Mohiniattam 6 - A Nritya Yoga Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Mohiniattam 6 - A Nritya Yoga
Mohiniattam -
The dance of the enchantress,
Thriving and exuding abundant grace,
The movements of ‘Lasya',
The charming flow of the body,
That weaves around this elegant style,
Tenderly embroidered in silken threads of ‘Mudras',
Magnificent sentiment of love and beauty.
Mohiniattam -
A soft, lyrical style instructs the dancers,
To dance with stylish gaits,
To bend the body into stunning postures,
To perform effortlessly with ease,
To overcome all the afflictions of the body,
To control the fluctuations of the mind,
To focus only on the dance as a prayer to the Almighty.
The slow, ethereal motion of the body
That seems easy, flowing, charming
Is but a misconceived notion!
The dance is all about restraint,
A concentrated effort to elevate the mind,
A meditative journey towards perfection!
A dance with Yogic discipline
A ‘Nritya Yoga'!
You have aptly equated Mohiniattam with Nritya Yoga through which the performer has to focus 'on the dance as a prayer to the Almighty'. The poem takes us a step closer to understanding the intricacies of this dance form. It reflects the ethos of ancient Indian arts and philosophy. Thank you, Geeta ji, for this profound work. To overcome all the afflictions of the body, To control the fluctuations of the mind,
Yes, Rajnish ji, i have equated Mohiniattam with Nritya Yoga. The reason being, Mohiniattam is a step higher than all dance forms because of its full body movements that requires great amount of effort discipline and concentration. The slow undulating movements makes it meditative, Thank you for your continuous and firm support to my art as well.
Hi Geeta, As you have indicated, Mohiniyattam can be translated as “the dance of the enchantress”. This dance form combines dance with Abhinaya (acting) too, which makes it immensely enjoyable. The defined “mudras” expressions are essential part of the dance. That is, is not just the musical and rhythmic movement of the body. The lyrical and musical background plays a very important role too. You have presented the dance form in most apt words poetically. Loved it.
Mam you have described mohiniattam in these 6 poems so beautifully that whoever reads them will fall in love with this dance
Beautiful conclusion to an absolutely stunning anthology of Mohiniattam..
This is worth thinking about for a long time...dance as prayer and meditation. A prayer doesn't have to be in words.. It can be attunement or self-offering to the source of Creation. When restraint and free movement are balanced, the soul seems to be riding a wave-crest.
(cont.) To me, these lines are the most captivating of the first 5 Dance poems: “The slow, ethereal motion of the body That seems easy, flowing, charming Is but a misconceived notion! The dance is all about restraint, A concentrated effort to elevate the mind, A meditative journey towards perfection! A dance with Yogic discipline” Bri (:
“CHARMING FLOW OF THE BODY” AND “STUNNING POSTURES” could lure me to the subcontinent! ! ! ! to MyPoemList. (cont.)
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/3/2024 1:04:29 PM # 1.0.0.1119
A soft, lyrical style instructs the dancers, To dance with stylish gaits, To bend the body into stunning postures, To perform effortlessly with ease, To overcome all the afflictions of the body, To control the fluctuations of the mind....I find the expression lively! Magnificently expressed, neatly articulated! This elegant piece of work is quite informative and useful....10
Thank you Dillip ji for your lively and joyful review of my dance poem.