Saturday, January 26, 2008
Mohiniyattam
| Kerala, the God's own country holds the world enraptured with her extensive pertoire of performing arts. From the spectacular Theyyam to spellbinding Kathakali, Kerala art forms are vivid expressions of the land's rich heritage and reflect its unparallelled beauty. I have posted an article about theyyam. Now I would like to unwrap another contemplative art form of Kerala Mohiniyattam. Mohiniyattam is the female classical solo dance of Kerala, India. The term Mohiniyattam or Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". Noted for its graceful and sensuous movements with no terse footwork, Mohiniyattam reminds one of the gentle swaying of the green paddy fields and coconut palms of the fairy landscape. Mohiniyattam is older than Kathakali. The first reference to Mohiniyattam is found in a 16th Century text. Useful links about Mohiniyattam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohiniattam http://chintha.com/kerala/mohiniyattam-introduction.html Watch mohiniattam just click below: Clip Courtesy: VS Paniker Labels: Kerala, Mohiniattam, Mohiniyattam, Ritual Dance |
