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Traditional Kerala Art Forms Delight Audience
25 September 2003
A treat was in store for dance fans early in the morning
on the second day of Amritavarsham50. Two of Kerala’s
traditional dance forms were performed by two different Malayali
troupes.
Kanniarkali, an old traditional dance, was led by a male
troupe from Palakkad. Usually held in Bhagavati temples during
festivals, this performance began when a group of 11 men first
bowed to the musicians and then to the audience. They were
attired in deep yellow dhotis trimmed with maroon borders.
Vibrant red head scarves, traditionally worn by men of that
area, complemented the costume.
The dancers formed a circle around a large temple lamp on
the floor. The musicians played a folk song in worship of
Bhagavati, the Goddess. The lead musician sang the refrain
while the others responded in chorus. As dancers held tulasi
leaves and offering sticks in their hands, they twisted legs
and hips forward to the centre and backward, executing alternating
arm swings to the rhythms of drumbeats, cymbals, and song.
Within a few minutes the tempo picked up, garlands swung,
and feet stamped. The dancers glistened with sweat as they
raised their arms and twisted their legs to an ever-increasing
beat. Slowly they stopped dancing but continued to walk in
a circle. One of the musicians entered the interior of the
circle and also walked around initiating a dialogue with individual
dancers. After a short time, the musician left and they danced
another piece. The second was similar in choreography but
performed with more energy and with a staccato beat.
The other dance group performed Velakali, which first appeared
around 250 years ago in the Ambalapuzha area of Kerala. This
dance represents wars that were fought on land and sea.
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The troupe of 14 male dancers, arranged
in two rows, were accompanied by five musicians who
played drums, cymbals, horn, and wind instrument. Dressed
in white dhotis and red turbans with gold ribbons across
the front, each man held a shield in his left hand and
a decorative curved stick in the right. They wore multi-strand
malas with a large medallions and arm bands. |
As the music started, the two lines slowly
moved to the front of the stage in unison, at the same
time creating circular arm motions and leg bends. Shields
twisted to the rhythm of the drum, each catching glints
of light and scattering beams across the stage |
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Dancers moved more quickly as the beat
heightened. The second selection was almost identical
to the first except one man danced a solo in front of
the two lines executing leaps and hops that looked like
a tiger chasing its prey in the jungle. During the finale,
the men shook their shields and ran off stage.
—Triguna Besse and Sharada Sayyed
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