Kathakali is the theatrical tradition which dates back to the 17th century and is currently the most important dance-drama from Kerala (a south Indian state). The famous centre in which this art form is performed is the Kerala Kathakali Centre (founded in 1990 in Kochi) and it describes itself as. This centre has seen performances broadcasted on the BBC, National Geographic and Discovery Channels which demonstrates its high reputation. Kerala, the region referred to as the birth place of Kathakali, The word Kathakali is literally translated as, ‘Story Play’ and this form of theatre is known for its intricate makeup and costumes. As well as this, the only themes explored are those centred on religion.
Kathakali,
The storylines explored in the plays are based on the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas (the ancient scriptures); these Kathakali plays communicated through hand gestures known as ‘mudras’ (symbolic hand gestures which are used for the entirety of a Kathakali play to depict emotions or actions of deities in the play and an example of which can be seen in the image below) as no dialogue is used by the performers. The only spoken words are those of the background musicians who sing throughout the performance. Kathakali plays and performances are still relevant in today’s society as their main aim was to reveal how human relationships, though great, can also fail. As well as this, the stories showcased the unending need of humans to achieve a high level of spirituality. Becoming a Kathakali performer is not an easy task; on average they train for a period of 7-15 years and they also attend specialist schools for this training.
A source presents the extent of their training:
Skills such as mudras, the characters, extr...
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...n awe of the finished product.
For Barbara Vijayakumar:
In conclusion, make-up and costume function as important elements in the creation and presentation of the character of Daksha in the Kathakali play, ‘Daksha Yaga.’ In this theatrical style, the make-up and costume are as of equal important as mudras and the musical accompaniment of the singers and drummers; they provide an insight into the Hindu culture and its traditional stories.
As a heroic Paccha character, Daksha is a ‘green face’ which means that the colour scheme for his costume are predominately red, orange and white and the facial colour used on him would be green. His underskirt, skirt and headdress reflect his royalty as a ‘god’ and enable the audience to feel his presence once he gets onstage. Despite the heaviness of the various costumes, they make the performance unique.
She never lost her touch with Haiti, where she was most inspired by to follow her dreams. Katherine explored and brought African dance to life and left her legacy behind. The Katherine Dunham Centers for the Arts and Humanities preserved “…Katherine Dunham’s legacy and fulfill her dream of showing the people of East St. Louis that “there is a larger world out there’” (O’Conner 99). Dunham’s dream came true because the “PATC has produced outstanding actors, dancers, percussionists, and a traveling company from among the native youngsters of East Saint Louis” (Dunham 558).
The mask’s purpose to teach young girls about proper womanhood. While worn in ceremony, the girls learn through observing the mask wearer dancing and taking in the stories, types of dances, proper way to care for their families, and providing for their family like
Japan’s dances and dramas as they are seen today contain 1300 years of continuous uninterrupted history. This prodigious feat of conservation, theatrically speaking, makes Japan an extraordinary and unique country. In all of Asia, where tradition generally is sanctified and change eschewed, Japan stands as the only country whose theatre is its entirety has never suffered an eclipse nor undergone any drastic revivification or renovation. The most traditional form of Japanese theatre is kabuki. Its origin goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has now been perfected into a state of classical refinement. Though not as flourishing as it once was, the kabuki theatre retains wide popularity among the people, and is in fact drawing quite large audiences even now.
Kathak (Sanskrit translation: ‘Katha’- story; ‘Katthaka’- story-teller) can be traced to as far back as the 3rd century and is one of the eight Classical dances in India. It originated in Northern India -Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar-Pradesh. It was originally performed in temples to narrate mythological stories presented in the Ramayana and Mahabharata with mimetic gestures and singing. ‘Katthakas’ were mostly high-caste, educated Brahmins. Nowadays, class division is less intruding in one’s pursuit of becoming a ‘Katthaka’.
Three hundred years ago, ballet was introduced to Russia for the first time by the Czarita's Elizabeth and Anna. Their intention was court entertainment, but little did they know they made a move that would change the face of classical ballet forever. Although ballet originated in Italy and France, Russia certainly gets credit for stylizing and perfecting the art form. From opening the Imperial Ballet School to the formation of the Vaganova technique, from the splendor of Anna Pavlova to the defection of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet’s past has been a rollercoaster. In the aftermath of the January 17, 2013 acid attack on the Bolshoi artistic director, Sergei Filin, the ballet world is under intense scrutiny of what really goes on behind closed doors. To fully understand why all this controversy is swirling around a single art form based on grace, poise, and performance, we will need to understand the root of the issue. The country of Russia.
