MOHINIYATTOM BRIGHT FUTURE

MOHINIYATTOM BRIGHT FUTURE

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Kerala’s graceful dance of the enchantress, as Mohiniyattam is known, will have a future as a dance form of  if its students focus on blending its rich theory with nuances of the present, veteran dancer Kalamandalam Sugandhi has said.Her session on the origin of Mohiniyattam Kutcheri and how it has evolved, proved invaluable to students of the Sree Swathi Thirunal College of Music, during the second day of ‘Sadhana’, an annual short-term programme on music and dance constituted by the college.Tracing the history of the dance, ever since it was introduced to Kalamandalam by Vallathol in the 1930s, Ms. Sugandhi described the dance course to still be in a nascent stage. “During the time when I studied at the institution in the 1960s, the focus on analysing the history and the background of every movement was not intensive and it was the sheer beauty of the graceful art that was being appreciated,” she said.

To her, an in-depth study of the Natya Shastram could better performances. There was a fear for such a study among students, though they did not mind a generic understanding of the ancient treatise, she said.Learning the Natyashastram will help both the students and the teacher, as teaching would become easier when students know the past and the technique behind a particular gesture or a movement. “For an artiste, it is gratifying to see in practice, what is inscribed in theory,” she said, adding that the study of the Natyashastram also helped her create varied compositions.Evidently a devoted apostle of Mohiniyattam, she said there was need for a more unique sound that could be associated with the dance. “For example, for Kathakali, there is a distinct thalam, that if one hears from a distance, can be linked to a Kathakali performance. We need to develop a similar sound for Mohiniyattom,” said Ms. Sugandhi.

Upholding the quality of Abhinayam , the dancer urged students to not cocoon themselves in theoretical aspects but to also observe the world and let the influences penetrate their performances. “It is our response to what is good and bad that results in beautiful renditions on stage,” said the performer. She was accompanied by her daughter, Nanditha Prabhu, who backed her mother well with demonstrations while Ms. Sugandhi chanted the thalam .On the influences of Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam in Mohiniyattam, Ms. Sugandhi said such blendings helped traditional dance forms transcend borders.She also said there was a need to make people more receptive and entertained by Mohiniyattam Kutcheri traditions.

Prof. John Kurakar