Mohiniyattam - Performance
In Mohiniyattam, the classical dance items of the Colkkettu,
Varnam, Padam, Jatiswaram and Tillana are presented. Later other techniques,
borrowed from indigenous folk art forms were incorporated into Mohiniyattam
to please the audience. This took place, during the reign of the Utram Tirunal
Maharaja, the successor of Swati Tirunal who patronised only Kathakali.
This was a period throughout Kerala, when Kathakali stole the show throwing
all other art forms into the shade. Just to earn a living the Mohiniyattam
artistes, stooped to include some cheap and even ribald items like 'Polikali',
'Esal', 'Mukkutti' and 'Chandanam' in their dance recitals to please the common
folk.
'Polikali' is simply the technique of collecting money from the
audience in the course of the performance. In 'Esal' two dancers dressed as
Kuratties and assuming the part of the spouses of Shiva and Vishnu
respectively start making fun of the husband of the opposite number and
have a row (This dance episode was a prominent scene included in a folk
drama called 'Kakkarissi Natakam' and this was in fact borrowed from the older
folk dance form called 'Kurattikali').
In 'Mukkuti dance' the dancer announces that her nose ring is
missing and she dances her way to the men among the audience and continues the
search, while dancing. Finally she retrieves it from the turban of one in the
audience (This dance item can be found with variations in the details in 'Kurattikkali',
'Kakkarissi Natakam' and in 'Porattu Natakam'). 'Chandana
Nrittam ' is performed in the course of the dance. The danseuse with a
small receptacle containing sandalwood paste made up to the correct consistency
and scented in her hand, dances her way into the audience and places a
ceremonial mark on the forehead with the sandal paste, of those who offer
donations of money. This decline of standard that came about in Devadasi
dance
adversely affected their status in society.
The 1st reference of Mohiniyattam in
literature is found in 'Vyavarharamala' composed by Malamangalam Narayan Nambutiri
in the 16th century AD. It mentions the master of the talajnanam ( tala -
time measure, jnanam - knowledge) and the remuneration paid to him. The master
would be the 'Natya Acharyan 'or 'Natuvan' - the director or choreographer
of the dance. Until recently this Nattuvan used to take an equal and prominent
place on stage along with the danseuse herself.
