Mohiniattam Adavus

  

 In Indian classical dance, An adavu is a step or synchronized movement of the feet and body , holding a mudra (s) that does not convey any meaning but is purely ornamental. It is set to a precise rhythm and can be performed in three speeds - Slow, medium and fast. 

Mohiniattam, the graceful and sensuous dance form of Kerala has seen a steep rise in its popularity in the last 10-15 years. however, one area that I feel Mohiniattam lags behind is the repertoire of adavus. Mohiniattam adavus are about 30 in total which limits the choreography or the ability to elaborately present a dance item. 

Geeta Radhakrishna, my teacher who has directly learnt under the guidance of Smt.Kalyani Kuttiama learnt the purest and most traditional or unique adavus. Soon, she realized that the limited  number of adavus us a constraint in Mohiniattam and that something needed to be done about it. This gave her a purpose to increase the vocabulary of adavus. She initiated a research and connected with many great Mohiniattam dance artists from yesteryear. Their interpretation and sharing of knowledge made my teacher realize that Mohiniattam was being performed and taught or learnt even before the evolution of Bharatnatyam but with its decline in popularity thus  the artists or teachers refused to be known/associated with the dance form. This affected Mohiniattam gravely as the treasure of knowledge was Lost !! To and carry the legacy forward, Mohiniattam lost many of its unique adavus and nuances of the dance form.

My teacher was on a mission to systematize MOHINIATTAM , add many authentic steps that were traditionally practised but forgotten with time. She traveled to extensively and interviewed many great artists for her research purpose.In Kerala, there is a street where dance artists, once associated with Mohiniattam had lived or were living with their families but to my teacher's surprise they refused to speak anything about it. On the other hand, many artists and famour Mohiniattam dance teachers came forward and gave my teacher enough material for her to write a book  on  Mohiniattam Adavus & Mudras

The book has illustrations for a dancer to not just read and understand the step/adavu but also see the diagrams to further clearly understand how the step is executed. Based on her research, she has defined 150 adavus. These adavus are purely in line with the ambit of what Mohiniattam should be performed and comprises steps that are purely, traditionally and originally Mohiniattam.  

This comprehensive list of adavus, I believe this will be the genesis of Mohiniattam to what it was at one time with an added touch of Geeta Radhakrishna's vision of how  this dance form can have a strong hold of movements along with abhinaya. 

Dance artists can learn these steps and choreograph dances without having to restrict themselves to the small numbers of steps that is being used. 

Please visit http://www.mohiniattam.com/books.php for a read on the book Mohiniattam Adavus & Mudras by Geeta Radhakrishna.