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Kathak develops tremendously under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of Oudh and himself a dancer and poet. In his court in Lucknow, and under the influence of court dancer Thakur Prasad, kathak emphasizes dramatic and sensuous expression and develops into the style characteristic of what becomes known as the Lucknow gharana (school).

Thakur Prasad’s nephews, Kalka Prasad and Binda Din Maharaj, excel in the study of kathak, and in turn pass on the tradition to Binda Din Maharaj’s three nephews, Acchan, Lacchu and Shambu Maharaj, who help carry it into the twentieth century.