Kathakali Dance South India

Overview
Kathakali: The dramatic art of story-telling

Detailed gestures, flawless body-movements, elaborate costumes, attractive make-up and heart touching narrative of Kathakali, one of the most known classical dance-dramas in India is definitely a beauty to watch in itself. The term 'Kathakali' denotes 'Story Play.' The long, intense and exquisite performance of Kathakali often leaves the audience spellbound. Several tourists do explore this unique characteristic of Kerala's culture. Several foreigners have also researched on the history, impact and nuances of Kathakali, as a dance form and story-telling endeavour.

 

History

The roots of Kathakali dates to the very essence of Hindu mythological themes, often owing an origin for classical tales such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The long, synchronous and dramatic performance revealed by the artist takes years of perfection and practise. The elaborate masks worn by the Kathakali dancers are linked with the legend and myth of Kerala. The addition of vocals and percussions further enhance the dramatic appeal of the dance.

Following are the important features of Kathakali:

Costume: The heavy and large costumes of Kathakali add on to the dramatic effect of the dance. There are several different kinds of costumes that are worn for narrating different forms of this classical dance. The costumes basically depend on the characters like Minukka ( females), Kathi ( villain), Sathwika (hero) and Thatti. The respective make-up and costume is enough to identity the character that is being played.

Music: The Carnatic music plays an important point of origin in the musical journey of Kathakali, adding to the well defined body movements. Some of the instruments that are used for the dramatic narrative is Shuddha Madalam and Idakka and Chenda.

Innovations: The classical dance of Kathakali that has evolved from the 17th century has definitely witnessed a lot of innovations. For example, different shades of make- up are now added. This has further developed the way in which Kathakali as a dance form echoes in the soul of the audience.

Hand gestures: There are 24 basic mudra/ hand gestures that are included in this dance form. Few of them include 'Asamyutha Mudras' ( single hand), 'Samyutha Mudras' ( double hands) and various symbolic gestures.  In fact, around 470 different symbols are used for this dance form.

Thus, this world renowned art form and narrative is a distinctive and attractive part of Kerala's tourism repertoire. They include a journey into one's own self, understanding of Hindu legends, the beauty of Carnatic music and the impact of dramatic story-telling.