K.L Paulinte 50 Kadhakal

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Kutiyattam, adds Richmond, is "one of the oldest continuously performed theatre forms in India, and it may well be the oldest surviving art form of the ancient world". The Nala-Damayanti story has roots in the texts of 1st millennium BCE and is found in the Mahabharata, but the Kathakali play version develops the characters, their inner states, the emotions and their circumstances far more than the older texts. By the 19th-century, many such styles were in vogue in Kerala, of which two major styles have crystallized and survived into the modern age.

Costumes have made Kathakali's popularity extend beyond adults, with children absorbed by the colors, makeup, lights and sounds of the performances. the other nine are: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Cchau, Satriya, Yaksagana and Bhagavata Mela. The play is in the form of verses that are metered and lyrical, sung by vocalists whose voice has been trained to various melodies ( ragas), music and synchronized with the dance-acting on the stage. Teppu is for special characters found in Hindu mythologies, such as Garuda, Jatayu and Hamsa who act as messengers or carriers, but do not fit the other categories. Recent productions have adapted stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Miguel de Cervantes, [61] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and William Shakespeare.Emotions are primarily conveyed by stylized gestures while the costumes communicate the nature of the characters in a Noh performance, as in Kathakali. A typical course work in Kathakali emphasizes physical conditioning and daily exercises, [71] yoga and body massage to tone the muscles and sculpt the growing body, [72] along with studies and dance practice. First comes the Thodayam and Purappadu performances, which are preliminary 'pure' (abstract) dances that emphasize skill and pure motion.

The expressive part of the performance, which constitutes the dance-drama, is split into four types: Kalasham (major and most common), Iratti (special, used with battles-related Chempata rhythm), Thonkaram (similar to Iratti but different music), and Nalamiratti (used for exits or link between the chapters of the play). The Natya Shastra is attributed to sage Bharata, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200BC and 200AD, [12] [13] but estimates vary between 500BC and 500AD.Kathakali has traditionally been an art that has continued from one generation to the next through a guru-disciples ( gurukkula [68]) based training system.

Vella Thadi (white beard) represents a divine being, someone with virtuous inner state and consciousness such as Hanuman. There are three Guṇas, according to this philosophy, that have always been and continue to be present in all things and beings in the world. Kathakali is still hugely male-dominated, but since the 1970s, women have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. In modern times, professional schools train students of Kathakali, with some such as those in Trivandrum Margi school emphasizing a single teacher for various courses, while others such as the Kerala Kalamandalam school wherein students learn subjects from different teachers. As the play progressed, the actor-dancers would gather around this lamp so that the audience could see what they are expressing.

It is traditionally attributed to Nalanunni, under the patronage of Utram Tirunal Maharaja (1815-1861). Men who act the roles of women also add a false top knot to their left and decorate it in a style common to the region.

Kutiyattam, traditionally, was performed in theatres specially designed and attached to Hindu temples, particularly dedicated to the Shiva and later to Krishna. Kathakali also differs in that the structure and details of its art form developed in the courts and theatres of Hindu principalities, unlike other classical Indian dances which primarily developed in Hindu temples and monastic schools. Kathak traditionally has included female actor-dancers, unlike Kathakali which has traditionally been performed by an all-male troupe. The vocalists not only deliver the lines, but help set the context and express the inner state of the character by modulating their voice.The guru provided both the theoretical and practical training to the student, and the disciple would accompany the guru to formal performances. It is also full of invocations to deities, acknowledging the divine origins of the arts and the central role of performance arts in achieving divine goals (. The designs of these theatres usually matched the dimensions and architecture recommended as "ideal" in the ancient Natya Shastra, and some of them could house 500 viewers. The nine Navarasas express nine Bhava (emotions) in Kathakali as follows: Sringara expresses Rati (love, pleasure, delight), Hasya expresses Hasa (comic, laugh, mocking), Karuna expresses Shoka (pathetic, sad), Raudra expresses Krodha (anger, fury), Vira expresses Utsaha (vigor, enthusiasm, heroic), Bhayanaka expresses Bhaya (fear, concern, worry), Bibhatsa expresses Jugupsa (disgust, repulsive), Adbhuta expresses Vismaya (wondrous, marvel, curious) and Shanta expresses Sama (peace, tranquility). It is traditionally attributed to Unniri Panikkar, in a Brahmin household (~1850), and became the dominant style established in Kerala Kalamandalam – a school of performance arts.