Kabuki, another Japanese art form, has similarities to Kathakali. [82] [83] Jīngjù, a Chinese art of dance-acting ( zuo), like Kathakali presents artists with elaborate masks, costumes and colorfully painted faces. [84] [85] Balinese dance also shares similarities. The expressive part of the performance, which constitutes the dance-drama, is split into four types: Kalasham (major and most common), Iratti (special, used with battles-related Chempata rhythm), Thonkaram (similar to Iratti but different music), and Nalamiratti (used for exits or link between the chapters of the play). [51] The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. [12] [15] The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance ( Shiva), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures–all of which are part of Indian classical dances including Kathakali. [11] [12] [16] Dance and performance arts, states this ancient Hindu text, [17] are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures. [18]

The term Kathakali is derived from katha ( Malayalam: കഥ, from Sanskrit) which means "story or a conversation, or a traditional tale", and kaḷi ( Malayalam: കളി) which means "performance" or "play". The dance symbolises the eternal fight between good and evil. [9] [10] History [ edit ] a b Daugherty, Diane (2005). "The Pendulum of Intercultural Performance: Kathakalī King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe". Asian Theatre Journal. Johns Hopkins University Press. 22 (1): 52–72. doi: 10.1353/atj.2005.0004. S2CID 161340863. The Kidangoor style is one of the two, that developed in Travancore, and it is strongly influenced by Kutiyattam, while also drawing elements of Ramanattam and Kalladikkotan. [65] It is traditionally attributed to Nalanunni, under the patronage of Utram Tirunal Maharaja (1815-1861). [65] a b c d e James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. p.359. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8. Nambudiri, Haripriya (20 July 2017). "The woman's role in Kathakali". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 30 January 2020.

Richard Schechner (2010). Between Theater and Anthropology. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp.213–218. ISBN 978-0-8122-0092-8. Farley P. Richmond; Darius L. Swann; Phillip B. Zarrilli (1993). Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance. Motilal Banarsidass. p.87. ISBN 978-81-208-0981-9. Cheris Kramarae; Dale Spender (2004). Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge. p.296. ISBN 978-1-135-96315-6. Elements and aspects of Kathakali are taken from ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Natya Shastra. [11] The Natya Shastra is attributed to sage Bharata, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200BC and 200AD, [12] [13] but estimates vary between 500BC and 500AD. [14]

The theory and foundations of Kathakali are same as other major classical Indian dances, traceable to Sanskrit texts such as the Natya Shastra, but the expression style in each is very different and distinctive. [4] Kathakali is different from a similar-sounding Kathak, though both are Indian classical dance traditions of "story play" wherein the stories have been traditionally derived from the Hindu epics and the Puranas. Kathak is an ancient performance art that emerged in North India, with roots in traveling bards retelling mythical and spiritual stories through dance-acting. [9] [75] Kathak traditionally has included female actor-dancers, unlike Kathakali which has traditionally been performed by an all-male troupe. [3] [76] Kathak deploys much simpler costumes, makeup and no face masks. Both dance forms employ choreography, face and hand gestures traceable to the Natya Shastra, but Kathak generally moves around a straight leg and torso movements, with no martial art leaps and jumps like Kathakali. Kathak uses the stage space more, and does not typically include separate vocalists. Both deploy a host of similar traditional Indian musical instruments. [3] [77] D. Appukuttan Nair, Ayyappa K. Paniker (1993), Kathakali: The Art of the Non-Worldly, Marg Publications, ISBN 978-81-85026-22-0 J. Harding; C. Rosenthal (2011). The Rise of Performance Studies: Rethinking Richard Schechner's Broad Spectrum. Palgrave Macmillan. p.178. ISBN 978-0-230-30605-9. K.K. Gopalakrishnan (2016). Kathakali Dance-Theatre: A Visual Narrative of Sacred Indian Mime. Niyogi Books. ISBN 9789385285011.

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The play is in the form of verses that are metered and lyrical, sung by vocalists whose voice has been trained to various melodies ( ragas), music and synchronized with the dance-acting on the stage. [53] The vocalists not only deliver the lines, but help set the context and express the inner state of the character by modulating their voice. For example, anger is expressed by the use of sharp high voice and pleading is expressed by the use of a sad tone. [54] The gender exclusivity is one of the significant differences between Kathakalī and other classical Indian dances which either included or favored female actor-dancers. [4] Kathakali has lineages or distinctive schools of play interpretation and dance performance called Sampradayam. These developed in part because of the gurukula system of transmission from one generation to the next. [63] By the 19th-century, many such styles were in vogue in Kerala, of which two major styles have crystallized and survived into the modern age. [63] [64] Kerala has five other significant theatre traditions - Kutiyattam, and its allied forms Nangiarkoothu, Chakyarkoothu, Krishnanattam and Mohiniyattam