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Kerala Dances

» Kathakali
Kathakali Dance, Kerala Dances

Kathakali, Kerala's much celebrated dance drama, keeps the connoisseurs of art awestruck. It evolved in the 8th century from the 'Ramanattam of Kottarakkara Thampuran, an admirer and promoter of traditional art forms. The thematic vitality of Kathakali is sucked from Indian mythology and folklore. The themes are all those depicted in the epics -honesty and wickedness, frailty and courage, poverty and prosperity, war and peace.

» Koothu
Nangiar Koothu is an art performed by the Nangiars or the female members of the Chakkiar community. This is a solo dance drama mainly centred on the legends of Krishna. Verses are sung and interpreted through mime and dance. The 'Mudras', though the same as in Kootiyattam, are even more elaborate.

» Chavittunatakom
Chavittunadakam has a story to tell. When the Portuguese came to Kerala, they felt a vacuum in the cultural arena. What they needed was a medium to spread the myths and the legends they held dear. They felt Kathakali impressive, but their ego did not permit them to graft their legends on it. Hence created a distinctive dance drama of their own. Collaborating with Malayalee scholars they moulded librettos extorting the heroic exploits of legendary Christian warriors. Chavittu nadakam characters don glittering dress which evinces fashion of medieval age.

» Oppana
It is a dance form essential to the Wedding entertainment and festivities of the Malabar Muslims. Maidens and young female relatives sing and dance around the bride, clapping their hands. 'Mappila Pattu', the wedding songs are first sung by the leader and are repeated by the chorus. The themes are often teasing comments and innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial bliss. Oppana is often presented as a stage item today. Valakkali Dance, Kerala Dances

» Valakkali
Velakali is a spectacular martial dance performed in a few temples of Southern Kerala by Nair warriors holding wooden swords and shields.

The dancers, clad in traditional clothes and colourful headgear of medieval Nair soldiers, engage in vigorous movements and dexterous sword play, to the accompaniment of an orchestra comprising 'Maddalam', 'Ilathalam', 'Kombu' and 'Kuzhal'.

Velakali originated in Ambalappuzha where Mathoor Panicker, a chief of the Chempakasserri army, promoted it to boost the martial spirit of the people. Velakali is a regular feature at the Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple festival in Alappuzha district.

» Mohiniyattam
This sensuous dance of the enchantress contains elements of Bharathnatyam as well as the classical and folk dances of the state. Slow, graceful, swaying movements of the body and the limbs and highly emotive eyes and hand gestures are unique to this dance form.

Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of the panicky gods and assumed the female form of an amorous celestial damsel, Mohini. Captivating the demons with her charms, Mohini stole the nectar from them and restored it to the gods.

» Paana
Mohiniyattam Dance, Kerala Dances

Paana or Pallippaana, as it is sometimes called, is a ritual art to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakaali. The art form is popular in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. Paana is part of a three day festival. A canopy is supported by 64 posts of cut out from the Paala tree ( Alstonia scholaris) and adorned with tender palm fronds is erected near the shrine of the goddess. A stump of this tree is ceremonially brought to the site and planted there for the occasion and a non-figurative kalam is drawn in the centre using coloured powders. A ceremonial sword is placed on a red silk cloth under the tree stump to signify the presence of the goddess.

» Kolkkali
Kolkalli is a folk art performed mainly by the agrarian classes. It is a highly rhythmic dance with the dancers wielding short sticks. The rhythm of this dance is set by a harmonious synchronisation of the tapping of feet to the clapping of sticks.

» Thiruathirakkali
It is a dance performed by women for the everlasting marital bliss, on Thiruvathira day in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December-January). It is a part of the old custom followed in nair joint families.

The dance is a celebration of marital chastity and female energy, for this is what brought Kamadeva (cupid of Indian mythology) back to his life after he was reduced to ashes by the fire of lord Shiva.

» Tholppavakoothu
Kerala Dances

Literally meaning 'leather puppet play', Tholppavakkoothu is a ritual art performed during the annual festivals in the Kaali temples of Palakkad district. The text of the play is based on the Kamba Ramayana, narrated in a diction that is a mixture of Malayalam and Tamil dialectical variations.

The play covers the whole gamut of events from Lord Rama's birth to his coronation as the King of Ayodhya. The show is enacted on the 'Koothumadom', a specially constructed oblong playhouse.

The puppets are fashioned out of the hides of buffaloes and deer, the former for evil characters and latter for noble ones. Each puppet has an average height of 80 cms and is cut out in different postures.


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