One day, one elsewhere n° 23
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Stop in the village of Cheruthuruthy on the road to Trissur and enter the University of Kalamandalam, a university of great renown in the world of Performing Arts.
From the very first classroom, let yourself be bewitched by the rhythm of the Maddales, these drums traditionally made in one piece in the wood of the jackfruit trees.
Then be impressed by the seriousness and steadfastness of these young people, who throughout the morning strive for perfection on their Timila, the hourglass-shaped drum from South India.
Surrender to the fascination of the rigour and tenacity of the teenagers in the Chenda class, the two-skinned instrument that accompanies the Kathakali and the Koodiyattam. Let yourself be gradually carried away by the sustained rhythm of the percussion until you lose all notion of time.
Forget everything while remaining astonished in front of the class of hyper attentive young boys from the Mizhâvu class; a terracotta instrument that was originally used to collect water and which is mainly used by the Nambiar community.
To be totally concentrated with the musicians and, in each of these different classes, to witness the fascinating show in which the body takes its full place. Here, we always play with bare hands, even on the most uncomfortable and hardest of instruments. The horn of the hands has to be trained on wooden tables for days on end.
Then follow the course of Koodiyattam, the oldest living theatre of Indian tradition and let yourself be exhilarated by the fluidity of the gestures and the impressive mastery of the bodies. The eyes participate, as much as the hands, in the enchantment of this art of all beauty.
Follow the course of Kathakali, and be conquered by the virtuosity and the skill which are expressed as much by the glance as by the reserve.
To fall definitively under the charm of these dancers in total possession of their art; the Mohiniattam or « dance of the enchantress ».
To be touched to see that here, too, special attention is paid to the planet, preferably using gourds.
Then discover the patience with which students learn the art of make-up. Never forget that in Kathakali, the make-up session can last about 3 to 4 hours.
Finally head to the majestic Koothambalam to attend Mohiniattam and Kathakali, these arts on the border of dance and theatre, which are more than five centuries old.
Drum roll, birth of the songs, and suddenly let oneself be bewitched by the dancer who enters the stage. The emotion is at its peak, now letting oneself be carried away by the artists of a very high level until one no longer feels the desire to leave.
Par Nathalie
Do not hesitate to leave a comment, to share an emotion, to deliver your impressions…and if you want to discover the previous post of this series « One day, one elsewhere », RDV on https://nathjy.travel.blog/2020/11/28/at-the-time-of-the-passegiata/
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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