Kolkali is a folk art performed in

Malabar Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

region of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, India. The dance performers move in a circle, striking small sticks and keeping rhythm with special steps. The circle expands and contracts as the dance progress. The accompanying music gradually rises in pitch and the dance reaches its climax. Kolkali is now a popular event in Kerala School Kalolsavam, which is considered as the biggest cultural event of Asia. There are two styles of Kolkali: the actual Kolkali and Thekkan Koladi. The actual Kolkali consists of

Thacholikali Thacholikali is a folk art performed during the ''Mandala Utsavam'', forty-one day annual festival at the Lokanarkavu Bhagavathy Temple. Lokanarkavu temple is situated 5 km from Vatakara, a small town in Kerala state of South India. This dan ...

, Rajasooyam etc. The actual kolkali is almost at verge of extinction and Thekkan Koladi is still alive as it is added in state kololsavams. Many of the traditional performing art forms of Kerala like

Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...

Velakali Velakali is a traditional martial dance of Nair community of Kerala, India that is performed during temple festivals. Brightly dressed dancers wielding swords and shields depict a fight sequence between the Pandavas and Kauravas during the ...

Poorakkali Poorakkali (meaning Festival Performance) is a traditional dance ritual performed by men during the nine-day Pooram festival in Bhagavathy temples across North Malabar in Kerala State of south India. The Pooram festival begins with the Karth ...

and

; Kolkali, also have drawn elements from

Kalarippayatt Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is ...

during their stages of evolution. Kathakali has borrowed much from Kalarippayattu in its basic body preparative training of the actor not only in terms of technique in practice but also from the body massage for the trainee. Many of the body postures, choreography and foot work of the Kolkali characters are taken directly from Kalarippayattu. The origin of the art can be traced back to ancient days when Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala, was in vogue.

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Dances of Kerala Mappilas {{India-dance-stub

See also

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