Mohiniyattam’s moment of reckoning

Dancers wonder what can be done to popularise the youngest of Kerala’s classical dance forms

Kathakali enjoys enormous popularity — there’s a host of festivals exclusively dedicated to it, a huge number of artistes practise it, it has several training institutions and, most importantly, there are new ideas and approach constantly redefining its presentation. Mohiniyattam, on the other hand, the youngest and gentler of Kerala’s art forms, is still looking to reach a larger contemporary audience.

Though its origin is shrouded in mystery, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, the dance’s 20th century doyenne, traced its beginning to the Devadasi system. One of her early disciples tried to establish a link between Mohiniyattam and Nangiarkoothu, the female counterpart of Kudiyattam. Certain others in the field have held that Swati Tirunal, in association with the Thanjavur Quartet, was instrumental in upholding this dance tradition. But none of these claims are supported by documentary evidence.

When poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon decided to resurrect Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam braving all odds, he was least bothered about its rather insecure history. He had always been drawn to its feminine grace and tenderness and hence was eager to find a guru who had the willingness to pass on its organic qualities to the younger generation. Fortunately, the poet came across dancer Oriykkaledath Kalyani Amma and nattuvan Korattikkara Appuredath Krishna Panickar, who galvanised the Mohiniyattam kalari in Kalamandalam.