Kerala is a South Indian seaside state whose contours resemble an ancient battle axe. According to Indian mythology, the sixth avatar ^of Vishnu was the warlike brahmana Parasurama. After many battles, he threw his axe far out to sea. The current washed him to the coast of the Hindustan peninsula. The divine weapon turned into a piece of land-the territory of the modern state of Kerala and the birthplace of Kathakali - the most complex and colorful dance in India.

Kathakali was formed as a style about four hundred years ago. It is based on ancient forms of dramatic art and even hand-to-hand combat. In the 17th century, the pageant of Krsnattam, dedicated to the god Krsna, was performed in the temples and at the court of the ruler of Calicut. One day, Raja Thampuran of south Kerala asked to borrow actors for the festival. He was refused. Why-history is silent. The offended raja created his own idea based on the legend of Rama - Ramanattam. Unlike Krishnattham, it was sung not in Sanskrit, but in the local Malayalam language. Later, it began to include stories from the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The art of makeup and musical accompaniment has been developed. Actors made extensive use of facial expressions and gestures. The new dance overtook the popularity of Krishnattam and became known as "Kathakali" - a story, a play.

Kathakali is traditionally performed at night. On the open platform there are no wings or decorations. There is only a stool on it, which in the course of the play turns into a throne, then into a tree. The only light source is a large oil lamp.

People don't belong here. Night belongs to the gods and demons. Fantastic make-up and costumes of the actors enhance the similarity with mythological characters. Experts believe that the costumes of the artists were influenced by European outfits. But local residents claim that this is exactly what the legendary heroes looked like. They refer to the words of Raja Kottayam, who had the honor of seeing the divine performance in a dream.

Each character has his own makeup, costume and manners. The faces of the noble characters, the brothers of the Pandavas or the king of the celestials Indra, are green in color. A white stripe of rice paste runs from the jaws to the ears. There are two small circles at the corners of her bright pink lips.

On the head is a multi-tiered crown weighing at least eight kilograms. The dancer's skirt is white, the jacket is red. Krishna is distinguished by a headdress decorated with peacock feathers and a blue jacket. The high-born antiheroes of Ravana and Duryodhana have green-red faces. On the forehead and nose are two white balls-a symbol of ferocity. Cruel kings are hot-tempered, pugnacious, and arrogant. When they are angry, they bare their sharp fangs and roar menacingly. But they can also coo softly when talking to their lovers. The villains Bakasura and Duhshasana have a black face and a red beard. The balls on the forehead and nose are large. These characters are characterized by profanity and a show of strength. Hunters have black faces and beards. But the most terrifying characters are demons and hideous demonesses with huge false breasts.

All female roles are performed by men. They walk with swaying hips, and accompany their speech with elegant gestures.

The audience's favorite is the monkey king Hanuman. Many years ago, he helped Rama defeat the treacherous Ravana and save Sita. He has a special costume - a white beard and a fur jacket. Hanuman amuses the audience with funny antics and jumps.

Before the performance, the dancers put a liana seed under the eyelid. From this, the eyes get a reddish hue, which balances the color scheme of makeup and emphasizes facial expressions. In addition, it is believed that it regulates the body temperature increased by the use of various dyes.

Kathakali requires great body control and the ability to express the emotional side of the dance. It consists of pantomime and rhythmic parts. Musicians sing the text, actors first translate each word of the play into gestures, then give different interpretations of the plot. There are twenty-four gestures that serve as the basis for numerous combinations. Special expressiveness is given to them by false metal nails on the dancer's left hand. The system of gestures is so developed that there are notations for prepositions and conjunctions. The plot parts are interspersed with inserts of pure dance. The completed fragment is called kalasam. It includes a series of figures and jumps from a half-sitting position. In the basic Kathakali pose, the knees are spread wide apart and the back is arched. From this position, the performer moves back and forth, sits down, and stretches out on the floor. Some characters, such as Hanuman, are characterized by traditional dance compositions.

Kathakali is an Indian theater that has no analogues. Due to the particular complexity of the style, few dancers dare to connect their lives with its performance.

Permanent link to this publication: