Some of the famous performing arts in Kerala are:

Kathakali: Kathakali a unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance. rich and flourishing tradition of dance drama belongs to the South-Western state of Kerala. Kathakali means a story play or a dance drama. Katha means story, here actors depict characters from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and from the Puranas (ancient scriptures). It is extremely colourful. The dancers adorn themselves with billowing costumes, flowing scarves, ornaments and crowns. They use a specific type of symbolic makeup to portray various roles which are character-types rather than individual characters. Various qualities, human, godlike, demonic, etc., are all represented through fantastic make-up and costumes. The most striking part of this dance form is that its characters never speak, its just the lexicon of a highly developed hand-gestures language and facial expression which unfolds the text of the drama. The macro and micro movements of the face, the movements of the eyebrows, the eyeballs, the cheeks, the nose and the chin are minutely worked out and various emotions are registered in a flash by a Kathakali actor-dancer. Often men play the female roles, though of late women have taken to Kathakali. Present day Kathakali is a dance drama tradition, which evolved from centuries of highly stylised theatrical traditions of Kerala, especially Kudiyattam. Ritual traditions like Theyyams, Mudiyattam and the martial arts of Kerala played a major role in shaping the dance into its present form.

Chavittunatakam: Chavittunatakam a Christian art form of Kerala As a theatrical art form, developed under the churches, the actors in addition to the dialogue and songs, stamp the wooden platform with their feet to the tune of music.

Krishanattom: Krishnanattom traditional performance lasts for eight days and covers the whole span of Krishna's life from his birth to 'Swargarohanam' or ascension to the heavens.

Mohiniyattam: Mohiniyattam, Slow, graceful, swaying movements of the body and limbs and highly emotive eye and hand gestures are unique to this dance form. Mohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and Aattam meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word Mohiniattam literally means dance of the enchantress. The dance which has influences and elements from two South Indian dance forms, the Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, was formulated in the court of king Swati Tirunal by Vadivelu, one of the Thanjavur Quartet. The dance involves the swaying of broad hips and the gentle movements of erect torso from side to side. The costume includes white sari embroidered with bright golden brocade (known as kasavu at the edges. The dance follows the classical text of Hastha Lakshanadeepika, which has elaborate description of Mudras (gestural expressions by the hand palm and fingers).

Kakarissi Natakam:Kakkarissi natakom is a satirical dance-drama based on the puranic legends of Lord Siva and his consort Parvati when they assumed human forms as Kakkalan and Kakkathi - a nomadic tribe of fortune tellers

Thiruvathrirakali:Thiruvathirakali also known as Kaikottikali is a dance performed by women, in order to attain everlasting marital bliss.