Product Description Mohiniyattam Adavus Mohiniyattam is a uniquely graceful classical dance form which has its origins in Kerala. Mohiniyattam is synonymous with lasya or grace and the movements of the dancer remain rooted in this stance. Adavus are the basic steps which form the nritta element of any dance form. The adavus of Mohiniyattam are a combination of chuvadu or footwork, mudras or hand gestures and charis,, movement of the body as a whole and manadalas which are postures. They are classified on the basis of the vaaythaari or the syllables recited, and positions of the feet. Mohiniyattam Hastas Mohiniyattam is a uniquely graceful classical dance form which has its origins in Kerala.Though it has its roots in the Devadasi tradition, Mohiniyattam has matured over the years to carve a niche of its own in the world of dance. The hastas or mudras (hand-gestures) of Mohiniyattam have been derived from the text Hastha Lakshana Deepika.The author of this text remains unknown but it is the most important document which artists of Kathakali, Mohiniyattam , Thullal, and many other dance forms look up to for guidance and instruction. There are 24 basic hastas in Mohiniyattam and a few others have been borrowed from Bharata's Natya Sastra and His Highness Karthika Thirunal's Balarama Bharatham. About the Actor Aswathy started her training under her mother, renowned dancer, Smt.Kalamandalam Saraswathy, at the tender age of four, giving her first stage performance at the age of seven. Her devotion to the art has bonded her with dancer N.Srikanth and dance has become a synonym for life. Aswathy is trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchupudi and Mohiniyattam and has many performances to her credit both in India and abroad.
S**R
Lovely instructional video
I love this instructional video. Aswathy is very clear in her instruction and she and her dancers are beautiful and graceful. It is challenging to learn as a dance form and has helped me to think of my movements whilst moving through everyday life.I hope that in the future there will be a choreography dvd to continue instruction and to put all of the steps together. ?Thank you very much.
A**N
Great for learning
The first package that I got was broken. The CD was cracked but the crack was not visible until you looked really closely or tried to play it :-)I returned it but Amazon credited me the $10 or so for being a regular customer.I almost broke the second one trying to get it out of the package. The central plastic hub with spokes on which the CD sits is waaay too tight. Take your time to release the DVD from its central hub.Aswathy has done an amazing job not just for folks who want an introduction to Mohiniattam but also for folks like me who want to refresh their training from yesteryears.A good addition would have been names of mandala's, pada bheda's, chari's etc as well as the Do's and Don'ts. For eg., don't turn your head sideways in count 4 of Jaganam or something on those lines.Practice audio tracks would have added to the usefulness of the purchase. Individual tracks in 3 speeds that you can loop for practice. Overall Great Purchase!
M**E
Wonderful !!!!!
This dvd is awesome! Mohiniyattam is a rare dance to be seen in the west so if your interested in learning the artform this is a way to start !! Complex, interesting, wonderful for beginners and a great training tool for advanced dancers. I loved it !
A**R
dancing on Air
I was working on a book about India and I got the idea of seeing what I had been writing about. This video breaks down the basic movements of the divine dance Mohiniyattam. Aswathy Srikanth explains the dance movements with efficient grace.
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