December 9 & 10, 2000 at 6pm

Prakriti Foundation presented "Mohamana" Explorations in text/context of the Bhairavi ragam varnam

Performances and discussion on this unique varnam devoted to Tyagarajaswami of Tiruvarur
Photo exhibition on Tiruvarur, featuring the works of Usha Kris, S Anwar and Cylla Von Tiedmann

Venue: Sundar Mahal,Padmavathy Road, Jeypore Colony, Chennai

Schedule:

Dec 9:
Inaugural nadaswaram by Tiruvarur S Latchappa Pillai and party
Screening of the Satyajit Ray film on Bala with Mohamana
Dr. Saskia Kersenboom
Nandini Ramani

Dec 10:
Harikrishnan
Srividya Natarajan and Indu Varma
Vyjayanthimala Bali

The Mohamana Varnam is primarily a piece of dance art that has transcended time despite changes that have taken place in the world of dance. A perfect paean to Tyagarajaswami of Tiruvarur, it allows for the dancer to depict the entire universe of 'sringara' emotions that color our human and divine lives.

Why the Mohamana Varnam?
Explorations over 2 days will allow us to look at its various aspects/layers and also allow us to question ourselves on the issues of our times for the dance community and dance.

Whose is the Mohamana?
Should it stay within a certain school?
If not, how does a performing artiste treat the text within context?
What efforts are needed by dancer and audience?
Where does responsibility lie for changes that occur, who will make and allow for them?
Is tradition as we see it on the scene today really traditional or has it morphed since the revival?
What is real?
Is it Bharatanatyam or should there be a nomenclatural change to Sadir/dasiattam for certain pieces of repertoire?
Whither dance scholarship?
What of the dialectic between the modernists vs traditionalists?
Who are the postmodernists?
Are new directions in dance recent or did they really start a long ago?

In the new millennium with the severe onslaught of sensation/sensationalism around us, we need to still ourselves and ponder. Where are we going with our traditions…

Mohamana explorations is a leitmotif for that. We at Prakriti Foundation realize that 2 days will not result in all answers but if in the sharing of our thoughts and beliefs we come away richer and with reason to contemplate, at least we have made a beginning.
- Ranvir Shah

Dr.Saskia Kersenboom, author of Nithyasumangali (a study of devadasis) and Word, Sound, Image (an in-depth study of muttamizh with reference to Mohamana varnam) is professor of linguistic anthropology at Utrecht, Netherlands and has been learning dance from Nandini Ramani for over 20 years.

Nandini Ramani, prime disciple of Balasaraswati, dance correspondent of The Hindu, secretary of the Music Academy, daughter of Dr. V Raghavan, she is engaged in publishing works of her father in Sanskrit, music and dance drama at the Dr. V Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts.

Harikrishnan, Bharatanatyam dancer based in Toronto, Canada, has learnt from guru Kittappa Pillai as well as contemporary dance with leading choreographers internationally.

Srividya Natarajan and Indu Varma, disciples of guru Kittappa Pillai, founders of Tapasya, an institute for promotion of traditional dances.

Vyjayanthimala Bali, (prime disciple of guru K N Dandayudapani Pillai) learnt traditional pieces from guru Kittappa Pillai and performs the Tanjore Quartet repertoire regularly. She has been honored with several awards by state, central governments and several cultural bodies in five decades of her illustrious career.

Review

"The hall was beautifully decorated by the Prakriti team and hung with rare Tanjore paintings of Shiva as Thyagesa, at the sacred temple town of Thiruvarur…
In a glorious finale, Vyjayanthimala, though 68, danced a portion of Mohamaana with such devotion and beauty, besides classical correctness, that many in the audience had tears in their eyes….
Altogether a fine initiative by the Prakriti Foundation."
"Mohamaana" by Renuka Narayanan (Dec 17, 2000)