THRISSUR:The demise of Mohiniyattam matriarch Kalamandalam Satyabhama has elicited a uniform reaction from across the art world: ‘the art form has lost one of its most brilliant exponents and a very capable instructor who molded a multitude of talented artists capable of taking over the reins.’
Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, a renowned Mohiniyattam dancer who studied under Satyabhama at Kerala Kalamandalam, recounted the exacting ways of her beloved instructor. “I studied at Kalamandalam from 1958 to 1963, where I was trained by Satyabhama and Thottassery Chinnammu Amma.
I remember how she used to throw the cane at students when they failed to execute the correct dance postures. It gladdens my heart when I think about it, as such experiences tempered me into the person I am now.
Much of her knowledge of Mohiniyattam came from Chinnammu Amma, and she in turn expanded the repertoire of the dance form that she had inherited. It is Chinnammu Amma’s legacy that Satyabhama imbibed, which the later generations like that of ours got a chance to learn,” she said. Thottassery Chinnammu Amma was roped in by Vallathol to teach at Kalamandalam, when he faced a dearth of teachers knowledgeable in Mohiniyattam.
“Satyabhama added around 30 ‘adavus’, several ‘varnams’, ‘padams’ and ‘cholkettus’ to Mohiniyattam,” said Kshemavathy. According to art critic V Kaladharan, Satyabhama inherited a skeletal knowledge of the dance form, and she successfully gave it flesh and life. “The Kalamandalam model of Mohiniyattam, developed by Satyabhama, stripped the dance form of the overt sensuality that was common in its movements in the 19th century,” he said.
“If we examine the works of artists like Kalyanikuttiyamma, we can understand that the dance form was attributed immoral connotations, owing to its unique movements, in the earlier periods. Kalamandalam Satyabhama is one of the personalities who revived the art form,” said Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi secretary P V Krishnan Nair.