Bharati Shivaji | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 |
| Occupation | Classical dancer |
| Known for | Mohiniyattom |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Lasya Lakshmi Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman Nritya Choodamani |
Bharati Shivaji is an Indian classical dancer of Mohiniyattom, [1] choreographer and author, known for her contributions to the art form by way of performance, research and propagation. [2] She is the founder of Center for Mohiniyattam, a dance academy promoting Mohiniyattom [3] and the co-author of two books, Art of Mohiniyattom [4] and Mohiniyattom. [5] She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award [6] and Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman. [7] The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2004, for her contributions to Indian classical dance. [8]
Mohiniyattam is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" (meaning a woman who enchants onlookers) and "attam" (meaning graceful and sensuous body movements). The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". [9]
Bharati Shivaji was born in 1948 in the temple town of Kumbakonam, in Tanjavur district of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, [10] and had her early training in Bharatnatyam under Lalita Shastri [11] and Odissi under Kelucharan Mohapatra. [12] Later, on advice from Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, renowned social reformer, she took up research on Mohiniyattom, the traditional dance form of Kerala. [7] After obtaining a research fellowship from Sangeet Natak Akademi, she traveled to Kerala and pursued research under Kavalam Narayana Panicker, a scholar of the Temple Arts of Kerala and former vice-chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi. [13] Shifting her focus from Bharatnatyam and Odissi, [11] she started training Mohiniyattom under Radha Marar and, later, under Kalamandalam Satyabhama, and also had a training stint under Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, [3] considered by many as the Mother of Mohiniyattom. [14]
Moving to New Delhi, Shivaji founded the dance academy, Center for Mohiniyattom, a dedicated facility for promoting the dance form. She is known to have contributed to the evolution of the dance tradition, [7] by adding more languor to the already languorous discipline, [11] and by adapting it to other dance forms such as ballet; her Mohiniyattom adaptation of the Swan Lake of Tchaikovsky, choreographed along with her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, is one such effort. [15] Her productions include adaptations of Bhanusinger Padavali of Rabindranath Tagore, [16] Chandrotsavam of the Manipravalam, Somastuthi from the Rig Veda, and the Devagita, from Ashtapadi. [3] She is known to have incorporated postures, movements and music from other Traditional art forms of Kerala such as Ottamthullal, Kaikottikali, Thayambaka and Krishnanattam into Mohiniyattom, a legacy from her tutelage under Kavalam Narayana Panicker. [17]
In 1986, Shivaji published his first book, Art of Mohiniyattam, co-authored by Avinash Pasricha. [4] The book documents her researches under Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship and a subsequent senior fellowship from the Department of Culture under the Ministry of Human Resource Development and is a reference book on the subject. [7] She published another book, Mohiniyattam, co-written by her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, herself a noted Mohiniyattom performer, in 2003. [5] The book deals with the history and evolution of the art form and comments about the styles and techniques, repertoire, music, costumes and jewellery associated with it. [2] She has performed on several stages in India [18] [19] and abroad [20] and has taught many Indian and foreign students. [21] She also continues her research by visiting temples and gives lecture-demonstrations on the dance form at conferences and seminars. [16]
Shivaji was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1999-2000. [6] Four years later, the Government of India included her in the 2004 Republic Day Honours list for the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri. [8] She is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman, Lasya Lakshmi title from Kunchan Nambiar Memorial Trust, Kerala and Nritya Choodamani title from the Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai. [22] She won the Nishagandhi Puraskaram of the Government of Kerala in 2017. [23]
Sara and Urs Baur, two American filmmakers, have made a documentary, Beyond Grace, on Mohiniyattom and the art of Shivaji which features her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, too. [24] The 78-minute film, which details the work of the mother-daughter combination, [25] was premiered on 9 July 2011 at the Raleigh Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles. [24]
Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance form originating from the state of Kerala. The dance gets its name from Mohini – the female enchantress avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who helps the devas prevail over the asuras using her feminine charm.
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term for different regionally-specific Indian classical dance traditions, rooted in predominantly Hindu musical theatre performance, the theory and practice of which can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra. The number of Indian classical dance styles ranges from six to eight to twelve, or more, depending on the source and scholar; the main organisation for Indian arts preservation, the Sangeet Natak Academy recognizes eight: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam. Additionally, the Indian Ministry of Culture includes Chhau in its list, recognising nine total styles. Scholars such as Drid Williams add Chhau, Yakshagana and Bhagavata Mela to the list. Each dance tradition originates and comes from a different state and/or region of India; for example, Bharatanatyam is from Tamil Nadu in the south of India, Odissi is from the east coast state of Odisha, and Manipuri is from the northeastern state of Manipur. The music associated with these different dance performances consists many compositions in Hindi, Malayalam, Meitei (Manipuri), Sanskrit, Tamil, Odia, Telugu, and many other Indian-Subcontinent languages; they represent a unity of core ideas, and a diversity of styles, costumes and expression.
