Kathakali

Kathakali is a classical dance-drama of Kerala in which actor-dancers in painted makeup enact stories from the Hindu epics through gesture and facial expression while two singers sing the text. The name joins katha (story) and kali (play). Kerala Kalamandalam dates it to the mid-17th century, and CBSE teaching material to the 17th. It grew from Ramanattam, eight Ramayana plays by the ruler of Kottarakkara, drawing on Kutiyattam, Kerala's Sanskrit theatre.

Makeup marks each character's type: green pacha for noble heroes, kathi (knife) for proud figures with an evil streak such as Ravana, and minukku (radiant) for women and sages. The actors do not speak; they render the text through 24 basic mudras (hand gestures), which Kalamandalam says cover about 500 to 600 words.

The lead singer (ponnani) and second singer (shinkiti) keep time on gong and cymbals over the chenda, maddalam and idakka drums. The music grew from Sopanam, Kerala's temple singing, and shares ragas (melodic frameworks) and talas (rhythmic cycles) with Carnatic music. Traditional nights run from dusk to dawn; stage shows last about three to four hours.

Kerala Kalamandalam, which the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon opened in 1930, began as a Kathakali school. Its course runs six to eight years, opening with exercises adapted from Kalaripayattu, Kerala's martial art.