For the 12 students of Government Model Residential School, Kulathupuzha, who participated in the Irula Dance (Irula Nritham) competition as part of the Kerala State School Arts Festival, the driving force behind the performance is not to be unique or special, but to showcase a piece of their lives on stage.
The team, made up of students from the Irula community, captivated the audience with their performance. Without a dance master to guide them, they drew on their lived experiences, choreographed and learned the dance on their own. P. Sreejith, a teacher from the school who accompanied the children, says they didn’t need a teacher because dance was “in their blood”.
Behind the scenes, after appearing in the competition, as a student of XII. class Dinesh Kumar let out a high-pitched voice through the air that rang with a raw and strange emotional intensity unlike anything one would normally hear.
“At times, some members might get tired during the dance,” said Dinesh. “Then you ululate to attract their attention and infuse energy into the performance. The dance is usually performed around the dead. It’s a way of saying a joyful farewell to the dead.”
Only last year five new tribal dances, Mangalam Kali, Paniya Nritham, Malapulaya Aattam, Paliya Nritham and Irula Nritham were introduced. Within a short period of time, the dances gained great popularity among the public.
M. Prasanth, a member of the Paliya tribal community in Kumily, Idukki, teaches dance. “Earlier, when these dances were included (in the festival), not everyone in the tribes was happy because these dances are important to the community and are revered. But over time, the mood changed as more people learned about them.”
Published – 17 Jan 2026 21:26 IST