Kathakali At the southwestern tip of the peninsula, in Kerala, developed Kathakali (literally story play), a very complex art, performed by the warrior caste. Kathakali evolved during the 17th century and combined older art forms that included dance movements, facial expressions, elaborate hand gestures, music, theatre, and the martial art of Kalarippayatt. Kathakali has a rich vocabulary in three dance traditions: classical- textually derived from Sanskrit, folk- using regional language, and ritualistic- employing a wide variety of theatrical and dramatic techniques. Kathakali relies on an elaborate gestural language as well as facial expressions.