Kathakali Costume Buy

Kathakali ( IAST: Kathakaḷi Malayalam: കഥകള) is a major form of classical Indian dance.[1] It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers.[2][3][note 1] It is native to the Malayalam-speaking southwestern region of Kerala and is almost entirely practiced and appreciated by Malayali people.[2][3][5]

kathakali costume buy

Elements and aspects of Kathakali are taken from ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Natya Shastra.[11] The kathakali is attributed to sage Bharata, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE,[12][13] but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE.[14]

According to Farley Richmond and other scholars, Kathakali shares many elements such as costumes with ancient Indian performance arts such as Kutiyattam (classical Sanskrit drama) and medieval era Krishnanattam, even though a detailed examination shows differences.[21] Kutiyattam, adds Richmond, is "one of the oldest continuously performed theatre forms in India, and it may well be the oldest surviving art form of the ancient world".[22] Kutiyattam, traditionally, was performed in theatres specially designed and attached to Hindu temples, particularly dedicated to the Shiva and later to Krishna.[23] The designs of these theatres usually matched the dimensions and architecture recommended as "ideal" in the ancient Natya Shastra, and some of them could house 500 viewers.[23]

Despite the links, Kathakali is different from temple-driven arts such as "Krishnanattam", Kutiyattam and others because unlike the older arts where the dancer-actor also had to be the vocal artist, Kathakali separated these roles allowing the dancer-actor to excel in and focus on choreography while the vocal artists focused on delivering their lines.[24] Kathakali also expanded the performance repertoire, style and standardized the costume making it easier for the audience to understand the various performances and new plays.[24]

The character types, states Zarrilli, reflect the Guṇa theory of personalities in the ancient Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.[44] There are three Guṇas, according to this philosophy, that have always been and continue to be present in all things and beings in the world.[45] These three Guṇas are sattva (goodness, constructive, harmonious, virtuous), rajas (passion, aimless action, dynamic, egoistic), and tamas (darkness, destructive, chaotic, viciousness). All of these three gunas (good, evil, active) are present in everyone and everything, it is the proportion that is different, according to the Hindu worldview.[45][46][47] The interplay of these gunas defines the character of someone or something,[45] and the costumes and face colouring in Kathakali often combines the various colour codes to give complexity and depth to the actor-dancers.[44][48]

A Kathakali performance typically starts with artists tuning their instruments and warming up with beats, signalling to the arriving audience that the artists are getting ready and the preparations are on. The repertoire includes a series of performances. First comes the Thodayam and Purappadu performances, which are preliminary 'pure' (abstract) dances that emphasize skill and pure motion.[51] Thodayam is performed behind a curtain and without all the costumes, while Purappadu is performed without the curtain and in full costumes.[51]

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]

Kathakali-style, costume rich, musical drama are found in other cultures. For example, the Japanese Noh (能) integrates masks, costumes and various props in a dance-based performance, requiring highly trained actors and musicians. Emotions are primarily conveyed by stylized gestures while the costumes communicate the nature of the characters in a Noh performance, as in Kathakali.[78] In both, costumed men have traditionally performed all the roles including those of women in the play.[79] The training regimen and initiation of the dance-actors in both cultures have many similarities.[80][81]

Buy or Rent Kathakali Dance Costumes include Dresses, HeadgearcrownKireedam, Jewelleries, Salangai for professional dancers and also kids low-cost material one-time use for school programs and stage shows. Original headgear and costumes handicraft work manually designed by specialized Kathakali crown makers.

Kathakali Costume ConservationSat 15 July / 10.30am-12noon / 15 / Pre-bookThese incredible costumes have evolved from ancient cultures, requiring skills passed down through the generations. Discover the characters they represent and how to apply the gold foil onto the wooden ornaments.

A Kathakali performance is a major social event. They generally start at dusk and go through out the night. Kathakali is usually performed only by men. Female characters are portrayed by men dressed in women's costume. However, in recent years, women have started to become Kathakali dancers.

There are several kinds of costume. There are: Sathwika (the hero), Kathi (the villain), Minukku (females), and Thatti. These basic divisions are further subdivided in a way which is very well known to Malayali (Keralite) audiences. Each character is instantly recognisable by their characteristic makeup and costume.

An important part of the rich cultural heritage of India are the traditional dance forms of India, which are unique and unmatched in their grace and ability to tell detailed stories through bodily movements. An Indian dance performance, no matter which type it is, will always be a fascinating and colorful affair, showing a perfect amalgamation of music, dance, story-telling and costumes. The costumes for Indian classical dance make for crucial part of any performance and every different dance form has a different type of Indian dance costume required to execute the dance performance.

Though there are many different types of dances in every region of India, there are eight recognized and formal classical dances which are defined by a rigid set of rules in terms of the dance itself and the over-all requirements for performance (mainly the costume and styling).

The traditional Indian dance costume for many dances was originally a saree, but over the years, it evolved to become something quiet distinctive. For instance, in Bharat Natyam, the costume worn today still resembles a saree but is actually a unique amalgamation of separate stitched pieces of cloth. It looks like a saree draped either as a pair of trousers (similar to a tightly draped dhoti) or as a skirt allowing movement.

The pallu is extremely significant and is usually very colorful with bold gold borders, similar to traditional south Indian designs. It is prominently draped across the torso in the front and tucked into a kamarbandh or waist chain. Below the waist a fan-like piece of cloth is attached. This pleated fan is essential to the look. Usually these costumes closely resemble colorful south silk sarees, right down to the lustrous fabric and the large, gold borders that may or may not come with temple border designs.

For Kathak, women usually wear a lehenga choli. The lehenga or ghagra is usually a long skirt with a wide, circular cut that flares out beautifully with every twirl. It is paired with a short, tight-fitting blouse called the choli and a long dupatta or scarf draped across the front from one shoulder and pinned in place. This is not the only type of costume worn for Kathak; the anarkali churidar kameez, named after the famous Mughal dancer, is also widely worn for more Mughal inspired performances.

Indian dance costume designs often require a certain piece of jewelry to complete the look, such as a waist-cinching gold kamarbandh. Ghungroos, or anklets adorned with tinkling bells, are also an essential part of most Indian dance costumes. Finally, henna tattoos for the hand and feet and flowers adorning the hair are common features of most traditional Indian dance costumes.

Presented by the Kala Chethena Kathakali Company and kindly funded by the Museum of Croydon and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The aim is to bring people together to celebrate the culture behind the costumes featured in Kathakali - the classical dance, drama of Kerala, south west India.

An opportunity to discover a whole world behind the costumes, the rituals, the traditions, the culture and understand how Kathakali, Bharatanatyam and other sacred art forms, emerged from the temples centuries ago.

Kathakali Dance is one of the popular classical dance forms in India. It is basically the dance form of south-western India, that is from Kerala. It is one of the most vibrant dance forms as the dancer wears colourful and vibrant costumes, masks and so on while performing this dance form. Kathakali is mainly the depiction of a story by the dancer through his performance. It is mainly believed to have been derived from the temples and folk arts of south India. 041b061a72