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Rarely has one had the feeling of music and dance being
perfectly matched as in the recent endeavour of Swan
Lake in Mohini Attam based on Tchaikovsky's original
music by The Centre for Mohini Attam, under the
leadership of dancer Bharati Shivaji and her
disciple/daughter Vijayalakshmi.... This task of
retaining the best of the music without giving a feel of
disjointed bits put together could only have been
achieved by one who had absorbed every mood in the music
by listening to it constantly. Here it was Vijayalakshmi
whose obsessive desire to do Swan Lake in Mohini Attam
after having listened to the music in Russia and seen
ballet performances was a factor which came to the aid
of the production and in a sense became its main
motivating force. The fact that many Westerners who are
familiar with the work, while watching forgot the
feeling of this being a cross-cultural work, says a lot
for how dance and music interacted. |
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Leela Venkataraman, Dance Critic, www.sruti.com |
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“Mohini Maidens charmed swans…A dance drama that showed
a sheer panache to find a close similarity between the
Western ballet and Mohiniyattam…In spite of the very
obvious influences of the balletic leaps, pirouettes and
arabesques, the movement on toes, the diagonal groupings
and the other usages of space, the idea jelled
admirably…in the hero (superbly essayed by Santosh Nair)
using powerful Charis (gaits), Utplabans (jumps) and
Bhramaris (rotations) from the genre of Mayurbhanj Chhau
and the swan odetta (enacted beautifully by
Vijayalakshmi) using the swaying motions of Mohiniyattam,
in picturesque unison with her companions.” |
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The Pioneer |
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An enthralled audience watched as the performance glowed
with the lasya-filled swans led by Vijayalakshmi -
acting as a foil to the male Chhau vigour of Santosh
Nair and Anil Panchal, even for this critic, treated to
earlier performances of this production. A discerning
foreigner summed up: "Swan Lake ballet is a cliché. But
this! It is as if Tchaikovsky had composed for
Mohiniattam!" |
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The Hindu, New Delhi |
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“Many faces of innovation…So effortlessly did the
Mohiniyattam movements match Tchaikovsky’s score, dance
and music looking made for each other, making the viewer
forget this was a cross-cultural effort. Resulting from
the long nursed obsession of Vijayalakshmi, the
choreography by her and Bharati Shivaji kept movement
faithful to the Mohiniyattam body language while making
it look inevitably part of the music. Vijayalakshmi
playing Odette also made a researched selection of
relevant passages from the music…Totally unhampered by
the a-rhythmic music, the rapturous dancing seemed to
emanate from dancers liberated from the tala-bound
conventional measurement of time. The pristine white
Mohiniyattam costume, the delicate elevations and dips
with graceful andolika torso sway seemed tailor-made for
the swan.” |
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The Hindu |
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The tone for the festival was set on the opening day
itself which started with presentation of Swan Lake
ballet in Mohiniattam by Shivaji Bharti and party. The
music for the ballet was adapted so skillfully by the
dancers that many in the crowd remarked that probably
the Russian genius while composing it could have never
imagined that it would be adapted in India and we will
see such beautiful swans. Never for a minute there was a
false note or a wrong movement. |
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Central Chronicle, Chandigarh |
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An Indian version of Russian composer Tchaikovsky's
ballet 'Swan Lake' received standing ovation at the
famous Bolshoi Theatre here during the gala inaugural of
a nine day-long cultural festival of India.
Tchaikovsky's elevating music, coupled with the alluring
beauty of classical Mohiniattam dance enthralled the
Russian audience. |
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Deccan Herald, Bangalore |
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The audience was amazed when instead of Swan-girls in
usual ballet skirts, barefooted beauties in Indian
sarees with jasmine flowers in black hair floated on the
stage. Their movements were magnificent. They told a
love story, taken with delight by the spectators. As for
the contents on the performance, the ardour on the stage
was stronger, the colours were brighter and the artistes
more passionate. The sophisticated audience in Moscow
received it with ovation. It turns out to be so pleasant
to destroy the steadiest stereotypes. |
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RUSSIAN PRESS, SEPT. 2005 |
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Padmashree Guru Bharti Shivaji and dancers from the
Centre for Mohiniattam wooed the Calcutta audience with
their rendition of Swan Lake. Set to the music of
Russian composer Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the
presentation was graceful and well synchronised. The
women made a pretty picture in white and gold
Mohiniattam drapes, hair done up in side buns and
decorated with white flowers. The movements were an
eclectic blend of ballet, Mohiniattam and chhau. Tiny
feet movements, swirls, turns and expressions made up
the performance. Vijayalakshmi in the role of Odette was
impressive — sensitive and conveying her thoughts
effortlessly through the movements. |
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The Telegraph, Calcutta |
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“Enchanting all, with song of the body…The high point of
the evening was a dance ‘Unniarcha’, choreographed and
performed by Vijayalakshmi, the young talented daughter
of Bharati. Reconstructing the legend of North Malabar
region, it centered around a folk heroine supposed to be
a martial art expert. With the dance drama amalgamating
various elements of Kalaripayatu – ancient martial art
of Kerala...So as Unniarcha came alive, both her
strength of purpose and grace of Mohiniyattam found an
echo in her rhythmic postures.” |
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Indian Express |
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“Vijayalakshmi’s recital beginning with the customary
Ganapati Stuti was all about feminine delicacy and
softness, about ragas and taalas about sensuous swirling
footwork and poetry of body. Be it when she delighted
with Mukhachalam stringing together with rhythmic
patters flowing into each other exemplifying the
technique of this unique and extraordinary form…this
winner of Mohiniyattam dance is busy rewriting the
repertoire of Mohiniyattam breathing fresh perspective
into tradition and creating choreographies on the new
contemporary themes.” |
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Indian Express |
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“Bharati Shivaji and her disciple-daughter,
Vijayalakshmi flowed harmoniously in the undulated
circles of Mohiniyattam, the most sensual of the styles.
It was a graceful end to an enlightened trip.” |
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The Guardian, Edinburgh |
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Curves, sweeps, a gloriously swaying gait, and somehow a
sense of joy and well-being: Mohiniattam as presented by
Bharati Shivaji and her disciple-daughter Vijayalakshmi.
Their duet as friends musing on the identity of a
handsome man was delectable. |
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The Herald, UK |
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Bharati Shivaji was the complete embodiment of this most
feminine of dance styles. Joined by her daughter,
Vijayalakshmi, on one occasion the symmetric unison gave
the dance a new edge. |
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THE SCOTSMAN, EDINBURGH |
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Her eyes talked in the language of rhythm as she
performed the dance of the enchantress this evening.
Weaving a tale of grace and sensuality on the
performance space of Tagore Theatre, Vijayalakshmi today
reminded the audience of her mother and guru, Bharati
Shivaji, who shares the unique credit of popularising
mohiniattam, the traditional dance of Kerala. |
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The Tribune, Chandigarh |
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