{"id":281,"date":"2017-10-02T17:52:14","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T14:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/?p=281"},"modified":"2021-10-19T14:24:17","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T11:24:17","slug":"mohiniattam-mohinis-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/mohiniattam-mohinis-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"<em>Mohiniattam<\/em>, Mohini\u2019s Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 20%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-281 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in076.jpg'><img width=\"405\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in076.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-1018\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-1018'>\n\t\t\t\t<em>Mohiniattam<\/em>, a form of devotional <em>bhakti<\/em> art, often deals with events in the life of Lord Krishna <span>Sakari Viika<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><i>Mohiniattam<\/i> is Kerala\u2019s version of the soft, <a href=\"http:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/bharata-and-his-natyashastra\/#lasya\"><i>lasya<\/i> style dance<\/a>, performed most often by female dancers. Several regions of India have their own variants of this kind of Natyashastra-related \u201ctemple dances\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>They were originally performed by <a href=\"http:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/the-devadasi-institution\/\">the <i>devadasis<\/i><\/a>, or the female temple servants, who were given to the temple to be \u201cmarried\u201d to the deity of the temple. The <i>devadasi<\/i> institution is closely linked with the devotional <i>bhakti<\/i> sect of Hinduism.<\/p>\n<p><i>Mohiniattam<\/i> is characterised by the gentleness of its style, by the gliding movements of the body, and by the white, gold-bordered sari-like costume of the dancers.<\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p><i>Lasya-<\/i>style solo dances have a long history in Kerala. After the decline of the <i>devadasi<\/i> institute, or <i>tevidichi<\/i> institution in Kerala, the old dance forms were tainted by the bad reputation of their performers.<\/p>\n<p>The <i>lasya<\/i>-style \u201ctemple dances\u201d were renamed <i>mohiniattam,<\/i> \u201cMohini\u2019s dance\u201d, possibly owing to the adaptation of the Vishnu <i>bhakti<\/i> cult in Kerala in the 15<sup>th<\/sup> century. <i>Mohiniattam<\/i> refers to the name Vishnu assumed when he transformed himself into a female dancer.<\/p>\n<p><i>Mohiniattam<\/i> was first mentioned in literary sources in 1709. In the next century Maharaja Swati Tirunal composed dance numbers in the <i>mohiniattam<\/i> style and established <i>mohiniattam\u2019s<\/i> status as Kerala\u2019s classical <i>lasya<\/i> dance.<\/p>\n<p>During the same period <i>mohiniattam<\/i> repertoire and style were shaped according to the <i>bharatanatyam<\/i> tradition, the famous <i>lasya<\/i> style of Tamil Nadu. In fact, one of the so-called \u201cTanjavur brothers\u201d or \u201cTanjavur Quartet\u201d, important reformers of <i>bharatanatya<\/i>, is believed to have visited Kerala and given <i>mohiniattam<\/i> its finishing touch.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1930s Kerala\u2019s national poet Vallathol chose <i>mohiniattam<\/i> to be included in the syllabus of Kerala Kalamandalam, the state performing arts academy he founded. This cemented <i>mohiniattam\u2019s<\/i> reputation as the famous <i>lasya<\/i> dance style of Kerala.<\/p>\n<h2>The Technique and the Repertoire<\/h2>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 20%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-281 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in077.jpg'><img width=\"402\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in077.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-1019\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-1019'>\n\t\t\t\t<em>Mohiniattam<\/em> belongs to the soft, \u201cfeminine\u201d <em>lasya<\/em> styles <span>Sakari Viika<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>In many respects the technique and repertoire of <i>mohiniattam<\/i> follows those of <i><a href=\"http:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/bharatanatyam-the-solo-dance-style-of-tamil-nadu\/\">bharatanatyam<\/a><\/i>. <i>Mohiniattam<\/i> follows the instructions of the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> century AD Drama Manual, the <i>Natyashastra<\/i>, while its <i>mudras<\/i> or hand gestures are based on a later, local manual, the <i>Hasta Lakshanadeepika<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 20%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-281 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in078.jpg'><img width=\"419\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/in078.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-1020\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-1020'>\n\t\t\t\tJust like other <em>lasya<\/em> solo forms, <em>mohiniattam<\/em> also combines abstract <em>nrtta<\/em> sequences with mimetic <em>abhinaya<\/em> sections <span>Sakari Viika<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>The repertoire consists of short dance numbers, both mimetic <i>abhinaya<\/i> sections and pure <i>nrtta<\/i> dances. Some of the numbers combine both of these techniques. A performance starts with a prayer and then follows an abstract invocation dance, <i>alarippu<\/i>. After that follow various numbers such as the demanding <i>jatisvaram<\/i>, usually the highlight of the performance. Various <i>padams<\/i> or mimetic <i>abhinaya<\/i> numbers are based on songs, while the performance usually ends with <i>tillana<\/i>, a virtuoso abstract dance.<\/p>\n<p>Although there is a lot in common in <i>baharatanatyam<\/i> and <i>mohiniattam<\/i>, there are also clear differences. While <i>bharatanatyam<\/i> aims at symmetry and a kind of geometric angularity of poses, <i>mohiniattam<\/i> stresses the softness and sensuality of movements. The poses tend to curve from side to side and the style has a kind of gentle, gliding quality. The torso is used circularly and half-bent positions are frequent. Thus <i>Mohiniattam<\/i> bears a clear resemblance to the dance of <i>kathakali\u2019s<\/i> female characters.<\/p>\n<p>As in most of the <i>bhakti<\/i>-related <i>lasya<\/i> dances, the focus of the sung <i>abhinaya<\/i> parts is on the hero\/heroine polarity. The dancer represents the longing lover of a hero\/god while this earthly love serves as a metaphor for the yearning of the human soul to be united with God.<\/p>\n<p>The music played with a drum, <i>veena<\/i> and cymbals is in the gentle <i>sopanam<\/i> style, a <i>bhakti<\/i> tradition typical of Kerala. The <i>bhakti<\/i> poetry is sung in local Malayalam. The dancer\u2019s gold-bordered costume is that of a bride. In all its aspects, such as music, its hero\/heroine themes, and its touching tenderness, <i>mohiniattam<\/i> represents the spirit of <i>bhakti<\/i> in its purest form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mohiniattam is Kerala\u2019s version of the soft, lasya style dance, performed most often by female dancers. Several regions of India have their own variants of this kind of Natyashastra-related \u201ctemple dances\u201d. They were originally performed by the devadasis, or the female temple servants, who were given to the temple to be \u201cmarried\u201d to the deity [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3142,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions\/3142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disco.teak.fi\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}