Eye Dancing and India’s Ancient Art of Kathakali

Kathakali is a traditional Indian dance native to the southern state of Kerala. To perform it, artists deck out in elaborate costumes and colorful makeup to tell stories from Hindu epics. It takes students nearly 12 years of training to learn the choreography and gestures necessary to Kathakali. But the real trick? Mastering the eyes. Dancers must learn to constrict and move their eyes to express a whole range of emotions.