For Neena Prasad, having become a classical danseuse was like a realisation of her mother’s botched dreams. “In my childhood, my mom had always wanted to be a dancer herself. But destiny took a different turn for her. Hence she wanted me to scale the heights she had long coveted,” says Neena, whose present-day experiments in Mohiniyattam are celebrated for their innovative ideas and classical grace. “I owe a lot to my mother, besides, of course, to my gurus,” she says, as her eyes glow brighter.
“It was my mother who opened up before me the wondrous world of dance. She used to take me to the performances of famous artistes. She made sure that I grew up watching the greats perform so that I could grasp the essence of classical art forms.”
Then Neena suddenly blushes, reminiscing how she would keep whining to her mother that she did not want to leave dance school. “I would run to my dance class once I left the school. I simply wanted to spend the whole day there. Dance had by then become a part of my being.”
The girl was so enthralled by dance that she used to stretch her arms and flick her wrists in class, imitating the greats and often forcing her teachers to show her the way out. But she simply kept shining as she became a regular winner at youth festivals. Enthused by the success, Neena went to Chennai to learn more of the craft under the renowned artistes Adayar K Laxman and Vempati Chinnasatyam. There, for the first time, she felt inadequate as her steps faltered and her mudras attracted the displeasure of her gurus. “My first three years in Chennai were like a dark age for me. I realised for the first time what it takes to be a dancer.”
This realisation saw her work harder than ever to attain perfection in her movements. Her relentless spirit sought to tame Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. But her real destiny lay elsewhere. “Once I was
invited to perform in Madurai. I had thought of Bharatanatyam. But since I hailed from Kerala, they wanted me to do Mohiniyattam. I was left clueless. It was then that I decided to go deeper into Mohiniyattam.” It could be the greatest irony that a dancer who never liked the slow-paced Mohiniyattam went on to become one of the better known exponents of this art form.
“I began from the basic lessons under the guidance of Kalamandalam Sugandhi and Kalamandalam Kshemavathi. I wanted to devote myself entirely to the discipline.’’ Neena became the first-ever Mohiniyattam dancer to win the best dancer award from the Madras Dance Academy. Her performances ponder the possibilities of grammar that sums up the dance forms. As a performer, she believes that her movements and expressions should convey the experience of lasya, the underlying bhava of Mohiniyattam.
For Neena, experimentations form the kernel of her artistic quest. “I always feel the urge to perfect my artistic sensibilities. I have always wanted to
redefine the sublimities of Mohiniyattam,” she says, draped in a silk sari, the sparkle of her beaded necklace adding a gleam to her appearance. Neena’s
innovations have revealed shades and characteristics of iconic female characters, hitherto unexplored. She has developed a Sanskrit terminology for every single swing and swirl in Mohiniyattam. Out of the inconsistencies, she evolved a style of her own which she calls an amalgamation of all the existing styles that could lend clarity and geometric perfection to the art form.
Her compositions like Seethayanam, Amrapali and Urmila celebrate the real spirit of womanhood.
“Mohiniyattam is not about portraying women as delicate emotional beings. My characters resonate with much stronger and well-carved out sensibilities.” Neena feels that a woman is seldom appreciated for the sacrifices she makes in her life. Her compositions delve deep into the psyche of womanhood and light up its most noble virtues.
An ardent reader from childhood, Neena banks on her vast knowledge of her subject before she infuses new spirit into her characters. She decks her movements with grace and feels that the emotions that emerge out of the subtle movements should carry a gravitas that is felt by the audience. She has a PhD from Rabindra Bharati University, is the face of Kerala tourism and is also a winner of the Kerala Sangeet Natak Academy award.
She refers respectfully to Carnatic musician Madhavan Namboothiri who helps with her dance compositions and reveres her gurus for the grace that they have showered on her.
“A mortal cannot achieve anything all alone. I always want to be a learner, and I believe this is the greatest lesson I have learnt in my life.”
— aswin@expressbuzz.com