A Mohiniyattam workshop in Thrissur provided a platform for promising, young dancers to showcase their skills. A disciple of Nirmala Panicker, Sandra Pisharody opened her recital with a cholkettu. Performed in tisram and khantam, the ragas used included Sankarabharanam, Hamsanadam and Revathy for the invocation of Siva in ‘Sree Neelakhnatanta Jaya Jaya Sambo’.
A delineation of Annamacharya’s composition in Hindolam ‘Deva devam bhaje’ was replete with anecdotes from the Ramayana as the composer extols Rama’s glory. The piece included Sita’s abduction by Ravana, Jadayu’s valour, crossing of the sea to reach Lanka and installation of Vibhishana as the king. Sandra’s histrionic sensibility was noted in the piece as she presented each one of them subtly.
Two slokas from Kumarasambhavam were taken for the padam. Sandra’s description of Parvathy’s beauty was a visual treat as the narration fully justified Kalidasa’s lines. Sandra elaborated the lines that spoke of the perfect symmetry of Parvathy’s body, which appeared like ‘a painting gradually emerging under the brush of a painter on a canvas’. While depicting the animated glances of the goddess, the poet wonders whether she had borrowed them from a fawn or vice versa.The dancer utilised netrabhinaya to the hilt while delineating this part, an essential trait of the Nirmala style. Rendered in Saranga and Yadukulakamboji, the padam was an exposition of Sandra’s potential for abhinaya. The dancer wound up with a tillana in Bhoopalam and Adi, which further revealed the intricacies of nritta.
Rachita Ravi | Photo Credit: KK Najeeb
Bismillah Khan awardee Rachita Ravi proved her choreographic prowess by including Brihandala, her latest, in the repertoire. The performance was a highlight of the workshop, as she presented it in the traditional structure. All the pieces performed were enriched with nritta beginning from the cholkettu that was composed in ragas Samanthamalahari and Mukhari and Tisra-gati Adi and Misra chap. She sprang a surprise by using Shatkala Govinda Marar’s composition in praise of Siva, ‘Thunga pinga’, which is rarely used in Mohiniyattam for the sahithya.
Swati’s varnam in Poornachandrika, ‘Palayamam Deva Parvathy jaane’ witnessed an exhaustive portrayal of Siva. The balance of nritta and nrithya was praiseworthy in the piece.
Composed as a solo-drama, Brihandala opened with Arjuna, the disgruntled warrior retreating from the battlefield. In an introspective mood, he recalls the days when he was Brihandala, a transwoman who taught dance and music to Uthara in the Virata country. Brihandala was asked to be the charioteer of Utharan for the war and wins over the enemy. Arjuna bemoans the lack of fighting spirit in the prince, which he, as Brihandala, had.
The choreography exhibited was of pakarnattam. The use of a stole to mark the transformation into a transwoman, and also that of a mirror as a stage-prop, are theatrical concepts that appeared on a Mohiniyattam stage, perhaps for the first time. But one wonders whether the absence of the mirror could have enriched the abhinaya more. The contemporary relevance of the character made it more unique as it could effectively demonstrate the inner conflicts of the transgender community in society.The piece evoked the potential of the dance form to embrace singular themes.
Rachita followed Brihandala with the sixth Ashtapadi, ‘Sakhi hey kesi madhanamudaram’ in Sudhasaranga and Misra chap and concluded her recital with a tillana of Swati in Anandabhairavi and Adi.
Rasmi Menon | Photo Credit: KK Najeeb
Chennai-based dancer Rasmi Menon’s performance was full of verve with chiselled postures and graceful movements. She commenced the recital with the Ganesha shuthi in raga Vitapi and Misra chap. The raga that eschews Panchama is rare. The composition was Ganapathi sthuti ‘Danthamekam athengilere’.
The varnam that followed ‘Vaani vanaje vaamike’ penned by CP Unnikrishnan entailed the three bhavas of Saraswathy, Mahalakshmi and Durga. The dancer paid obeisance to the three in the pallavi. The anupallavi portrayed Mookambika. The description of Mookambika was vivid with the evocation of two bhavas, karuna and roudra. The story of Kannaki was elaborated in full as the three charanams were anchored on the goddess. Rasmi’s abhinaya explored the nuances of the anecdotes in full, especially those related to Kannaki. She also enhanced the piece with nritta sequences.
Dikshitar’s kirtana ‘Ardhanareeswaram’ in Kumudakriya embraced a vibrant portrayal of Siva with all his attributes. The last number ‘Ajitha hare jaya Madhava’, a Kathakali padam from Kuchelavrutham once again revealed her histrionic talents.
Kalamandalam Anita Murthy | Photo Credit: KK Najeeb
Kalamandalam Anita Murthy’s performance left much to be desired both in nritta and abhinaya, as her movements appeared constrained.
Her recital began in the traditional style with Ganesha Sthuthi, the composition being ‘Adinan narthanam adinan’ of Uthukkad Venkita Kavi, in Natta, Adi. Jatiswaram in Bahudhari, set to Roopakam, was followed by a Varnam in Simhedramadhyamam, ‘Krishna nee mama hrudyaragam’, choreographed by Kalamandalam Leelamma.
The leitmotif of the composition was Meera’s devotion to Krishna. The composer asks why Krishna is not compassionate like Rama towards his devotees. ‘Ahalya moksham’ and the Sabari story were the sancharis. The Swati bhajan ‘Visweswara darshan’ on Kasi Viswanatha contained vinyasa of Markandeya Charitam in the anupallavi. Anita presented facets of Siva Tandavam in the depiction of the lines composed in Sindhubhairavi and rupakam. She wound up with a tillana in Revathy, Adi.
Four workshop productions were choreographed by Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Kalamandalam Sugandhi, Neena Prasad and Vinita Nedungadi. The six-day workshop on Mohiniyattam was organised by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Thrissur.