MOHINIYATTAM - ART AND CULTURE
News: Classical
dance legend Kanak Rele passes away
What's in the news?
● Classical
dance legend Kanak Rele passed away
on February 22, 2023. The Mohiniyattam exponent, who was awarded the first Guru
Gopinath National Puraskaram of the Government of Kerala, died at the age of 85
in Mumbai.
Mohiniyattam:
● Mohiniyattam
is one of the eight Indian classical
dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
● The
Mohiniyattam is a popular dance form with a drama in dance, performed with subtle gestures and footwork.
○ The
word Mohini means a maiden who steals the heart of the onlooker.
Features:
● It
is performed by women.
● The
dance movements are graceful and the costumes are sober and attractive.
● Mohiniyattam
follows the Hastha Lakshanadeepika, a textbook for Mudras.
● Mohiniyattam
involves delicate footsteps and subtle
expressions.
● The
vocal music for Mohiniyattam is classical Carnatic.
● The
basic dance steps of Mohiniyattam are the Adavus
– Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam and Sammisram.
● Mohiniyattam
maintains a realistic makeup and simple dressing.
● The
entire technique in Mohiniyattam is of a graceful, gliding movement of the
body, a circular use of the torso and a revolving in the half-bent position
with the toe and heel used in a flowing rhythmic structure.