It is a beautiful mix of dance, drama and music that the connoisseurs of art world qualified as 'a total art form of immense sophistication and power'.This is a form of dance formerly confined only to the festival stages in temples.
It is a mime show, dancing with mudras (formulated hand gestures conveying the text of lyrics) and specialised dancing steps following the song rendered in the background by a singer to the accompaniment of Chenda, Maddalam (country drums), Chenkila and Elathalam (Cymbals).
The face painted green and made up with a spot of sacred sandal paste on the brow, eye-lined with mascara, lip toned by cherry and white chin mask, the dancer dons a colourful costume and rich and impressive crown and jewellery.

A traditional pedestal Nilavilakku (oil lamp) with sixty wicks on both sides lit together lights the dancing floor. There are four types of make up. Pachcha (green) face painted green and adorning sober and beautiful attires denoting the godly or virtuous character.
Thadi (beard); divided into Chuvanna Thadi (red beard) depicting aggressive and demoniac characters, Karutha Thadi (black beard) depicting aborigines, cavemen and foresters and Vella Thadi (white beard) representing Rishis, Saints, Preceptors and other intellectuals. Kari (carbon black) representing mean characters and Minukku (refined) presenting women and Brahmins.

There is a school of thought which believes that Ramanattam could be the ancestor of Kathakali, for very many similarities in the presentations, costumes, acting and background music could be cited in both. The stage decor, costumes, make up, and mudras as seen today are purported to be improvements bestowed gradually to this art form by two veteran Namboothiris, Kalladikkodan and Kaplingadan Manas.

Centuries down, there developed a branch of literature known as "Kathakali literature" and compositions of poet laureates like Kottayath thampuran, Unnayi Warrier, Koyithampuran, Vayaskara Mooss are milestones in the history of Kathakali.

Aattakkadhakal (stories for dance), the poetic compositions of legendary stories to special metric scale, set to music in classical Carnatic style are danced out.

All people, irrespective of caste and religion, as a common legacy, practice the kalari, an offshoot of the Hindu way of life. The number of Kalaries increased as each community with the permission of the respective chieftain and naduvazhi established their own Kalaries. The Vadakkan pattukal give account of 'Thacholi Othenan' obtaining permission from KunhaliMarakkar of Kottakkal, sometime around the 1590's to start a kalari. The Kalari system has become a popular physical culture for defence and offence. Regular kalaries were run in each and every village under the supervision of an Asan or Guru, who was revered in the society with the title 'Panikkar'. Kalarippayatt has four successive stages of training Maippayatt, Koltari, Ankatari and Verumkaiprayogam. Maippayattu or 'Meiotukkappayattu', a series of body control exercise, systematically designed and practiced according to vaythari or verbal instructions, which gives proper orientation, suppleness and flexibility to the body.

On mastering 'maippayattu' the next stage is fighting with the wooden weapons called 'Koltari'. Mastering 'Koltari' leads to ' Ankatari' the technique of fighting with metal weapons. The final stage is training in empty hand fighting techniques called 'verumkaiprayogam'. 'Marmaprayogam', the attack on the vulnerable points of the body, instructed to pupil with good willpower and discipline. All exercise in Kalari is performed in strict accordance with 'Vaylari' or systematically developed verbal instruction given by Guru. Today most of the kalaries except C.V.N Kalari, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode offer courses extending throughout the year.

Kavadiyattam, a colourful ritual art, is a votive offering to Sree Subramanya. Basically of Tamil origin, Kavadiyattam is widely prevalent in the Subramanya temples all over Kerala during the festival seasons.

Dressed in bright yellow or saffron robes, devotees performing kavadiyattam smear vibhoothi or sacred ash all over their body. Each one carries on his shoulder an ornate Kavadi - a huge bow, richly decorated with peacock feathers, (it is believed that the peacock is the vehicle of Sree Subramanya). Kavadiyattam literally means dance carrying a kavadi. Kavadies are usually of different sizes and shapes, each with its own significance.

A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly coloured artificial flowers, a mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock feathers and ambalakavadi, one shaped like the gopuram (tower) of a temple. A kavadi can rise up to a height of 10-18 feet.

The dancers twist and spin in a row. A group of such kavadi dancers make an exotic sight. The dancers gradually move in a frenzy, in step with the rising beats of percussion instruments like udukku, chenda etc., accompanying the procession. Sometimes nadaswaram, a wind instrument, is also used.

These are performed in front of shrines, sans stage or curtains, by persons belonging to the Vannan, Malayan and other related castes.

'Thudangal' (the beginning) and 'Thottam' (the invocation) are the introductory rituals of the Theyyam or the Thira, as it is known in south Malabar.

The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular in sheer size and appearance. Karivalloor, Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Parassini, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in north Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed.

Velakali originated in Ambalappuzha where Mathoor Panicker, chief of the Chempakasserri army, promoted it to boost the martial spirit of the people.

The dance form is a regular feature of the annual festivities at the Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna temple in Alappuzha district.

The songs deal with devotional themes and are accompanied by a bow like instrument called Ona-villu.

No formal training is required to perform the Kummattikkali, and often the spectators join in the performance.

It then takes a striking turn with a martial play of artificial swords and shields. The narration is stark without musical accompaniments. The songs date back to a period much before the Portuguese invasion. Today, Margomkali is only performed as a stage item by women.

The coloured powders used for the kalam are prepared from natural products only. The pigments are extracted from plants - rice flour (white), charcoal powder (black), turmeric powder (yellow), powdered green leaves (green), and a mixture of turmeric powder and lime (red). It often takes more than two hours to finish a kalam drawing with appealing perfection. Decorations like a canopy of palm fronds, garlands of red hibiscus flowers and thulasi or Ocimum leaves are hung above the kalam.

The figures drawn usually have an expression of anger, and other emotions. Kalamezhuthu artists are generally members of communities like the Kurups, Theyyampadi Nambiars, Theeyadi Nambiars and Theeyadi Unnis. The kalams drawn by these people differ in certain characteristics.

The Kalamezhuthu is a forty-day ritualistic festival beginning with the first of Vrischikam (Scorpio) in most Bhagavathy temples in Kerala.