fit changes the sound of your footwork. 10. 2 Hand and Gaze CoordinationElective Work on moving the hands and the gaze together so both follow one agreed movement line. 11. 3 Recitation MemoryElective Build your memory for recited patterns by learning short ones and returning to them after a gap. 12. 4 Movement Through SpaceElective Take a slow phrase through the space around you, travelling in different directions and coming back to where you began. 13. 5 Gesture and Everyday NarrativeElective Use connected gestures to tell a small everyday story, as a first step in expressive dance. 14. 6 Practice Video ClinicElective Set up a camera that shows your whole body and lets your feet be heard, then learn to spot corrections in your recordings. Show 10 more topics Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both. 2. 1B ### Module 1B: Movement and first compositions 8 core + 4 teacher-set from 14 topics Move between single, double and quadruple density at an agreed base pulse. Learn a thaat, a salami or rangmanch pranam and an amad. Add three tukras with padhant and a stepped turn, and read and write bols. 1. 1 Review and Coordination ResetCore Review posture, foot placement and rhythm before extending the movement vocabulary. 2. 2 Tatkar in Changing DensitiesCore Move between single and double density and introduce controlled quadruple density at an agreed base pulse. 3. 3 Thaat and the Opening SequenceCore Learn one thaat and a teacher-approved opening greeting within the cycle. 4. 4 Amad and Three TukrasCore Learn one amad and three simple tukras with their padhant. 5. 5 Controlled Turns and ExitsCore Learn a teacher-approved stepped turn with coordinated head use and a stable exit. 6. 6 Reading and Writing BolsCore Read and notate one tukra using matras, divisions and agreed notation signs. 7. 7 Guided Composition RehearsalCore Rehearse the opening, amad and tukras with full-body video feedback. 8. 8 Module 1B Repertoire ReviewCore Present the movement and composition set and explain its notation. 9. 1 Additional Simple TukraElective Learn one more simple tukra alongside the forms the module already asks of you. 10. 2 Turn Entry ClinicElective Work on how you enter and leave a turn, using the method your teacher approves and keeping your balance. 11. 3 Footwork at a Lower Base PulseElective Slow the base pulse and work through a density study your teacher sets, keeping every foot sound clear. 12. 4 Notation from RecitationElective Write down a short phrase you hear recited, then speak it back from your own notation. 13. 5 Alternative Opening GreetingElective Learn a second opening greeting your teacher approves and the context it belongs to. 14. 6 Expressive PausesElective Explore how changing the pauses in a phrase changes what it says. Show 10 more topics Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both. 3. 1C ### Module 1C: Gat, expression and first performance 8 core + 4 teacher-set from 14 topics Count and dance a simple tihai, learn a gat nikas and study a song's text and music. Develop a two-minute abhinaya study and watch two contrasting Kathak examples. Then present an eight-minute programme with two minutes of expression. 1. 1 Foundation Review and Practice RepairCore Resolve outstanding footwork and coordination faults before portfolio presentation. 2. 2 A Simple TihaiCore Count and perform one simple tihai within the proposed principal cycle. 3. 3 First Gat NikasCore Learn one teacher-selected gat nikas with its chal and return. 4. 4 Music and Text for DanceCore Study the taught song's text, reference swaras and characteristic raga phrases without requiring a sung performance. 5. 5 Short Abhinaya StudyCore Develop a two-minute interpretation using gaze, gesture and changes of intention. 6. 6 Watching and Responding to PerformersCore Compare two contrasting Kathak examples and respond to a partner's rhythmic cue. 7. 7 Guided First ProgrammeCore Rehearse an eight-minute programme combining nritta and expression. 8. 8 Foundation Portfolio and VivaCore Present the Foundation programme and defend all sixteen skill milestones. 9. 1 Second Gat NikasElective Learn a second gat nikas your teacher chooses, with a chal that differs from your first. 10. 2 Short Kavitt InterpretationElective Study a supplied kavitt with your teacher, first for its words and then as a short dance interpretation. 11. 3 Singing a Short PhraseElective Use your voice as optional support for your dancing, keeping a short sung line in time with the cycle. 12. 4 Partner Unison StudyElective Practise dancing with another person, matching timing and space with your teacher or a peer through a short shared sequence. 13. 5 Alternative NarrativeElective Take on another short story in abhinaya and show the viewer who is speaking at each moment. 14. 6 Listening to Another CycleElective Widen your listening by reciting Dadra and Keherwa, as proposed, and following one of them in a recording. Show 10 more topics Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both. Why Foundation ## What Foundation builds - ### Footwork you can hear Tatkar starts slow, with deliberate weight transfer. Your teacher listens for clear strikes and watches for uncontrolled stamping. - ### Turns without dizziness Learn one stepped turn with coordinated head use and a stable exit. The course asks for control, not a number of consecutive spins. - ### A first story Show two intentions with one gesture, then build a two-minute abhinaya study with gaze, gesture and changes of intention. Lessons ## Ways to learn ### One-to-one Learn at your own pace. You book online lessons through KalaSudha in your own time zone. [Register interest in 1:1 lessons ](/en-lk/course/kathak/foundation/show-interest) ### In a group Learn in a group on a timetable. [Ask about group lessons ](/en-lk/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=1860) Questions ## Questions about Foundation Entry, pace, assessment and what you show to finish the level. ### How do I learn to recite bols and padhant in Kathak? Kathak padhant is the spoken recitation of bols, the rhythmic syllables, and Foundation teaches it from the first module. You recite the tatkar while clapping Teentaal, then recite each composition before you dance it. Module 1B shows you how to read and write bols with matras and divisions, so you can recite an unfamiliar four-matra phrase from notation. ### What do I need to start Kathak classes, such as ghungroo and clothing? To start Foundation Kathak you need practice wear, a space your teacher approves and a camera set up to show your whole body with your feet audible. Your teacher decides on footwear or barefoot practice. Ghungroo come in when your teacher introduces them, with a tying method and fit they approve. The course sets no fixed number of bells. ### How do I learn chakkars in Kathak without getting dizzy? Chakkars, Kathak turns, start at Foundation with one stepped turn your teacher approves, using coordinated head use and a stable exit. You repeat it four times with a controlled entry, balance and ending. The course asks for control rather than consecutive spins, and your teacher sets the turn progression for your level. ### How is the Foundation level of the Kathak course assessed? The Foundation level of the Kathak course ends with eight continuous minutes of dance, including at least two minutes of expression. Your teacher adds practical, aural and oral checks with a notation task. Responsiveness is tested separately in four cue-response exchanges with a live partner: a teacher, an accompanist or a prepared performer. Each clause is marked met or not yet met. ### Still have questions? Our support team can help you find the right answer. [Contact support](/en-lk/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=1860) Next steps ## Ready to begin Foundation? Tell us what you want to learn and where you are today. An academy advisor will help you find a good next step. [Talk to an Advisor](/en-lk/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=1860) [ Back to Kathak](/en-lk/course/kathak) Next level ### Intermediate [Explore Intermediate ](/en-lk/course/kathak/intermediate)