Beats in Kathak- The Importance of Percussion

Beats are universal. In all dance forms, all forms of music, beats and percussion are integral. Kathak is no exception and is incomplete without the support of the tabla. In fact, many if not most of the bol in kathak originate from the bol of the tabla and pakhawaj (the tabla`s ancestor). They say music and dance transcend languages, and I agree, but I think a lot of the credit goes to the beats. Beats is what made K-pop such a sensation, Korean being a very different language which none of us knew. Beats are the essence of not only hip-hop and EDM, but almost every form of music and dance. I mean I can`t think of jazz without hearing 5,6,7,8 in my head. Every piece in Indian classical sangeet (the amalgamation of singing, percussion and dance) is based on 'taal', a cycle of beats, it could be 6, 8, 10, 14, 16 etc.  Music and dance are nothing without rhythm or ‘lay’ as we call it in Hindi, and  percussion plays a vital role in helping us understand and express this pivotal part of our art.