dance
Folk dances of Kerala
reflect the temperaments and moods of the native people. Kerala has a rich
variety of folk dances. There are around fifty popular folk dances in the
state. Religious influence is explicitly visible in the dances which are during
harvests, sowing of seeds, festivals etc. Most of the folk dances of Kerala are
performed accompanied by songs which are sung by the dancers themselves or
occasionally by a group of musicians. The costumes and ornaments of these folk
dances differ with places. Almost all of these folk dances are simple but
beneath this simplicity there is a profundity of conception and a directness of
expression which are of a high artistic order. Out of the many, most prominent
ones as given below:
Kakkarissi Kali: This
group dance is prevalent among the Kuravas of Thiruvananthapuram district. It
also contains wild beatings of primitive drums like para, veekkan chenda etc.
Dappu Kali: This
dance is named as Dappu Kali because `dappu`, a kind of musical instrument is
used in the dance. It is a group-dance of the Moplahs of Malabar.
Sarpam Thullal: Many
ancient families in Kerala have Kavus, which are the special snake shrines,
whom they worship regularly, on various occasions.
Kaavadiyattom: This
dance is mainly performed as an offering in temples of Lord Subrahmaniam. For
performance, a number of dancers gather in temple, dressed in yellow or rose
colour costumes. Their body is smeared with lines of ashes and each candidate
has an ornate kaavadi on the shoulder. They stand in a row and dance with the
rhythmic beatings of instruments like udukku, and chenda and even nagaswaram.
Bhadrakali Thullal:
This is a devotional offering of Pulayas and this is the only community who
performs this ritual, for Bhadrakali.
Vela Kali: This is a
martial dance of the Nair community in Kerala. Vela Kali is famous in their
respected region. This illuminates ancient warfare in Kerala in all its
tradition and valour. The dancers are all dressed in colourful costumes and
arming with shining swords and shields, they dance with vigour and
coordination.
Thiyyattu Dance:
Thiyyattu is a devotional offering performed only in the Bhadrakali temples.
The performers are known as Thiyyattunnis. The theme behind its performance is
usually the killing of Darika by Bhadrakali.
Kolam Thullal: This
is a ritual offering performed by village people, usually to get rid of the
troubles and pains due to evil-spirits.
Thumpi Thullal: This
is a dance in which only women can participate and it is usually performed in
connection with the Onam festival. All the girls are dressed in a special type
of dress known as Onakkodi dress and dance in a circle.
Kummi Dance: It is
performed by women only and is very famous in different parts of Kerala. The
dancers move in a circular direction and the hand gestures denote reaping and
harvesting processes. One of the women from a group leads with a favourite song
while the rest of the group repeats it afterwards. Each performer renders a new
line as their turn comes and the dance stops when all members get tired or
bored.
Kaduva Kali: This
dance is also known as Pulikali. Dancers get ready dressed up as tigers along
with appropriate costumes and make-up. They dance vigorously along with the
loud beating of instruments like Udukku, Thakal.
Kanniyar Kali: It is
being performed since centuries and is sometimes called as Desathukali. It is a
fast moving, militant dance having pleasant rhythmic devotional folk songs. It
is said to be a ritual offering in honour of the deity Bhagavathy.
Thirayattom: It is a
ceremonial dance, which is performed as a vital part of festive celebrations in
Kavus, in the Central Malabar region.
Kummatti Dance: It is
a mask dance mostly popular in South Malabar region of Kerala. The dancers wear
brightly painted wooden masks on the faces while dancing.
Arjuna Nritham,
Mudiyettu dance, Kuthiyottam Dance, Poorakkali dance, Garudan Thookam,
Tholpavakoothu, Krishnanattom, Mayil Attam and Kazhai Kothu are other popular
folk dances of Kerala.
