About this Event
VESHAM: Under the Painted Face by Parappore offers an encounter with Kathakali, one of India’s most rigorous and visually commanding classical dance-theatre traditions. Rooted in mythology and codified technique, Kathakali uses highly precise gestures, powerful movement, and intense eye and facial work to communicate complex narratives and emotional states often without spoken words. What emerges is a form that is at once monumental and deeply human.
Arya Parappore is an acclaimed Kathakali artist hailing from Kerala, India. She has been training with Guru Kalamandalam Venkittaraman since 2006 and has perfected various roles, including Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku veshas. With over 300 performances on stage, Arya has had the chance to receive specialized training from esteemed figures like Vazhenkada Vijayan and Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, along with Kalamandalam Balasubramian and others. She has taken on prestigious roles such as Ravana, Narakasura, Duryodhana, and Parashurama. Currently based in Berlin with her family, Arya is dedicated to promoting Kathakali worldwide as one of its prominent female practitioners.
At the heart of this evening is the spirit of Berlin Baithak, an intimate, thoughtfully curated space that bridges the gap between performer and audience, tradition and contemporary context, cultural specificity and shared human experience. By bringing a grand, highly formal art form like Kathakali into close proximity, the Baithak invites audiences to notice what is often missed on large stages: the breath behind the movement, the effort behind the stillness, and the transformation that unfolds beneath the spectacle.
Whether you are encountering Kathakali for the first time or returning to it with familiarity, this Baithak invites you to slow down, look closely, and experience what lies beneath the painted face.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Global Music Academy, Wildenbruchstraße 80, Berlin, Germany
EUR 12.00 to EUR 15.00
