Margam Kali

Margam Kali  is one of the ancient group dance of Kerala practiced by Saint Thomas Christians. It is difficult to trace the exact origin of the dance form and the compilation of the lyrics, but the dance form was practiced by the Saint Thomas Christians before the arrival of Portuguese missionaries in Kerala. There are several different opinions on the origin of Margamkali. Two are:1. It is derived from the early forms of thiruvathira kali2. It is derived from Sangam kali and the martial arts dance form parichamuttu kali.

Mohiniyattam

Mohiniyattam, is a traditional South Indian dance from Kerala, developed by the Tamil nattuvanar (dance master) Vadivelu,one of the Thanjavur Quartet. It is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. It is considered a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk.

Oppana

Oppana is a famous dance form of Kerala and is basically attributed to Kerala Muslims .This dance is done with the tunes of mappilappattu and is very popular as an entertainment item for Muslim weddings. The theme is often teasing comments about the bride’s anticipated nuptial bliss.

Kathakali

Kathakali is the dance drama art and is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. In this dance form , the dancers take various roles in performances traditionally based on themes from Hindu Mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharatha.The main interesting aspect is its elaborate make – up code. The extraordinary make-ups and the costume take the audience to a world of wonders. Even today Kathakali is enjoyed by all irrespective of their nation .

Theyyam

Theyyam is one of the most popular ritualistic dance forms of Kerala. The theme is devotional performed with symbols and presentations. One can see the divine power through the performing person. All the dancing theyyams are Gods of different regions .It is symbolic kind of worship of Gods.

Culture of Kerala

The culture of Kerala is a synthesis of Dravidian and Aryan cultures, developed and mixed for centuries, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. Modern Kerala society took shape owing to migrations from different parts of India through out Classical Antiquity. Kerala trace its non-prehistoric cultural genesis to its membership (around the 3rd century CE) in a vaguely-defined historical region known as Thamizhagom — a land defined by a common Tamil culture and encompassing the Chera, Chola, and Pandya kingdoms. At that time, the music, dance, language (first Dravida Bhasha — "Dravidian language"— then Tamil), and Sangam (a vast corpus of Tamil literature composed between 1,500–2,000 years ago) found in Kerala were all similar to the horoscopic relation--117.207.239.170 (talk) 11:40, 18 November 2011 (UTC) that found in the rest of Thamizhagom (today's Tamil Nadu). The culture of Kerala evolved through the Sanskritization of Dravidian ethos, revivalism of religious movements and reform movements against caste discrimination. Kerala showcases a culture unique to itself developed through accommodation, acculturation and assimilation of various faculties of civilized lifestyle.