Bharathi Shivaji
Bharathi's tryst with Mohiniyattam began at a time when this
dance form was languishing in Kerala. At that time, she was already acclaimed as
a Bharatanatyam dancer but decided to pursue research in Mohiniyattam - which
eventually became the cause of her life.
She has played a significant role in the
reconstruction of the dance form, though re-orienting and revitalising the
concert format and expanding the parameters of its technique and idiom. Bharati
travelled extensively in Kerala, imbibing the regional ethos and studying
the desi traditions of Kerala, and interacting with several
regional art forms and their characteristics. She has paid special attention to
lasya
, the feminine spirit
which constitutes the quintessence of Mohiniyattam.
Bharathi has done
extensive work on the geetha govindam text. Ashtapadis have been sung
in the temples of Kerala from the 14th century, and Bharati, an accomplished
singer, has travelled to several temples in Kerala and documented the unique
musical tradition known as sopanam
. She was the first dancer
to have incorporated the geetha govindam ashtapadis, sung in the Sopana
tradition, into the Mohiniyattam repertoire.
Bharathi has striven to bring together the gurus of various
schools of Mohiniyattam on a common platform. She has conducted several
seminars, conferences, and workshops on Mohiniyattam.
Bharathi Shivaji is the
Founder-Director of Centre for Mohiniattom, which exclusively imparts training
and research into Mohiniyattam to aspiring students. She has authored a
comprehensive text, in English, on Mohiniyattam.
