Kathakali, Indian Dance & Martial Arts

The program I saw showed a pastiche of Keralan dance styles., as well as martial arts. Above is an  Indian classical dance form.

This is from the martial arts part of the program. These are actually 2 long metal poles.

This is the Kathakali style dance theatre piece. It is very visual kabuki-like performance. Katha means story and Kali means play. The stories are taken from Hindu mythology. This form originated in the early 17th century.