Mohiniyattam dancer and Faculty at GITAM University, Hyderabad, Dr. Mythili M Anoop at the Hyderabad Literary Festival held in the last week-end of January this year had presented freedom fighter and great poet Sarojini Naidu’s poem ‘The Bird of Time’, which describes the varied drama of the life’s moments which ultimately ends in silence.
As part of the presentation, Mythili had used the basic movement vocabulary of Mohiniyattam and many typical motifs performed in the abhinaya of the dance. It must be noted that the typical motifs were presented without the context of a definite narrative, as the dancer visualised that what was important was presenting the emotion without creating any character or specific situation. The dance form, Mohiniyattam has the strength for presenting dramatic themes, and the dancer attempted to use that potential of the dance. Also, the music was traditional Carnatic music.
Anandhu Murali, Asst Professor at the Fine and Performing Arts Dept, GITAM University was the vocalist, P V Sreekanth. who is also a faculty in the same university was on the mridangam, Sai Raghava on flute, Kalamandalam Sarath from Kerala on edaikka.
Anandhu and Raghava played different raagas to portray the different moods: Charukesi for loss, Hameerkalyani for Sringara, Neelambari for motherly affection, Attana for anger and struggle, Sree Raagam for peace.
At the HLF, Mythili presented a stage version of her Dance film that was commissioned by Indo American Arts Council and premiered at the Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance in Sept. 2022.
Kuchipudi dancer Soundarya Maddali explained the significance of the Geeta Govinda in Indian dance and performed an ashtapadi.
Link to the film: https://fb.watch/eNvZjJ7A5s/