Mohiniyattam, the classical dance festival

Mohini Nrithyathi, the mohiniyattam festival, ring its curtain down today at the regional theater of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy at Thrissur, Kerala. The performance here was opened by Sunanda Nair, the excellent Mohiniyattam Dancer. The second performance was on 29th of December by Smitha Rajan. The third and the last performance on 30th of the month was by Methil Devika, the renowned dancer.

Smitha Rajan, the grand daughter of the maestros Kalamandalam Krishanan Nair and Kalamndalam Kalayanikutty Amma excelled on the stage with her enchanting expressions. She started her training in Mohiniyattam under Guru Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, her grandmother and who is called as the mother of Mohiniyattam. Her mother Guru Sreedevi Rajan & aunty Guru Kala Vijayan, were with her to groom herself in this field. Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, one of the great Kathakali artists of all the time, trained Smitha Rajan in Kathakali, the traditional art form of Kerala. But Smitha who had a hard training in Kathakali and a good performer of the art form was much more inclined to Mohiniyattam, the 'laasyanatanam'. She had done researches and various choreography in the dance form and is running a dance school named Nrithyakshethra in US. She is giving training on Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattam and Kuchippudi, the three Indian Classaical dance styles, in her institute.She is trained in Carnatic Music under the late Prof. Kalyanasundaram.

Smitha Rajan presented a performance on Mohini Nrithyathi based on the story of Rani Lakshmi Bhai, the Jhansi Rani. Her excellence in choreography was seen in each step. She had tremendous expressions for all the performances that she had done on the stage. The actor proved herself as the granddaughter of the maestros.

On Monday, 30th December 2013, the Mohiniyattam festival concluded with the performance of Methil Devika, the famous dancer and the wife of malayalam cine artist Mukesh. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, an autonomous body to promote art and arttists organised Mohini Nrithyathi which was performed in seven venues all around India.