LESSON - 4

Performing arts practised over the years in Tamil lands are introduced in this lesson. Classifying them indicating the environment of their performance, this lesson describes the performers, the stories used in their performances, the musical instruments and the dressing and make-up techniques. Some aspects of Tamil culture emerge from these arts.

The six central units are concerned with the performing arts, the general classification, the environments of performance, the themes adopted, the musical instruments make-up techniques and the performing artistes.

Folk Arts are classified as Folk Performing Arts and Folk Material Arts.

Folk performing Arts involves song and dance. The general factors concerned with these arts are the stages on which they are performed, the regional nature of performances, the method of performing them and the nomenclature adopted. Performing arts are either story-related or non-story forms. For example Therukoothu is a story-related art and Karakattam is a non-story art. Villupattu, Oyilaattam and Therukoothu represent the story related arts. Similarly Mayilaattam, Kolaattam, Kuravan Kurathi aattam represent the three forms of non-story performances.

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