An Evening Of Kathakali

In the evening we went to a performance of Kathakali - a traditional dance, usually danced by boys around 16-18 years old in the Hindu temples. They train for six years to perform in these performances which take place during celebrations and festivals. They dramatise old stories with eye movements, facial expressions, foot movements and a special language made up of twenty something hand movements. When combined, these movements tell the story whilst loud banging and singing play in the background.

The performance we saw was only 45 minutes with an hour of preparation beforehand, where the actors would put on their makeup and costumes on the stage. Then they do a demonstration and explanation of the intricate hand/foot/eye movements before starting the performance properly.

The evening was incredible. The actors dance around the stage with such passion and dramatic expression, that by the end of just one hour their eyes are red and streaming with tears. Usually the performances go on all night. Thoroughly enjoyable!