Malapulayattam takes centre stage this year with its infectious beats

Vani teaches Malapulayattam, a tribal dance form, to students for Kerala State School Arts Festival with traditional beats.

Vani does not remember when she first danced along to the infectious beats of Malapulayattam. No one taught her the steps. It just came to her naturally from watching her grandmother and mother dance during her childhood. Now, as a teacher of Malapulayattam, one of the five tribal art forms which was included in the Kerala State School Arts Festival this year, she was at the Nishagandhi auditorium on Monday with the students of MKNM HSS, Thodupuzha, whom she trained.

“Though I have always performed the dance in our village, this is the first time I am attending such a big event outside. Members of the Malapulaya community like us perform this dance for all our festivals, weddings and when girls attain puberty. My grandmother also used to talk about this belief that performing this dance could bring rain during arid months,” says Vani, accompanied by her son Krishnakumar, who also trains the students. Accompanied by the pulsating percussive sounds of the Idimutti and a Nashik dhol-like drum, the dancers go around in circles performing the traditional tribal dance steps, with a dash of ‘dappankoothu’ dance also coming into them. The sticks add the effects of Kolkkali to the art form. There is no song that goes along with it, but the performers howl along and ululate in sync with the beats.

According to the trainers, it has been a herculean task to train the students, most of whom are new to the art form, as the notification for inclusion of the item at the festival came only in October. As there are no strict directives on the attire or the accompaniments, there were visible variations between many of the performing teams.