Navarasas

Going through the navarasas I am particularly drawn to one emotion i.e Karuna (Compassion, Empathy, Sympathy). To think about this emotion, i feel it is the most difficult one to express. Pain unless felt from within perhaps cannot be emoted like any of the other rasas. Somehow, I am allured by the way one can express it and the way that it connects to the audience. It is an intriguing emotion, a state of mind that one can imagine but perhaps dread to go through. Somehow I am in love with this bhavam, I dont enjoy being melancholic but yes I enjoy depicting it.

One of the padams closest to my heart is Panimathi Mukhi bale, a padam that oozes melancholy, a feel of despair , pain and anguish.The nayika speaks to her best friend and an intermediary between the Lord himself and the nayika about how the Lord has forgotten her and how he does not think of her, all that in contrast to the feeling of her own. She cries her heart out, and feels the pangs of love but the Lord doesn't realise or doesn't still come to meet her.

The song is set to Ahiri ragam and the song just takes you to another world where you can only see her love for the lord and her pain and sorrow.I have performed this item many times and have received appreciation from many but each time I perform this item , I  feel I walk a step further to her , to being the Nayika  and still feel  there is so much to feel  to actually be "Her"

  Enthaho Vallabha  by Irayimman Thampi 

is a beautiful composition by Irayimman Thampi, the famous poet during Swathi Thirunal's reign. The song is set to adhi thalam  and is based on a particular nayika of the Ashta Nayikas - Virahothkhanditha.
Of the 8 nayikas in natya shahstra , Virahothkhanditha Nayika is the bold one. She is full of confidence and is quarrelsome too. She questions when she senses something amiss and will reason to get things right but will not silently suffer or let go.

This a popular song which is performed as a Padam. I really love this piece of composition because unlike other padams in Mohiniattam  where the Nayika always confides in her friend and through her conveys her state of mind to the Lord himself, here the Nayika directly confronts the Lord and asks him why is he not speaking to her, what folly has she committed and why is she subjected to loneliness.

I really relate to this portrayal of Virahothkhanditha Nayika as I believe I am a lot like her. I am bold and often question if I feel there is something amiss. Then again, in Mohiniattam I see a pattern of portrayal of women i.e. they are always the one who silently go through the pain and anguish but never once confronts. I believe this is because back in the yesteryear, women were subtle, submissive and did not raise a voice.Their husbands were treated as good as God and nothing was done without their permission. They were innocent and had a heart of gold that only knew to Love or go through sorrow. They would conclude it as their destiny if their husbands actually took to anger or left them and never returned. Such women did exist and hence in Mohiniattam this is an unsaid thing to keep in mind while depicting any Nayika. Though over the years, I see this has changed and a state like Kerala  is an evolved society, I personally have seen this gradual change in the nature and that  while women rub shoulders with men on any and every sphere, they also do not shy away or resort to destiny or ill fate but ensures they do everything to keep the equilibrium. can say I am part of this statistics today.

I realize the greatness of the poet Iraymman Thampi ,who at that era wrote about women in adorning different roles - that of a mother (Omana thingal kidavo) or one like this.

I hope more and more dancers actually perform this item as the audience today would be able to relate to this very easily.

Mysore Dasara 2012

I had been to Mysore for the 402nd celebration of the Dasara festival. The city was decoarated like a beautiful bride. The Mysore palace was opulently decorated and the highlights were the programmes from various part of South that were showcased on account of the festival.

 BHARATNATYAM BY LAKSHMY GOPALASWAMY

I had the fortune of witnessing some great performances. One was of Lakshmy Gopalaswamy and her troupe that brought the palace back to life with her performances. One that I loved the most was Mathe - varnam that sings praises of Gooddes Durga. Lakshmy Gopalaswamy so beautifully narrated the stories depicting Goddess Durga in various instances of hindu mythology. Her expressive eyes and captivating sense of body movements hooked me onto the seat for 3 whole hours. Though the programme was delayed by over an hour i felt the wait was worth it. I managed to capture a still from one of her solo performances that evening. This for me brings back that scintillating experience of the evening. 

Laskhmy Gopalaswamy depicting Yashodha and her  beautiful conversation with the mischevious Lord Balkrishna, this was one of the best items of the evening.

MOHINIATTAM BY Dr.NEENA PRASAD

The very next evening was an extremely exquisite performance by Dr.Neena Prasad and group. Being a Mohiniattam dancer I couldnt have asked for more as I have been yearning to witness one of her performances at least. Her entry onto the stage was a quite one unlike the pomp and show that bigger or popular artisits would have. She started off with what seemed as a solo number but her students deftly joined her in what is known as Nritta (pure dance movements set to a rhythm). She later on went on to showcase an item on Ananthashayana - A group dance depicting  Lord Vishnu in one of the most worshipped gods in our hindu pantheon. The performance depicted how many of us common people with all our worries and distress go to him Lord Vishnu and he ensures we are free of it. This was a beautifully choreographed dance which had a complete flow that one would just get engulfed into.

Dr. Neena Prasad graced us with her performance depicting the powerful and courageus Gooddess Durga. This solo item was about how as humans we think we are above all and that we think we can surpass the greatness of the Gods above but the minute Goddess breaks us down we realise we are nothing and that in her mercy we hold our strength. This performance by far has been one of the most capitvating performances I have ever seen in Mohiniattam. Truth be told I was totally flowing with the beautiful music and her facial expressions showing the changing emotions of common man and that of Goddess Durga was absolutely mezmerising. So flown were we in the audience that in her final pose as Goddess Durga  we were actually  left spellbound.

I didnt realise when the photo was captured but I was lucky enough to have copied the moment as it is in Live, though the emotions cannot be shared or be experienced the photo speaks for itself what Mysore had experienced that evening.


Yes I also didnt miss out the opportunity of thanking the great exponent of Mohiniattam for the wonderful evening

My Tryst with Dance

I am a mohiniattam dancer , allured and devoured by the  fine art that defines grace,ethereal beauty and divinity. Mohiniattam has taught me to dream, imagine in a creative way by which I transcend into a world of emotions and expressions. It brings me immense happiness and sense of fulfillment.

Though I am am trained in both mohiniattam and bharatnatyam , I'd like to be known as a mohiniattam artist and that is simply because I love this dance form  and more so because  its  not a commonly seen dance. Truth be told for a major part of my journey as mohiniattam and bharatnatyam dancer I was simply a performer.I focused on the execution of my dance as directed by my gurus rather than digging into the finer aspects of it. Though I  was appreciated as a fine dancer I  could only be a part of somebody else' creation but couldn't conjure up something of my own.

My association with Mohiniatta Nritakalashetra a dance school purely dedicated toward propagating mohiniattam as dance enabled me to choreograph and create and perform my own dances in this particular art form  that too retaining the original essence.Being part of the small statistics with the purest art form I felt the need to share many of the less known aspects of mohiniattam. I  realised there is very little or limited information shared regarding mohiniattam on the internet, especially the traditional and original form. I start off by being a part of blogosphere in view to connect with many artists from across the globe. in search of the pure art form and growing with it.