Mohiniyattam

 The Centre for Womens Studies organised a programme, on Mohiniyattam that was a talk and a performance. Language is a medium of communication and we use this medium in the Centre for Women's studies through out teaching, research and writing. However, dance is also a medium of communication  through gestures and one which many Centres of women's studies have not explored.  There are different views on the particular functions of dance. Some scholars hold that the body language are as diverse as verbal languages and no position of the body or expression of the face has a universal meaning. Others hold that there is a universality of expression for basic human emotions such as anger, disgust, sadness, enjoyment fear and surprise. This programme explored dance as a medium of feminine desire. Prof. Anuradha Jonnalgadda a very well known Kuchipudi dancer and a Professor in the University of Hyderabad, introduced the topic. The different speakers were introduced by Mr. G.V.Anna Rao who has established himself  in Hyderabad as a well known figure  for organising various classical dance events  and is very well well informed  about classical dance. Anupama Kylash  again a very well known reputed Kuchipudi and Vilasini Natyam  artist and scholar, who is performing Kuchipudi for the last twenty five years and Vilasi natyam  for over fourteen years, gave a very interesting, scholarly and rich  talk on dance and the concept of lasya, femine grace in the textual and performative tradition of India.Those of us who work on Women's History found this talk very interesting when she spoke of Bhakti and no distinction of gender in the writings and performance. This was followed by  Mythili Anoops talk and elaboration of the concept  with  Mohiniyattam where Mohini is an ideal embodiment of femine beauty.  This was followed by her with the performance of three pieces of the  Mohiniattam dance.  Though all these were beautiful,  to me the highlight  was the performance of Mohiniyattam from a  sufi piece of Amir khusroo. I am amzed at the kind of experiments that are going on. There is so much that we do not know and have to learn.   A book written by Mythili Anoop on, Mohiniyattam a language of feminine desire was also released at this event. Thanks a lot to my students Pooja Chetry for the vote of thanks and  Rizwan Ahmad for taking these pictures.