MOHINIYATTAM
- ART & CULTURE
News: Huge Outrage in Kerala Over Dancer’s Rant On ‘Dark Skin’ And Mohiniyattam
What's
in the news?
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Racist remarks made by senior Mohiniyattam
dancer Kalamandalam Sathyabhama against a fellow artist in an interview with a
YouTube channel kicked up a huge row, with her words inviting widespread
criticism.
Mohiniyattam:
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It is an Indian classical dance form that
evolved in the state of Kerala.
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It derives its name from the word
‘Mohini’, a female avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Backdrop:
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Its roots date back to the age-old
Sanskrit Hindu text on performing arts called ‘Natya Shastra’.
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Mohiniyattam used to be performed by Devadasis (temple dancers) in temples
during the rule of the Chera kings
from 9 to 12 C.E.
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Mohiniattam developed further as a
performing art during the 18th and 19th centuries due to the patronage of
several princely states.
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The contributions of The Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore,
Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, in the early 19th century saw the eventual
development and systematization of present-day Mohiniattam.
Features:
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It is conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists.
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It adheres to the Lasya type that showcases a more graceful, gentle and feminine form
of dancing.
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It emotes a play through dancing and
singing, where the song is customarily in Manipravalam,
which is a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam language.
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The recitation may be performed by the
dancer or a vocalist, with the music style being Carnatic.
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The dance is characterized by its graceful
swaying body movements with no abrupt jerks or sudden leaps.
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The movements are emphasized by the
glides, up and down movement on toes, and are largely based on the art of
balancing.
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More than the footwork, emphasis is given
to hand gestures and Mukhabhinaya or
subtle facial expressions.
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The hand gestures, 24 in number, are
mainly adopted from ‘Hastha Lakshana
Deepika’, a text followed by Kathakali.
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Costumes in Mohiniyattam include plain
white or ivory cream traditional sari embroidered with bright gold-laced
brocade.
Musical
Instruments:
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Musical instruments include Mridangam,
Madhalam, ldakka, flute, Veena,and Kuzhitalam(cymbals).