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Mohiniattam is a dance of
an enchantress who causes havoc and destruction to the wicked
and great delight and pleasure to the good. It is one of the two
major dance dramas of Kerala. It is a kind of synthesis of
Kathakali, Bharatanatyam and a few folk dances of the region. It
is said to be older than the Kathakali. The first reference to
Mohiniattam is found in 'Vyavaharamala' composed by
Mazhamangalam Narayanan Namboodiri, assigned to the 16th century
AD.
In the 19th century, Swati Thirunal, the king of
erstwhile Travancore, did much to encourage and stabilize this
art form. Poet Vallathol revived it and gave it a status in the
modern times through the Kerala Kalamandalam, which he founded
in 1930. Kalamandalam Kalyaniamma, the first dance teacher of
the Kalamandalam was instrumental in resuscitating this ancient
art form. Along with her, Krishna Panicker, Madhavi Amma and
Chinnammu Amma nurtured aspirants in this discipline at the
Kalamandalam.
The theme of Mohiniattam is love and
devotion to Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna. The basic format of the
traditional Mohiniattam repertoire is similar to that of the
Bharatanatyam, progressing through Cholkettu, Jathiswaram,
Varnam, Padam and Tillana. It presents a perfect combination of
abinaya, nritta and nritya to evoke
rasa. The songs contain the theme of divine love and the dancer
interprets it with her skilled footwork, movements of the hands,
and facial expressions. Everything in this dance continues
smoothly and softly to the accompaniment of the cymbals, veena,
maddala, and chenda.
The costume is usually white or
off-white comprising of sari. Adornments include various
ornaments and ankle bells and garlands of jasmine in the hair.
The style of vocal music is classical Carnatic. The lyrics
composed by Maharaja Swati Tirunal and Irayimman Thampi are in
Manipravala (a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam).
Famous Exponents: Kalamandalam Kalyaniamma, Krishna Panicker,
Madhavi Amma and Chinnammu Amma are the pioneers of Mohinattam.
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