Kathak, one of India’s eight classical dance forms, evolved over two thousand years ago. This North Indian classical dance style was shaped by a multitude of influences, such as the ancient storytelling tradition, the Mughal invasion in the early tenth century, the Bhakti movement around the 15th century, the structure of the Guru-shishya tradition, the system of royal patronage, and various socio-political changes in India. These factors gave rise to four different gharanas, or schools, of Kathak, which flourished in various regions of North India. The Jaipur Gharana of Kathak dance, one of these schools, originated and developed in Rajasthan.