SSC
Which classical dance-drama is described as a harmonious combination of five fine art forms: expression (Natyam), dance (Nritham and Nrithyam), music (Geetham) and instruments (Vadyam)?
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Answer: Option C — Kathakali
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Kathakali. Kathakali, the classical dance-drama of Kerala, is often described as a harmonious combination of five fine arts: Natyam (drama or expression), Nritham (pure dance), Nrithyam (expressive dance), Geetham (vocal music) and Vadyam (instrumental music). It brings all these arts together in a single, complete theatrical experience.
In Kathakali, the actors tell stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas, entirely through expressive acting, dance, hand gestures (mudras) and facial expressions, without speaking. The songs are sung by two singers standing at the back of the stage, in the Sopana style, in Manipravalam (a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit). The singers also play the chengila (a gong) and the elathalam (cymbals), while drummers play the chenda (a cylindrical drum played with sticks) and the maddalam (a barrel-shaped drum played with the hands). The actors' costumes and make-up (aharya) are among the most spectacular in the world, with colour-coded face paint that shows the nature of each character, huge skirts and tall, decorated headdresses. The dance movements are vigorous and powerful (mainly tandava in style) and are influenced by Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala, which gives the actors strength and flexibility.
Kathakali developed in the 17th century from the Ramanattam (created by the Prince of Kottarakkara) and the Krishnanattam (created by the Zamorin of Calicut), along with older forms such as Koodiyattam and Theyyam. It was revived in the 20th century by the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, who founded the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930.
About the other options:
- Yakshagana of Karnataka also combines dance, music and drama, but its actors speak their own dialogue, and it is not described with these five arts.
- Mohiniyattam is a graceful solo dance of Kerala performed by women.
- Odissi is the classical dance of Odisha.
💡 Exam tip
Kathakali is the dance-drama of Kerala that combines five arts. Remember its colour-coded make-up, its drums (the chenda and maddalam) and its texts (attakathas).💬 Discussions on this question
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Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
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Indian Dance Forms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indian Dance Forms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
Indian dance forms are one of the most frequently tested areas of static GK. This topic covers the eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya), the folk and tribal dances of every state, and related terms such as mudra, abhinaya, lasya and tandava. Most questions ask which state a dance belongs to, which community performs it, or which feature identifies a classical style. Learn the classical dances with their state and one signature feature each, such as the face make-up of Kathakali or the brass plate of Kuchipudi. For folk dances, group them state by state, since exams often list three or four dances and ask for the common state. Watch for dances shared by more than one state, such as Chhau, which has three styles. Practise the Indian dance forms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.