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‘Mohini Festival,’ a five-day dance fiesta dedicated to Mohiniyattom, was a journey through the rich heritage of the art form as it showcased some of the outstanding performers in the field. Organised by Natyaveda, with the support of Sangeetha Nataka Academy, New Delhi, it featured two performances every evening except the first day. It was also a tribute to the compositions of Kavalam Narayana Panikkar.

The event got off with performances by Kalamandalam Sugandhi, Aiswarya Warrier and Saritha J.L.

Performances by Pallavi Krishnan and Smitha Rajan marked the second day. Pallavi who is known for her choreographic skills, started with an invocation to Ganapathy. The next was a Mukhachalam. Mukhachalam is composed of rhythmic syllables as well as some lyrics towards the end of the presentation.

Pallavi gracefully danced to Mayamohanam. The concluding piece was ‘Poonthen Nermozhi,’ a Swati Tirunal composition in raga Anandabhairavi set to Chembada thalam.

Smitha Rajan, who performed in the second half, is one of the few dancers who has mastered the skill of abhinaya. After an auspicious beginning with Mahaganapathy, she moved on to ‘Kanden Syamala Komalam,’ a padam written by her grandmother, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. It described the sakhi’s conversation with the nayika about her meeting with Krishna.

‘Kottichethamm’ portrayed Ardhanareswara nrittam, which is excerpted from Chilapathikaram. ‘Navarasanjali’ in raga malika was dedicated to the navarasas of Lord Krishna.

Mandakini Trivedi and her disciple Miti Desai performed six pieces on the third day of the fete. Mandakini began with a ‘Ganapathy sthuthy’ in raga Madhyamavathi set to Chembada thalam. Mukhachalam was presented by Miti. Mandakini came next with Thathvam (Gangathathvam). A philosophic concept derived from the ritualistic offering to Bhootha ganas, Thathvam is an adaptation from Suryashaktham.

Niram, an item taken from the ‘Kalamezhuthu’ repertoire, is a magnificent display of the fury of Kali. The piece showcased Mandakini’s experience. It was set in raga Dwajvanthi. Mandakini continued with ‘Omanathinakal,’ a padam written by Irayimman Thampy in Anandabhairavi.

An equally fascinating dancer of the evening was Vinitha Nedungadi whose rectial received rave reviews. ‘Kekiyattam,’ a padam in raga Samanthamalahari, was full of grace as Vinitha aesthetically recreated the dance of a peacock under a cloudy sky.

‘Poothapattu’ was an example of Vinitha’s expertise in choreography. The portrayal of a mother’s effort to retrieve her child from the demon was impressive. The poem by Edassery was tuned by Kottakkal Madhu.

Methil Devika and Madhavi Chandran along with Geetha Krishnakumar gave an impeccable rendition on the fourth day of the festival. The homage to Ganapathy was performed by Devika.

This was followed by a Mukhachalam by Geetha and Madhavi. ‘Niram’ was a solo recital by Madhavi. A padam describing Kannaki’s story showcased Devika’s winsome stage presence and ability to display a spectrum of emotions. The three concluded with a ‘Jeeva.’

The second dancer of the evening, Jayaprabha Menon, a diligent disciple of Bharathi Shivaji, presented ‘Rithusamharam’ and a padam in raga Mughari. The first one depicted the arrival of monsoon and how Mother Earth’s children welcome the advent of rain. Jayaprabha’s depiction of the expressions of a child was appreciated by the audience.

Kalamandalam Leelamma, a senior teacher and performer, and Gopika Varma performed on the last day of the festival. Leelamma started with a cholkettu, followed by a varnam in raga Simhendramadhyamam that was characterised by precision and artistry. A kerthanam in raga Bauli and a thillana in raga Dhanashree followed .

Gopika Varma aesthetically presented a padam that narrated the tale of Draupadi and her humiliation at the hands of the Kauravas.

‘Harivarasanam,’ a keerthanam in Madhyamavathi, was another item that stood out for her ability to create a feel of the theme.

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