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Abstract
This article foregrounds the various modalities in which a South Indian feminine dance form, Mohiniyattam is taught and performed, and underscores its metamorphosis from an erotic practice to a significant art form. It traces the paradigm shift that Mohiniyattam underwent from its purist-traditionalist form to the present phase and the pedagogic changes that such a shift necessitated.
Notes
1 Gurukula: A gurukula or gurukulam was a type of education system prevalent in ancient India. It is a residential schooling system, where the disciples and master stay together.
2 Guru-mukha: learning from Guru, the master, face to face.
3 Kathkali: One of the major classical dance forms of Kerala. Katha means story and Kali is Play, thus it is an enactment of story, characterised by the detailing of four folds of Abhinaya. Kutiyattam: Kutiyattam, is an ancient Sanskrit form of theatre form of Kerala, India with a legacy of 2000 years. It is officially recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Bharathanatyam: Bharathanatyam also previously called Sadir Attam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. Bharathanatyam is the oldest classical dance tradition in India.
4 Sambandham: Sambandham is a custom of half marriage which was prevalent among the upper communities during the medieval era.
5 Maharaja Swati Tirunal: Swati Tirunal, the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore, during British rule is considered as an excellent composer of music and has to his credit over 400 classical compositions in Carnatic as well as in Hindustani style.
6 The art form started getting a new respectful pursuit in the social order.
7 Puraskaranam: is a vedic-ritual of earning authority of a knowledge or a concept usually a Vedic Mantra (Chant). In the current context, it is an ancient school/ system of learning physical art that was prevalent in Kerala during the medieval era.
8 Desi: regional representation of the art form/folk forms.
9 Mukkuthi: A dance piece which was prevalent in the medieval era in Kerala. In this piece the dancer enacts as if she lost her nose pin and trying to find it among audience. This dance was erotic in the medieval feudal period of Kerala. Thus, it got removed from the repertoire of Mohiniyattam later.
Motiram: Like Mukuthi, Motiram is also a dance piece of medieval period.
10 Panthattam: Flower ball play. A form of dancing with balls. According to the Sangam literature, it was prevalent from the second Chera rule.
11 Combining elements of different existing models of performativity to revitalize the respective expression of art.
12 ‘Puraskaranam’ is in Vedic context, a method of acquiring practical knowledge about Vedic chants or verses.
13 Kalaripayattu is the ancient surviving traditional martial art form of Kerala. All the physical art forms of Kerala have its roots in this martial art form.
14 See the cover page of ‘the Attendance’ 2016-17 ‘Gurus v/s Teachers’ in this regard. http://www.attendance-india.com/images/AttendanceCover2017.jpg
15 Sruti: Sruti means ‘which is heard’.
16 Vamozhi Parambara: A Malayalam word means oral tradition. ‘Va’- Mouth, ‘Mozhi’ -word/ dialogue and Parambara is tradition.
17 Boden three creative models: “Boden identifies three forms of creativity: combinational, exploratory, and transformational. These elicit differing forms of surprise, and are defined by the different kinds of psychological process that generate the new ideas.” (Boden Citation2004).
18 Kuchipudi: A classical dance tradition of South India emerged from the Brahmin community of Andhra.
Tiruvatira: A ceremonial group dance form of Kerala that is performed during the Hindu religious festival occasions.
19 No other references related to the said claim by the dancer are available. But a popular belief on the existence of various practices is prevalent in different regions.
20 Ulachil: An important technical term in the vocabulary of Mohiniyattam it denotes a swaying movement pattern of body, usually from side to side.
21 Mey Vazhakam: A Malayalam term denotes limberness.
22 Chuzhippu: Circular exercise patterns which brings fluidity to the upper torso.
23 Natyarambha Sthana: Basic standing position of dance also known as Soushtavam (the upright standing postion of body).
24 Chari: A category of foot movement patterns detailed in the dramaturgic text Natya Sastra.
25 Natya Sastra: The ancient Indian treatise of dramaturgy.
26 Antolika: A word originated from Sanskrit language, denotes ‘Circle’.
27 Personal experience of the researcher as a student of Kalamandalam.
28 Anjali Mudra in Mohiniyattam is similar to the Alapadma of Abhinayadarpanam.
29 By the term in-house model, the writer tries to mark the other similar performing traditions such as Kathakali, Kutiyattam etc. taught at the institute at that time. It could have directly influenced the growth of Mohiniyattam pedagogy during that time.
30 The offshoots of the primary school expanded the form with exploratory ideas that rooted in the native soil but they did not go till the transformational level.
31 According to the traditional teaching methodology of Keralite Art forms.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Aswathy Rajan
Aswathy Rajan is a Lecturer in Dance at the International School of Creative Arts, Cochin, Kerala. She received BPA in Mohiniyattam from Kerala-Kalamandalam (2009) and MPA Dance from University of Hyderabad (2012) with First Rank. She qualified for UGC- Assistant Professor in Dance and started her Ph.D. as a UGC-JRF/SRF at the University of Hyderabad in 2020. During her Ph.D., she worked as a teaching assistant at the Dept. of Dance, UOH. She authored two books; “Dancethesis: An Amalgam of Dance perspectives” and “Aesthetics of Kuchipudi” besides writing several articles.