Artist
Theyyam Performers
India
Theyyam. Dance of the Gods. A Ritual from Kerala
Theyyam or Theyyattam is a popular ritual dance form of North Kerala in South India. It is presently performed in Kolathunaad, a part of the present-day Cannadore district and Badagara Taluk of Kerala state. The word 'Theyyam' is a corruption of 'daivam' meaning god. In Theyyam the primary task of the performer is to incarnate divine presence in the ordinary world and so become a worshipped deity in manifest form. A Theyyam performer is called Kollakaran, which literally means “a man who takes the form of a god” or Kolam meaning figure or shape or make-up. Traditionally dancers were bonded or indentured to a particular group of village shrines maintained by a Brahmin landowner. A Theyyam dancer was obligated to perform by the circumstances of his birth. Dancers were very badly paid and indeed were frequently punished or fined if they made a mistake in performing either the songs or dances or failed to show sufficient deference to persons of high rank. There are many branches to the art of Theyyam and a true artist must master them all. They are: singing and recitation, make up and preparation of costumes, playing of the various musical instruments, and dancing. There are over a hundred devotional songs or thottam and these must all be memorised by the aspiring performer. Each deity or hero must be honoured with different costume, head-dress and make-up and these too must be mastered as part of the training of a dancer. A Theyyam performer traditionally begins training at the age of seven or eight with an older relative who is a master performer. Training takes place exclusively within a particular family – in many cases the tradition has been transmitted virtually unchanged through the generations of one family for centuries. The attendance at a Theyyam festival depends on the caste of the shrine or household where the ceremony takes place. In the home or shrine of a high caste family only those of a similar caste can attend and take part in the festivities. In the shrine of a lower caste family or the shrine of an indigenous deity or hero all may attend and high and low castes can be present at the festivities together. In the modern era the future and survival of Theyyam is uncertain as the tradition can only be transmitted within a particular family. The last generation of Theyyam masters has found it hard to pass on their art form as many of the younger generation are not interested in becoming Theyyam performers and wish to pursue other careers. Thus disinterest is in danger of killing off this millennia-old form of worship.
Programme:
Title: Theyyam Performers. Dance of the Gods. Ritual from Kerala.
Place: Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych, Dziedziniec
date/hour: 04.07.2009 / 21:00
Price: 20 PLN
TICKET
Title: Theyyam Performers. Dance of the Gods. Ritual from Kerala.
Place: Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych, Dziedziniec
date/hour: 05.07.2009 / 21:30
Price: 20 PLN
TICKET
Title: Screening of the film “Living God” and meeting with Rupesh Tillu (India)
Place: Festival Club Mleczarnia
date/hour: 04.07.2009 / 15:00
Price: wstęp wolny
India
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Theyyam. Dance of the Gods. A Ritual from KeralaTheyyam or Theyyattam is a popular ritual dance form of North Kerala in South India. It is presently performed in Kolathunaad, a part of the present-day Cannadore district and Badagara Taluk of Kerala state. The word 'Theyyam' is a corruption of 'daivam' meaning god. In Theyyam the primary task of the performer is to incarnate divine presence in the ordinary world and so become a worshipped deity in manifest form. A Theyyam performer is called Kollakaran, which literally means “a man who takes the form of a god” or Kolam meaning figure or shape or make-up. Traditionally dancers were bonded or indentured to a particular group of village shrines maintained by a Brahmin landowner. A Theyyam dancer was obligated to perform by the circumstances of his birth. Dancers were very badly paid and indeed were frequently punished or fined if they made a mistake in performing either the songs or dances or failed to show sufficient deference to persons of high rank. There are many branches to the art of Theyyam and a true artist must master them all. They are: singing and recitation, make up and preparation of costumes, playing of the various musical instruments, and dancing. There are over a hundred devotional songs or thottam and these must all be memorised by the aspiring performer. Each deity or hero must be honoured with different costume, head-dress and make-up and these too must be mastered as part of the training of a dancer. A Theyyam performer traditionally begins training at the age of seven or eight with an older relative who is a master performer. Training takes place exclusively within a particular family – in many cases the tradition has been transmitted virtually unchanged through the generations of one family for centuries. The attendance at a Theyyam festival depends on the caste of the shrine or household where the ceremony takes place. In the home or shrine of a high caste family only those of a similar caste can attend and take part in the festivities. In the shrine of a lower caste family or the shrine of an indigenous deity or hero all may attend and high and low castes can be present at the festivities together. In the modern era the future and survival of Theyyam is uncertain as the tradition can only be transmitted within a particular family. The last generation of Theyyam masters has found it hard to pass on their art form as many of the younger generation are not interested in becoming Theyyam performers and wish to pursue other careers. Thus disinterest is in danger of killing off this millennia-old form of worship.
Programme:
Title: Theyyam Performers. Dance of the Gods. Ritual from Kerala.
Place: Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych, Dziedziniec
date/hour: 04.07.2009 / 21:00
Price: 20 PLN
TICKET
Title: Theyyam Performers. Dance of the Gods. Ritual from Kerala.
Place: Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych, Dziedziniec
date/hour: 05.07.2009 / 21:30
Price: 20 PLN
TICKET
Title: Screening of the film “Living God” and meeting with Rupesh Tillu (India)
Place: Festival Club Mleczarnia
date/hour: 04.07.2009 / 15:00
Price: wstęp wolny
