Kairaly use embedded fonts on this site for Malayalam. Click here to download the font
Kairaly the Final Frontier
Google
The secret of life is not enjoyment but education through experience. - Swami Vivekananda
teIm kakvXm kpJnt\m `h´p (temIw apgph³ kt´mjw \ndbs«)  temI \·çthÁn addmÀçanÃm¯ Hcp sslµh hnNmc[mc
Send Greetings :- | Anniversary  | Birthday  | Valentine  | Onam  | Diwali  | Vishu  | Hindu  | Xmas  | New Year  | Easter  | Ramadan  | Beaches  | Oceans  | Get well |
Google
Web kairali
About Kerala
Art & Culture
Astrology
Religion
Hinduism
Bhagwad Gita
Religious Festivals
Temples of Kerala
Temple Festivals
Sabarimala Temple
Narayaneeya S. Trust
Ayurvedam
Yoga & Health
Health & Medicine
Free Classifieds
Kairali TopSites
Kerala Sites
Schools & Colleges
PHP Forum
Hotel-Resorts
KTDC (Tourism)
Tourist Map
District Map
Kerala Tourism
E-Shopping
Ravi Varma
Picture Kerala
Boat Race
PERFORMING ARTS Performing Dance - Kathakali

Kathakali a stylized dance-drama?  Is it a pantomime? Can it be called a classical ballet?  One of the world's top-ranking poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was instantly impressed by the aesthetic range and the narrative techniques of Kathakali when Kalamandalam presented a programme in Santiniketan.  Kathakali was born only in the 17th century.  But in less than four centuries it grew up to represent India's cultural heritage to the world outside.  An eclectic art Kathakali evolved its classicism receiving inspiration from most of its predecessors viz Koodiyattam, Krishnanattam, Theyyam, Martial arts, Padayani, Mudiyett and similar traditions.

Kathakali plays are composed from the great Indian Epics, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Bhagavatha.  The play synchronizes on stage Nritta (pure dance), Nritya (Expressional Dance), Natya (Histrionics), Geeta (Vocal Music) and Vadya (Percussion Ensemble).  Kathakali characters communicate through the language of hand-gestures (over six hundred gestures are in use), body movements and facial expressions.  The text of the play is sung by the principal and supporting vocalists.  The dancers translate the songs into appropriate gestures, movements and expressions.  Chenda and Maddalam are the two major percussion instruments used in Kathakali.  They provide audio effect to the performance by tracing the character behaviour.  A curtain (Thiraseela) is held on stage by two persons just before the entry and exit of all the main characters.  This is a traditional theatrical device to transcend time and space.

Kathakali makeup and costuming is intricate, elaborate and colourful.  It takes at least three hours for an actor to transform into a full-fledged character with facial makeup, headgear, ornaments and colourful costumes.  Kathakali characters are broadly divided into noble, wicked and grotesque.  Their makeup and costumes differ from one-another.  Love, Separation, virtue vs vice, comic-relief, emotional struggles, gruesome-war and murder are common scenes in the  Kathakali plays.  More than the themes, the stylistics of individual performers is the abiding passion of Kathakali fans.

Kalamandalam gives intensive training to young aspirants in Kathakali.  Body-massage is a must for Kathakali students.  Teachers will massage the students from head to foot in the small hours of the morning during monsoon - June to August.  After applying oil throughout the body the students have to take a set of exercises.  There are also post-massage exercises.  Massage makes the body of the student supple and allows him a lot of flexibility in all his movements on stage.  Body-massage is a treatment involving strain and pain.  Kathakali perhaps adapted this training-technique from Kalaripayattu (Martial arts).  In Kalamandalam, Kathakali students are trained in such a way as to master the techniques first.  They are later led to character-analysis and emotional identification.

Text from Kalamandalam's Homepage
  01. Home
  02. Literature
  03. Performing Arts
  04. Paintings
  05. Classical Music
  06. Indian Cinema
  07. Cinema of Kerala
  08. Sunanda Nair
  09. Pallavi Krishnan
  10. Kalamandalam
  11. Dance
  12. Malayalam Cinema
  13. Hindi cinema
  14. Malayalam Music

Look for a friend or Mate


| |Home| |TopSites| |About Kerala| |Religion| |Festivals| |Kerala Temples| |Temple Festivals| |Ayurvedam| |Astrology| |Art & Culture| |Bhagwad Gita| |
| |Chat Room| |PHP Forum| |Health| |Yoga & Health| |Hinduism| |Hotel-Resorts| |Hindu Sites| |Temples| |Kerala Tourism| |KTDC (Tourism)| |
| |E-Shopping| |Add URL| |Free Classifieds| |Ravi Varma| |Tourist Map| |District Map| |Picture Kerala| |

Add Me! Free Traffic Tools! ExactSeek - Relevant Search
Google
WWW kairaly.net Kairaly.net
Hit Counter
Theater and concert tickets
This site is designed and owned by Kairali Infotech Kairali Infotech - Kerala State,India
© Copyright 2005-2006 All Rights Reserved, Kairali Infotech - Kerala, India Privacy Policy
We are not associated to any Television Channel