Varnam combines nrtta and nrtya, portraying Srngara with hastamudras and abhinaya, emphasizing pallavi and anupallavi sections, and incorporating Jathis.
Author: Nirmala Paniker
Nirmala Paniker
Guru Nirmala Paniker is a danseuse, choreographer and researcher of repute. She established Natanakaisiki, the dance research and training wing of Natanakairali.
Jatiswaram: The Occult Origins of Mohiniyattam –90
The article discusses the first item in the Mohiniyattam repertoire, Cholkettu, which is a dance form primarily focused on the Nrutha aspect and draws parallels between it and the Prithvi thathva of Panchabhoota.
Codified hand gestures, called Mudra-s, are integral part of Indian classical dance and even erodes into contemporary forms.
In the last part of this series, we explained a few viniyogas of Mushti and Hamsapaksha mudras. Here we are explaining some more viniyogas of Mushti mudra.
Hasthabhinaya, or ‘Expression of the Hand’ and the rules of acting with the hand implies story telling with the hands. As we mentioned earlier, the hand…
We explained many popular mudras, their notations and how they are used in various situations in Mohiniyattam. Continuing that, in this part, we are exploring more…
In the last few parts of this series, we explained various single handed gestures. Here we are going to explore how the Kataka, again another single…
We discussed some of the Asamyutha Mudras(Single hand gestures) in the last part of this series. Here we are discussing gestures with two hands and their notations. Kataka…
Where do we use single hand gestures in Mohiniyattam?