Kathakali

Kathakali is a classical dance-drama from Kerala, India, combining stylized movement, facial expression, gesture, music, and elaborate makeup and costume to enact stories, especially from Hindu epics.

Kathakali makeup: A codified system of facial painting that signals Kathakali characters’ moral qualities and dramatic roles. Color and design distinguish character types before performers speak or move.
Kathakali training: The disciplined study of Kathakali movement, gesture, facial expression, and performance conventions. Years of physical and expressive practice enable performers to sustain its demanding style.
Krishnanattam: A Kerala dance-drama tradition centered on episodes from the life of Krishna. It is among the regional performance traditions associated with Kathakali’s development.
Pacha: A Kathakali character type marked by predominantly green facial makeup and noble qualities. Its makeup conventionally identifies virtuous heroes such as Krishna and Arjuna.
Kerala Kalamandalam: A performing-arts institution in Kerala founded to teach and preserve traditional arts, including Kathakali. Its formal teaching helped sustain Kathakali training and performance in the modern era.
Kathakali costume: The layered garments, ornaments, and headpieces worn by Kathakali performers. Its scale and silhouette turn character types into striking stage images.
Kalari: A traditional training space for the Kerala martial art Kalaripayattu. Kathakali training has drawn on bodily conditioning and movement practices associated with Kerala martial arts.
Ramanattam: A Kerala dance-drama tradition dramatizing the story of Rama. Its epic subject matter and performance practices are closely linked to Kathakali’s early history.
Kathi: A Kathakali character type combining green facial color with distinctive red marks, often signifying arrogance or villainy. The type makes morally compromised rulers visually distinct from noble Pacha characters.
Vallathol Narayana Menon: A Malayalam poet who helped found Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930. His advocacy and institution-building supported the revival and teaching of Kathakali.

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