Library

Library

Training in the different art-disciplines begins in the wee-hours of the morning, From 6.30 in the morning there is an interval for a few hours. At 9.A.M., the kalaries start again. The training goes on till noon. In the late afternoon, the classes begin at 3 P.M. In the kalaries where acting and dancing are taught one can watch practising of hand-gestures, eye-movements, facial- expressions, leg-exercises, torso-movements, character-enactment and so on. In the vocal- music kalari, the teacher will initially give training to the student in the basic-lessons of classical Karnatic music. Later on students of Kathakali vocal have to learn the text of invocatory items and then move on to the text of the Plays. Lessons in percussion-music begin with the vaytharis (Syllables) and progress to ‘strokes’ and fingerings’ in different rhythmic-scales and tempos. In the ultimate stage of training, there is a well-coordinated performance of Kathakali or Kutiyattam (without make-up and costumes) which is technically called “Cholliyaattam”. In this segment, dance, drama and music (vocal and instrumental) of the art-form concerned are integrated in one kalari. The Kathakali make-up class is most intriguing. Here one can watch the students applying different facial make-ups on earthen pots conceiving them as human- faces. As the study progresses, the students gradually switch over from the class to the dressing-room where actors lie down for facial make-up.