THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When mohiniyattam exponent Ayswaria Wariar wanted to add a hint of drama to her dance, it was the legendary Kavalam Narayana Panicker who guided her through it.
Panicker’s acclaimed poem, ‘Urmila’, caught the dance exponent’s attention and she asked him whether they could narrate the poetry in the format of mohiniyattam.
The luminary playwright/poet rewrote his poem infusing ‘chollu’ and ‘talam’, the requisites for the dance form. What transpired was an eclectic blend of dance and drama that not only brought out the elegance of the dance, but the conflicts within Urmila as well.
“Panicker’s poignant lines began with Urmila lamenting that even though she was the blood daughter of King Janaka, it was Sita who was hailed for her bravery and sacrifices,” said Ayswaria.
Ayswaria literally grew up in rehersal halls and was on a staple diet of dance and drama early on. “My father, Mukundan Menon, being a theatre personality and mother, Sreebala Menon, a Bharatnatyam exponent, I was initiated into the world of arts and dance very early,” she says.
“I was fortunate enough to be trained by Udyogamandal Vikraman and Kalamandalam Saraswati. My initiation on stage (arangettam) for mohiniyattam happened as early as fourteen years, and, in Mumbai and at a time when the dance form wasn’t in prominence.”
Then why did she choose mohiniyattam as her chosen form? “My mother always said that I was more expressive, a quality that suited ‘mohiniyattam’ more. And it didn’t take much time for me to explore the dance form and then I found that my interest grew naturally,” she said.
Ayswaria has a dance school in Vadodara, and it’s possibly the only one in the state that teaches mohiniyattam.
The recipient of Kalashree award in 2013, she was associated with the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, and has organised many shows for the Soorya festival.
As a non-resident Keralite who performs in the state ever so often, how has mohiniyattam changed?
“There has been a mohiniyattam revolution of sorts, all thanks to Soorya Krishnamoorthy, who arranged for so many platforms for mohiniyattam across the country that it popularized the dance form,” Ayswaria says, adding that the precedence that Bharatanatyam enjoyed for a long time is going through a reconsideration presently.
As she moved ahead, she felt the need to revisit the rigid structures upon which this truly inspiring dance form is built. As much as she loved the idea of choreographing, she wanted to experiment with ideas, questions and restructuring the paradigm.
“My dance presentation on Sakuntala was one such piece, where the frame was Kalidasa’s ‘Abhigyanashakuntalam’, but the echo of her words travelled through centuries and reached women of this era. My friend Bindushree helped me cull out Sanskrit verses that helped me contextualize my Sakuntala and place her in today’s world,” said Ayswaria. And these performances are always a moving experience for women who come to watch them, she said.
“Padmashree Kavalam sir’s contribution was monumental in my efforts to narrate stories through mohiniyattam. He showed me how to incorporate indigenous rhythm of Kerala’s vast art repertoire. Choreographing his compositions opened the world of Kerala music to me,” she said.
When asked about her future plans, “I would like to write more, teach more and narrate the stories that touch me through mohiniyattam.”