Kerala School Kalolsavam 2023: In step with Margamkali

Participants wearing mundu, chatta and kavini come up with solid performances

The team from St. Joseph’s HSS, Kollam, performing Margamkali (HSS). | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN

The girls are like a well-oiled machine on the dance floor. The traditional Christian attire is all elegance, and as they burst into a high-voltage move, their cheeks take a rosy glow. Moving around the ceremonial lamp representing Christ, the dancers make the leaps and swirls look effortless.

What is Margamkali?

Margam Kali is a popular Christian artform in Kerala performed as a group by women. It demands a high sense of rhythm and agility from the performers, and is performed mostly at Christian wedding ceremonies and often at church festivals.

Precision and coordination

Precise steps

| Video Credit: Mithosh Joseph

But Margamkali is one dance form that demands precision and coordination at the highest level. The main venue of the Kerala School Kalolsavam at Vikram Maidan here was swarming with spectators on Thursday as the participating teams wearing mundu, chatta and kavini came up with some solid performances.

“Frankly speaking, we were not aware of this dance form until recently. Since so many latest films featured Margamkali sequences along with fast Christian songs, we decided to watch it. And we are floored,” says Fiza Fatima from Beypore.

Worth the effort

The girls step down from the stage all exhausted, but the smile lingers on their faces. The participants from St. Joseph’s Convent GHSS, Kollam, feels the competition was quite tight this time. “Equal effort is required from all team members and everything depends on the rhythm,” says S. Niranjana from the team.

According to the team from Anglo-Indian School, Kozhikode, it is all about synchrony. “You need thorough practice sessions and your energy levels should remain high till the dance concludes. You have to balance and coordinate without missing a single beat,” says Ria Teresa Sebastian from the team.