Mohiniattam By Pallavi Krishna: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR MOHINIATTAM BY PALLAVI KRISHNA

One of the country's leading exponents of Mohiniattam is in town today. She'll make it look like it's no bid deal. Just remember that the only thing that is no big deal is watching her perform.

The Kathak Kala Kshetra, in association with the Department of Culture, is organising The Deccan Dance Festival from 6th to 8th March, at Ravindra Bharathi. The 3-day festival will feature some of the best classical dancers of the country, like Susmita Chatterjee, Bimbavati Devi, Pallavi Krishnan, Meenakshi Chittaranjan, Dr Shobha Naidu and Sujata Mahapatra, sharing the stage.

Today, the second day, Pallavi Krishnan, a leading exponent of Mohiniattam, is set to enchant dance lovers with her performance. Pallavi initially trained in Kathakali and Mohiniattam under Kalamandalam Shankaranarayanan at Shantiniketan. Her passion for Mohiniattam led her to advanced training at the Kerala Kalamandalam. On completion of her training there, she continued her training under the guidance of Bharati Shivaji.

She has performed and conducted Mohiniyattam residencies extensively in India and abroad in countries such as Australia, Canada, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and UK. Her performances in India, among others, include those at leading festivals of the country such as the national dance festivals of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi at various parts of the country, the Konark Festival (Orissa), the Mahabalipuram Festival (Chennai), the New Choreographic Festival of Impresario India (Delhi), the Doverlane Festival of Music & Dance (Kolkata), the Soorya Festival, the Nishagandhi Festival and the Malabar Mahotsav (Kerala).

She is the Artistic Director since 1994 of the Lasya Akademi of Mohiniattam, a centre for professional training in and the promotion of Mohiniattam at Thrissur with a branch in Kolkata, where she is grooming a good number of talented young dancers in the art of Mohiniattam. Students from abroad too come to Lasya Akademi for professional training in the art of Mohiniattam.

Kathak Kala Kshetra was started by Pandit Anju Babu, a Kathak dancer, choreographer and percussionist, in 1980. He himself was a popular dancer, having performed in countries like USA, France, England and Japan. Pandit Babu teaches many students in this institute, and has even conducted international training programs with Anjali Papa, Director of the Anjali Centre of Houston, where he trained many Indian and American children in Kathak.

The entry to the festival is free. For further details, please contact 98492-59133.