Kathakali literally meaning "story dance" is the pantomimic  dance drama,the dancing and the acting being blended together into an inseparable form.It is a combination of facial expressions and body movements which brings out the thought and emotion of the character.

Kathakali  is predominantly a male art and the dancing is mostly of the masculine type.The position taken by the actor is angular.He never stands erect while acting,his knees being spread out and his legs forming a rhombus,his hands bent at the elbow and his palms on his hips.The outer feet are never flat on the ground and still the actor maintains a perfect balance.The female character is lasya which is gentle and grateful.This is particularly evident in love scenes

The traditional performance begin at 8 pm and goes until dawn the following morning.It is preceded at sunset by the Kelikottu which is the playing of drums,Gong and cymbals to inform the local people about the performance.Now a days performances are given in halls with footlight and microphones etc. which will not last more than 3 to 4 Hrs. Kathakali  plays are mainly based on the stories from the hindu epic Mahabharata,Ramayana and Bhagavata purana and characters represent the mythological being of the 3 world.The upper(devas or gods),the middle world of humans and the nether world(asuras or demons).The costume and make-up transform the actor mentally and physically to portray the character Kathakali's origin and development owe gratitude to the Royal family of  Travancore.The Raja of  Kottarakara(17 century) is the earliest exponent of this art.During his time Kathakali plays were staged continuously for 24 hours without any break.

A  person to enjoy the Kathakali performance he should be aware about Hindu mythology,the character,The make up,the costume,the mudras and finally the slokas or  verses sung by the singers.