Kathakali Performance

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Famed South Indian Kathakali dancer Manoj Kumar from the premier tertiary conservatory of South Indian music and dance, Kerala Kalamandalam, will offer a solo performance in full make up and costumes with an introduction from Kathakali scholar V. Kaladharan. Kumar will appear on the stage as the omnipotent Ravana, the king of Srilanka. This anti-hero in the great Indian Epic, Ramayana, recollects the major milestones in his life right from his childhood days. Q&A following the performance.

Part of the U-M Fall 2023 Festival of Asian Music

Festival of Asian Music

Kathakali, literally story-play, is a highly evolved dance-theatre tradition that originated in Kerala, south India, in the 17th century. It is an amazing amalgam of dance, drama, and music; vocal and instrumental. The facial makeup & costuming of Kathakali are both stylized and semi-realistic. The ornamentations in Kathakali are intricate, intriguing and incredibly elaborate. It takes three to four hours for a Kathakali actor to transform himself/herself into a Kathakali character. Traditionally Kathakali plays dramatize stories from the great Indian epics: the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Srimad Bhagawatha.

Free and open to the public; Presented by the Center for World Performance Studies with support from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the Center for South Asian Studies, and the U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Center for World Performance Studies, at [email protected] or call 734-936-2777, at least one week in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the University to arrange.