Last night I had the opportunity to see a Kathakali performance, which is a classical Indian dance-drama that originated in Kerala in the 17 th century.
I arrived a little bit late because I was sitting at the wrong section of the performing center, so I missed the introduction of what the dancers were depicting. Yet, I was still wholly captivated when I walked into the theater: the make-up on the dancers was so incredibly colorful and elaborate. The dark, fierce black liners around their eyes made them look a bit intimidating as well. In addition to the make-up, the dancers were wearing head pieces, skirts, and pants that were bejeweled and feathered with colorful ornaments.
Yet, what stood out to me the most was their facial expression and elaborate, intricate hand gestures. The performers rolled and moved their eyes around extremely fast to beats of the percussion, and it almost looked like they were having a seizure! The dancers would also twitch their lip muscles and other facial muscles, and their accentuated make-up made the movements look even more dramatic. The hand gestures were very refined and controlled, yet swift. Apparently to master all the moves and scenes of Kathakali, the artists train for almost 7-8 years.
I would recommend going to a Kathakali performance to anyone who comes to visit Thekkady!
Organikos 