Perumanoor Gopinathan Pillai, more popularly known as Guru Gopinath was a well known Indian actor-cum-dancer. He is well regarded as the greatest preserver of the dance tradition. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.
Kavalam Narayana Panicker was an Indian dramatist, theatre director, and poet. He has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Kalidasa's Vikramorvasiyam, Shakuntalam (1982), Bhasa's Madhyamavyayogam (1979), Karnabharam, Uru Bhangam (1988), Swapnavasavadattam, and Dootavakyam (1996). He was the founder – director of theatre troupe, Sopanam, which led to the foundation of Bhashabharati: Centre for Performing Arts, Training and Research, in Trivandrum.
Kanak Rele was an Indian dancer, choreographer, and academic best known as an exponent of Mohiniyattam. She was the founder-director of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the founder-principal of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai.
Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma was an epoch-making Mohiniyattam danseuse from Kerala in southern India. A native of Thirunavaya in Malappuram district of the state, she was instrumental in resurrecting Mohiniyattam from a dismal, near-extinct state into a mainstream Indian classical dance, rendering it formal structure and ornamentation.
Smitha Rajan is an Indian Mohiniyattam performer from Kerala and granddaughter of the Indian classical dancers Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma.
Kalamandalam Leelamma was a leading Mohiniyattom dancer from Kerala, India.
Vimala Menon, known popularly as Kalamandalam Vimala Menon is an Indian dance teacher and Mohiniyattam exponent from Kerala. She is the founder and Director of Kerala Natya Academy in Thiruvananthapuram.
Deepti Omchery Bhalla is a professor in Carnatic Music at the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi, and a Mohiniyattam dancer.
Kalamandalam Kshemavathy is a Mohiniyattam dancer from Thrissur, Kerala. She is an alumna of the Kerala Kalamandalam. She joined the institute when she was ten. After completion of the course, she undertook advanced training in Bharata Natyam under Muthuswamy Pillai and Chitra Visweswaran, and in Kuchipudi under Vempati Chinna Satyam, but chose to remain within the Mohiniyattam tradition.
Shanta Rao was a notable dancer from India. She studied and performed Kathakali, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.
Kalamandalam V. Satyabhama was an Indian classical dancer, teacher and choreographer, known for her performances and scholarship in Mohiniyattam. She was awarded the Padma Shri, in 2014, for her contributions to the art and culture, by the Government of India.
Kavungal Chathunni Panicker (1922-2007) was an Indian classical dancer, known for his proficiency in Kathakali, the traditional dance form of Kerala. He was an exponent of the Kavungal School of Kathakali, noted for its rigorous training methods and overt physical interpretation of abhinaya. He is known to have brought innovations to the dance form, especially in the decorative movements (kalasam) and his contributions are reported in the development of grammar and costumes for the Kavungal School. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1973, Panicker was honored again by the Government of India, in 2006, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Kalamandalam Radhika is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, research scholar, teacher, writer and philanthropist. She was the first non-resident Keralite to win the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattom. She learnt Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and other dance forms.
Kala Vijayan is an Indian classical dance performer, choreographer, author and actor. She is the daughter of the legendary Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. Kala Vijayan is trained in Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, however she is best known for her contributions to Mohiniyattam. She is the recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam (1998) and the Kerala State Award for Mohiniyattam (2019). She is the Principal Director and senior Guru at Kerala Kalalayam, a fine arts institute established by her parents at Thripunithura in 1952.
Gopika Varma is a Kerala born Mohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher who is settled in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kalaimamani.
Kalamandalam Sugandhi is a Mohiniyattam dancer, choreographer and dance teacher from Kerala, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, Kerala Konkani Sahitya Academy Award and Kerala Kalamandalam Award.
V. K. Hymavathy popularly known as Kalamandalam Hymavathy is a Mohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher from Kerala, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Gurupooja Award and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.
Pallavi Krishnan is a leading exponent of the dance form, Mohiniyattam. She received the Sangeet Natak Academi award for 2022.
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