"Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan is one of those amazing children of India who has risen from a humble beginning to sit upon the very throne of his chosen field. He is supremely gifted; is bold and firm. Balakrishnan has not taken anything for granted. He worked at his faults, as all good artists should. He was an exemplary student. He cared for his gurus deeply and absorbed, not merely their art, but crucially their philosophy, as well. In his quiet way, Balakrishnan has done what few could. He has succeeded in making Kathakali an acceptable art form in the national and international level.
But what is exciting is his mastery over both performance and teaching methodology. He is a consummate artist who enquires constantly. He understands his form - the past that was and the present and also throws his mind to the future. He experiments boldly in his style, whatever he does, he does with extreme care and after due contemplation. Balakrishnan's own prowess over this extremely difficult art of abhinaya allows him to bare to the reader the process of physical, mental and emotional preparation that are required to play-act a great theme. He even speaks with authority on the aspect of music for the dance. Such a person is supremely well placed to write about this difficult dance art. He has done so and this is a welcome gift to the world of dance. What he writes about is what he loves most. And that is the dance form - Kathakali. All its moves and all its graces - with deep knowledge and with abiding love."
Ms. Leela Samson
Director, Kalakshetra, Chennai
PREFACE | 8 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 10 |
FOREWORD | 12 |
DEDICATION | 17 |
INTRODUCTION | 19 |
PART I: ORIGINS | |
THE SEED BED | 23 |
INDIGENOUS INFLUENCES ON THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF KATHAKALI | 27 |
THEYYAM | 29 |
MUTIYETTU | 43 |
KALARIPAYATTU | 55 |
INFLUENCES OF CLASSICAL PERFORMING ART FORMS ON KATHAKALI | 59 |
KOOTIATTAM | 61 |
KRISHNANATTAM | 73 |
RAMANATTAM | 79 |
PART II: KATHAKALI | |
THE DEVELOPMENT OF KATHAKALI | 83 |
MAJOR STYLES OF KATHAKALI | 89 |
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF KATHAKALI | 93 |
PART III: TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE | |
TRAINING FOR KATHAKALI | 97 |
PERFORMANCE SEQUENCE | 111 |
CHOREOGRAPHIC STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS | 119 |
PART IV: ABHINAYA | |
ABHINYA IN KATHAKALI: | |
THE ART OF AESTHETIC COMMUNICATION | 127 |
ANGIKA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THROUGH THE BODY | 133 |
SATVIKA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THE INNER EMOTIONS | 147 |
AHARYA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THROUGH MAKE-UP AND COSTUMES | 161 |
VACHIKA AVHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF DIALOGUE AND MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT | 175 |
PART V: REPERTOIRE | |
THE KATHAKALI REPERTOIRE | 181 |
KOTTARAKKARA TAMPURAN | 189 |
KOTTAYAM TAMPURAN | 191 |
UNNAYI VARRIER | 199 |
IRAYIMMAN THAMPI | 209 |
OTHER POPULAR ATTAKATHAS | 213 |
ILAKIYATTAMS(INTERPOLATIONS) | 221 |
EXPERIMENTS AND INNOVATIONS | 235 |
PART VI: THREE GENERATIONS OF KATHAKALI GURUS OF THE KALLUVAZHI STYLE AND THEIR LEGACY | |
ITTIRARICHA MENON ASAN | 241 |
PATTIKKANTHODI RAMUNNI MENON ASAN | 243 |
KEEZHUPADAM KUMARAN NAIR ASAN | 247 |
ABOUT MYSELF | 253 |
ASSOCIATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR KATHAKALI | 258 |
OTHELLO | 261 |
PART VII: THE FUTURE OF KATHAKALI | 269 |
GLOSSARY | 275 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 290 |
"Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan is one of those amazing children of India who has risen from a humble beginning to sit upon the very throne of his chosen field. He is supremely gifted; is bold and firm. Balakrishnan has not taken anything for granted. He worked at his faults, as all good artists should. He was an exemplary student. He cared for his gurus deeply and absorbed, not merely their art, but crucially their philosophy, as well. In his quiet way, Balakrishnan has done what few could. He has succeeded in making Kathakali an acceptable art form in the national and international level.
But what is exciting is his mastery over both performance and teaching methodology. He is a consummate artist who enquires constantly. He understands his form - the past that was and the present and also throws his mind to the future. He experiments boldly in his style, whatever he does, he does with extreme care and after due contemplation. Balakrishnan's own prowess over this extremely difficult art of abhinaya allows him to bare to the reader the process of physical, mental and emotional preparation that are required to play-act a great theme. He even speaks with authority on the aspect of music for the dance. Such a person is supremely well placed to write about this difficult dance art. He has done so and this is a welcome gift to the world of dance. What he writes about is what he loves most. And that is the dance form - Kathakali. All its moves and all its graces - with deep knowledge and with abiding love."
Ms. Leela Samson
Director, Kalakshetra, Chennai
PREFACE | 8 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 10 |
FOREWORD | 12 |
DEDICATION | 17 |
INTRODUCTION | 19 |
PART I: ORIGINS | |
THE SEED BED | 23 |
INDIGENOUS INFLUENCES ON THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF KATHAKALI | 27 |
THEYYAM | 29 |
MUTIYETTU | 43 |
KALARIPAYATTU | 55 |
INFLUENCES OF CLASSICAL PERFORMING ART FORMS ON KATHAKALI | 59 |
KOOTIATTAM | 61 |
KRISHNANATTAM | 73 |
RAMANATTAM | 79 |
PART II: KATHAKALI | |
THE DEVELOPMENT OF KATHAKALI | 83 |
MAJOR STYLES OF KATHAKALI | 89 |
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF KATHAKALI | 93 |
PART III: TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE | |
TRAINING FOR KATHAKALI | 97 |
PERFORMANCE SEQUENCE | 111 |
CHOREOGRAPHIC STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS | 119 |
PART IV: ABHINAYA | |
ABHINYA IN KATHAKALI: | |
THE ART OF AESTHETIC COMMUNICATION | 127 |
ANGIKA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THROUGH THE BODY | 133 |
SATVIKA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THE INNER EMOTIONS | 147 |
AHARYA ABHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF ACTING THROUGH MAKE-UP AND COSTUMES | 161 |
VACHIKA AVHINAYA: | |
THE ART OF DIALOGUE AND MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT | 175 |
PART V: REPERTOIRE | |
THE KATHAKALI REPERTOIRE | 181 |
KOTTARAKKARA TAMPURAN | 189 |
KOTTAYAM TAMPURAN | 191 |
UNNAYI VARRIER | 199 |
IRAYIMMAN THAMPI | 209 |
OTHER POPULAR ATTAKATHAS | 213 |
ILAKIYATTAMS(INTERPOLATIONS) | 221 |
EXPERIMENTS AND INNOVATIONS | 235 |
PART VI: THREE GENERATIONS OF KATHAKALI GURUS OF THE KALLUVAZHI STYLE AND THEIR LEGACY | |
ITTIRARICHA MENON ASAN | 241 |
PATTIKKANTHODI RAMUNNI MENON ASAN | 243 |
KEEZHUPADAM KUMARAN NAIR ASAN | 247 |
ABOUT MYSELF | 253 |
ASSOCIATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR KATHAKALI | 258 |
OTHELLO | 261 |
PART VII: THE FUTURE OF KATHAKALI | 269 |
GLOSSARY | 275 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 290 |