Deeply rooted in the ultra-feminine classical dance form of Kerala, Mohiniyattam, a recent presentation by the dancer-choreographer, Pallavi Krishnan, at Gyan Manch in Calcutta offered a blend of invocations, mythological narratives, and pure dance pieces, presented as solos, duets and group compositions. Storytelling intertwined with non-dramatic abstraction in Mohiniyattam Sandhya, as the evening was titled, offering a holistic vision of the form in its traditional format.
An accomplished dancer, Krishnan is graceful, her face expressive, and her movements restrained yet evocative. She demonstrates how a dancing body can paint a story in space, capturing its complexities with ease even while revelling. The central work in her presentation, The Story of Pingala, portrayed the journey of an arrogant courtesan who, in a moment of awakening, found deliverance in devotion and the realisation that beauty is skin-deep. As the piece progressed, Krishnan convincingly displayed a range of nuanced emotions and pulled off the transformation with energy and depth. In Maya Mohana Krishna, yet another abhinaya item, the choreographer melded three stories about Krishna culled from the Mahabharata and the Gita to speak of the many personas of the god.
Her salutation to Shiva explored the many layers of his iconography and delved into the syllables of the stotras, Om Namah Shivaya, that are a paean to him. The choreography painted the idea of something that is both mighty and beautiful. The group work, however, could have been better.
Whether it was in the cholkettu (the opening piece), the jatiswaram (a rhythmic assemblage of musical notes and pure dance movements), or the thillana, one wished that Krishnan’s students, the dancers of the Lasya Akademi, had displayed greater proficiency. Improved synchronisation and more rounded execution would have enhanced the visual experience and elevated the overall impact of the group segments.
It was in the Tagore
song, “Shangana gagane ghor ghanaghata”, that Krishnan broke classical convention even while
being grounded firmly in classical principles. The group choreography was delightful in this piece that marked a departure from
the repertoire.