Kathakali....dance drama from Kerala

Kathakali is the most well known dance drama from Kerala and it means "Story-Play" or more literally a story narrated in the form of play and is characterised by its elaborate makeup and costumes. 

The themes of Kathakali are religious, mostly mythological in nature and taken from the Mahabarat and the Ramayana the two epics in India, the text is generally Sanskritised Malayalam.
Kathakali is generally performed in villages by the light of lamps and as expected is a major social event, generally starting at dusk and progressing through out the night.  Kathakali is usually performed only by men.  Female characters are portrayed by men dressed in women's costume. 
What characterises Kathakali  from any other dance form is the very elaborate makeup, it is so elaborate that it is more like a mask than makeup in the usual sense. The materials that comprise the makeup are all locally available, the white from rice flour, the red from vermilion (a red earth such as cinnabar) and the black from soot.  The colours are not merely decoration, but are also a means of portraying characters.  For instance, red on the feet is used to symbolise evil character and evil intent.
The costumes too are distinctive and characteristic of Kathakal, they are very elaborate and very heavy. There are several kinds of costume and these can be characterised as follows, Sathwika (the hero), Kathi (the villain), Minukku (females), and Thatti. Each character is instantly recognisable by their characteristic makeup and costume.