In this essay I will address racial issues in Musical theatre, specifically the black and white divide. I have chosen this subject because I find it interesting how racism used to be so accepted in society, and although it’s decreasing presence it is still an issue today. I will be looking at two similar yet contrasting musicals written at different times. Both these musicals have racial issues through their storyline. I will look at the similarities and differences between these two musicals and how racial issues are expressed. Additionally I will consider when the shows were written; what impact these musicals had on society and vice versa.
I have always been fascinated by the many arts. Around September of last year, I discovered a show that had to do with dancing and singing, which caused me to have a slight interest in the former. In November, my best friend showed me a band that is talented in dancing, and this group has fueled my curiosity. Furthermore, I have already taken a few steps towards learning their dances. I aspire to accomplish the ability to dance because of this group, I am trying to learn the choreography to their songs, and I want to perform in front of people who enjoy watching others dance.
The short story “Clothes” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is about a young Indian woman, Sumita, and her cultural transition to America that is symbolized by her clothes and the color of her clothes. The traditional Indian attire for a woman is a sari and each one has its own purpose. Her clothes also indicate her progression from daughter, to wife, to woman.
One of the most important types of Japanese performing art is the kabuki play. Developed in the early 17th century, kabuki has remained a popular form of theater in Japan (Johnson 1). A maid of the Izumo Shrine created kabuki in the 1600's (Johnson 1). The Traditional Theater of Japan written by Yoshinobu Inoura in 1981 stated that kabuki was named using Japanese characters in which "ka means song, bu means dance, and ki means skill" (218). At this time the plays consisted of females executing dancing performances (Johnson 1). These plays tried to show feelings and conflicts dealing with affection, envy and courage ("Noh and Kabuki" 1). Audiences enjoyed kabuki because the plays related to their lives (Kitazawa 4). The styles of kabuki changed though when women were first banned from kabuki.
Historically, drama, and indeed all areas of the arts, have been seen to make an unimportant contribution to society as a whole. As recently as the mid to late 20th century, the arts were seen as a luxury, and a purely leisure exercise or hobby, with only gifted children having access to classically defined art forms such as music or art. This ideology still exists in some form today, although the arts are beginning to be recognised as an integral part of our everyday and working lives. Many drama practitioners and educators consider the arts to be a growing power within the economy, and that drama has benefits to society, culture, and a person’s inner development. These benefits have shaped the incorporation and delivery of drama within Queensland schools. This essay will examine how, by teachers delivering a rich aesthetic experience to students through drama in schools, students are provided with opportunities to develop self identity and equipping them with a skill set that is transferable across a variety of learning areas.
Theatre-In-Education The theatre education industry/movement has seen some rapid changes since its initial developments and establishment in the 1960’s. However its origins mainly lie in the early years of the last century. It was the initial establishment of companies such as Bertha Waddell’s in Scotland and Esme Church’s in the north of England that thoroughly established the main roots of TIE.
Like many Indian arts, Indian dance also has its root in religion. Without the religious and cultural background of India, the growth and beauty of Indian dance is not possible. In ‘Natya Shastra’, there is a small story about the origin of Indian dance. According to Hindu mythology, dance first existed in heaven. There was always a constant conflict between the Asuras and the Devas for wealth and power. The Devas were tired of the Asuras’ greediness and jealousy.
Dance serves as an exposure of expression throughout the world depending on its cultural context and function of either producing a work of art, a way of socializing or its use for ritualistic purposes. Bollywood, one of the most famous styles of cultural dance, in essence is an Indian film dance style modeled on both the traditional Indian classical and folk dance while fusing inspiration from more modern styles, allows the performer to act out the lyrics of a song, fashioning a story. The wild world of African dance on the other hand, represents the fundamentals and belief system of historical Africa, by moving in an expression to their inner feelings. Although these styles of dance may seem to be at either end of the spectrum, each share the similarity of a “mass pattern of dance which may hold a mirror to humanity…functionally allowing the human body to be exposed to the world, communicating in every aspect, whether it is the magnificent art form or the daily movement” (Doris Humphrey). Through analysis and interpretation of both the non-movement and movement components, while examining the function of dance which is present in each cultural art form, the similarities and differences of how they create meaning through dance will be exposed.
Aparna, Bhargava. Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947. New York: University of Iowa Press, 2009.
“The ballet is the supreme theatrical form of poetry”. The ballet Giselle successfully embodies common features of romantic poetry without the use of words, but appealing to the senses which ran high among the romantics during romanticism. As a matter of fact, romantics had a blind faith in their intuition, instincts, feelings, emotions and senses; they considered them to be a guide for wisdom and conduct as well as the route to salvation for civilization. Even though literature and ballet use different storytelling devices, imagery portrayed in Romantic literature is successfully and accurately made tangible in the ballet Giselle, the epitome of the Romantic ballet, through music, choreography, mime, staging and costumes. Indeed, the fusion of these elements echoes the romantic literary and artistic movement.