The Dance Form of Kathakali
A lot of oral communication is there in Kathakali. A considerable part
of Kathakali involves oral communication , sung by vocalists. The only
accompaniments are percussion instruments - the Chenda (Drum played with
sticks), Maddalam (Drum played with fingers), Chengila (Gong) and
Ilathalam (Cymbals). Drumming Chenda is the salient feature of
Kathakali.
Though many consider dancing as the main characterstic of Kathakali,
but it is not so. The pure dance forms are restricted to Kalasams, which
are the dance segments. Female characters spontaneously breaking into "Sari"
and "Kummi" dances can be seen in few dramas.The movements in
the Kathakali dance are often vibrant and less silent.
Mudras of Kathakali Dance
Pathaaka (Flag)
Mudraakhyam
Katakam (Golden Bangle)
Mushti
Kartharee Mukham (Scissor's sharp point)
Sukathundam (Parrot's peek)
Kapidhakam (The fruit of a tree)
HamsaPaksham (Swan's wing)
Sikharam (Peak)
Hamsaasyam (Swan's peek)
Anjaly (Folded hands in Salutation)
Ardhachandram (Half moon)
Mukuram (Mirror)
Bhramaram (Beetle)
Soochimukham (Needle's sharp point)
Pallavam (Sprout)
Thripathaaka (Flag with three colours)
Mrigaseersham (Deer's head)
Sarpasirassu (Serpant's head)
Vardhamanakam (Seedling)
Araalam (Curved)
Oornanabham (Spider)
Mukulam (Bud)
Katakaamukham
Hamsapaksham (Addressing people)
Costume of Kathakai Dancers
The costume worn by the various characters in Kathakai are a
combination of intricate wood carving, paint and colors. It takes many
painstaking hours to paint those headgears and the colorful faces of the
dancers which is an intricate part of the Kathakali Costume. The raw
material used for the make up of the artist is a mix of raw amorphous
Sulphur, Indigo, Rice paste, Lime, Coconut oil and so on.
Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact
stories from the Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana. Artists like
Guru Thakazhi Kunju kurup, Kalamandalam Vasupisharady, Mathur Govindan
kutty, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan have been awarded with Sangeet Natya
Acadmey Awards for their explicit work and dance in the field of
Kathakali.
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