Dances of Kerala

The art forms of a country reflect the life of its people. They embody their emotions and experiences and are, therefore, the best expressions of their mind and culture.

The dances of Kerala illustrate this truth in a remarkable manner. The dance traditions can roughly be divided into five categories, viz, tribal dances, folk dances, classical dances, neo-classical dances and modern dances. Both the dance and dance movements are especially rich and variegated.

An attempt is made in the following pages to depict the dance traditions of Kerala in broad terms, supplementing the verbal portrayal with photographs wherever possible. Far from being scholastic, the approach has been in the nature of an introduction to a subject at once absorbing and vivacious.

This is primarily a broad study and lays no claims at being either exhaustive or authoritative. It is meant for the layman. This revised edition is on a wider format, with colour photos for illustration. Suggestions for improving the contents in a future edition are most welcome.