first of all, i have had it with google’s blogger/blogspot service, which causes my computer to crash when i try to upload photos. i’m now on wordpress, which is not as easily customized – at least, not for free – but i have hopes that it won’t keep causing me frustration. and now …
after our time in rajasthan, we flew down to kerala. the highlight for me was the kathakali performance. kathakali is a highly stylized classical dance form that incorporates make-up, elaborate costumes, and very precise facial expressions and body movements. the dancers reenact stories from the mahabharata and other myths. the performances usually last 3-4 hours, but the performance we attended was just a half-hour sample. we also were able to watch the make-up session and look into the dressing room.
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| actor being made up before the performance; in the dressing room. | ||
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| a demonstration of the various facial expressions and body movements, with their meanings. | ||
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| scenes from the performance, in which a demon tries to slay krishna by disguising himself as a comely young woman. in the last photo, the demon has revealed himself in his true form, and krishna is about to slay him. | ||
next: mumbai. you can get the older posts by going to www.cohn17.blogspot.com
COHN17 