September 20th in Eindhoven, on a serene Friday evening, was a chance to witness a spectacular Mohiniyattam representation by the esteemed artist, Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla. Not only is she a proponent of Mohiniyattam, but she is also a renowned Carnatic singer, researcher and mentor.
Venturing into music and dance simultaneously from a tender age, Dr. Deepti was fortunate to learn Carnatic music, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam under the tutelage of several veteran gurus. Her guru, the legendary late Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma played a pivotal role in the revival of Mohiniyattam. She provided structure and codified it suitably to be recognized as one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. Having been exposed to such a tenure in Mohiniyattam, Dr. Deepti is eminent for her work particularly in this artform despite being an expert Carnatic music and Sopana Sangeetham. She has been conferred with several prestigious awards such as Kerala Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Natya Ratna from Maarar Sabha Kerala, Narada Gana Sabha Award.
She credits this wonderful journey to the pivotal support given by her mother, Dr Leela Omchery, a Padma Shri awardee and a distinguished musicologist. Her mother’s expertise in Sopana Sangeetham encouraged Dr. Deepti to conduct profound research in traditional music of Kerala. Starting from her PhD, Dr. Deepti has heavily contributed in expanding the Mohiniyattam repertoire through her expertise in music. Some of the other research projects she undertook include the origin and development of Mohiniyattam, as well as documentation projects on music and musical instruments.
Her academic persona particularly shined during the sophisticated lecture demonstration (Lecdem) where she effortlessly deconstructed heavy dance concepts. This encouraged an enthralling Q&A session after being awestruck by her three illustrious dance performances.
A clear standout from her three pieces was her abridged choreography of Dundubhinatyam. While Mohiniyattam typically focuses more on the Nritya (movement and expression) and Natya (narrative and drama) components, Dhundubhinatyam was one such piece that heavily focused on Nritta (rhythm and pure dance). Among her graceful glides and sways which highlighted the quintessential nature of Mohiniyattam, her choreography illustrated the rhythmic nature of Dundubhi (a type of drum). Her precise use of Hasthas, Dhrishti, and Abhinaya to emphasize the sound and essence of the instrument ensured that no moment of the 12-minute piece went unnoticed by the audience.
Amidst the performances, Dr. Deepti incorporated several notable facts of Mohiniattyam. One of them includes an account on the 24 Moola Hasthas derived from the text of Hastha Lakshana Deepika which is exclusive to Mohiniyattam and Kathakali. Her elucidation on the Katakamukha Hastha by portraying the Bhuta Ganas of Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Veena, and Lord Vishnu, depicted the transformation of a Hastha from Nritta to Nritya when given meaning.
The event concluded with an open dialogue between the artist and audience from different backgrounds. This nurtured heterogeneity in the content discussed and led to a discourse on the origin of Mohiniyattam associated with the two Hindu myths of Mohini, the development of the art form in temples, its revival in the court of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, and the increasing gender diversity in Mohiniyattam artists despite its embodiment of Lasya. Dr. Deepti also elaborated on the less prominent parts of the repertoire in current day such as the Lullabys, Pandatam, certain Padavarnams, and hence makes it a practice to perform Lullabys in her SPIC MACAY Lecdems.
All in all, the event was a culmination of knowledge and a visual treat, showcasing this less prevalent yet incredibly graceful art form.
written by SPICMACAY volunteer Bhavya from The Netherlands
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