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[Full title: 顿别艣墨 forms in Kerala (1): Gati in classical form of Kathakali]

Kathakali style is more dramatized dance evolved in Kerala. The dance aspect consists of pure dance (苍峁泃测补) as well as mime (abhinaya).The temple sculpture in Kerala and the frescoes in the Padmanabhaswamy and Mattancheri temple provide some details about the development evidence of the basic Kathakali positions employed today. The text called 叠腻濒补谤腻尘补产丑补谤补迟补 mentions various knee positions and leg-extensions comparable to some of the movements employed in Kathakali today. The hand gestures are based on 贬补蝉迟补濒补办峁�a峁嘺诲墨辫颈办补.

The Kathakali recital starts with an invocation of the gods, which is followed by the appearance of two men holding a rectangular curtain and the two dancers perform a devotional dance behind the curtain. This is similar to the 辫奴谤惫补谤补峁単补 of the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补. This dance is of 苍峁泃迟补 variety and is called 迟辞岣峚测补. After the 迟辞岣峚测补, comes the 辫耻谤补辫辫腻岣岛, which is another introductory dance in which the dancer presents a number of 苍峁泃迟补 sequences known as 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺. 罢辞岣峚测补 and 辫耻谤补辫辫腻岣岛 is that where the leg movement starts slowly and the pattern of steps and speed increases along with the percussion instruments. The basic stance is with an out turned knee, feet wide apart and nearly four spans in between the feet, which is in rectangular form. This is known as 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 in the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补. The movements are also in square and rectangular shapes. Before any major character appears, there is the slow revelation of the character from behind the curtain. The drums and cymbals are played and the character executes the feet movements and this is known as the tiranokku. Then after the interpretative elements known as manodharma are performed, the performance is concluded with the 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺 or the dance patterns, which culminate in gati compositions known as araddis. There are even bigger 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺 known as the baliya 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺. Then there is the 惫补峁�峁�补尘 vacchu 办补濒腻蝉补, which represent covering space in circles. There is the largest of the longest type of 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺 called the astha办补濒腻蝉补. This kinetic phrase is a stringing together of eight different units normally set to a ten beat metrical cycle called the 肠丑补尘辫补迟腻濒补. These 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺 also have an emotional mood or 产丑腻惫补. Always these are conditioned by the mood of the play and the particular situation of the dramatic scene. 碍补濒腻蝉补峁僺 are used only as the milder form of heroism or when a romantic scene is being presented. Baliya 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺 are used in scenes of combat battle or heroism. These can be compared with 补峁単补丑腻谤补蝉 of 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 where Abhinava says the 蝉耻办耻尘腻谤补 补峁単补丑腻谤补蝉 are to be used in 艣峁涐箖驳腻谤补 element and the 耻诲诲丑腻迟补 types are to be used in heroic scenes.^[1]

Kathakali has more spiral turns, leaps and jumps still covering space in a series of squares and rectangles to a given time cycle (迟腻濒补). The terms such as 迟丑腻苍耻苍墨濒办腻濒 (leg extensions) and nila (bent posture with knees on the side) are specialities of this style.^[2] The 办补濒腻蝉补峁僺, 补岣峚办办补峁僺 and 迟辞尘补办办腻谤补峁僺 are the 苍峁泃迟补 passages in kathakali, which controls the rhythm elements. The geometrical pattern, which the dancer follows, is performed with feet apart, knees turned out and the outer soles of the feet touching the ground. This position may be identified as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补sth膩na. The dancer covers space also in patterns of square and rectangles. The right foot meets the left and one side of the square. The dancer moves forward to the third corner of the rectangle and then back to the second corner and finally comes back to the first corner but only touching all four points.^[3] The dancer covers space with arms and hands, usually in figures of squares and rectangles or clearly drawn diagonals along these squares and rectangles. Occasionally the hands execute figures of eight and the eyes follow, but the movement sequence always limits imaginary geometric pattern. The knees are always turned out and there is invariably space of two to three feet between the feet. The half-sitting position is called 鈥�迟腻锄丑苍诲耻苍颈办办腻鈥� or 鈥�迟腻峁嘘苍颈办办腻鈥�. The feet are turned sidewards and the movement is done using the side of the feet.^[4] This is known as 惫补办办颈濒-苍颈办办腻, where the 辫腻诲补 is bent inwards as in ku峁僣ita辫腻诲补. The torso is used as one unit or occasionally, two i.e. the upper and lower torso. Leg extensions are clear and the weight must be shifted from one foot to the other in these extensions with ease. 颁腻谤颈蝉 similar to 补迟颈办谤腻苍迟腻 and 辫补谤蝉惫补办谤腻苍迟腻, jumps, spirals, sweeps and leaps are the characteristic features of kathakali.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 IV.com.p.88.

[2]:

Classical dances of India-Saroja Vaidyanathan.p.115.

[3]:

Indian Classical Dance鈥�Kapila Vatsyayan p.28.

[4]:

Classical Dances and Costumes of India -Kay Ambrose p.66.