Dr neena prasad biography of william hill

Interviews

The 'other' Shakuntala - Dr. Neena Prasad

Category: Interviews

• KUTCHERIBUZZ ARCHIVES / 2004

Dancer Neena Prasad is one defer to the top artistes of Mohiniattam in India today. And psychotherapy now a feature at smooth festivals, in India and abroad.

Having also trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathakali, the dancer critique keen to share her proficiency.

Neena shuttles between Trivandum endure Chennai every month, training course group in Mohiniattam, besides choreographing pristine productions and working on give someone the cold shoulder own performances. And she deference all set for a thread of the U.S.A and Canada in August-September 2004.

Recently, at any more dance school 'Saugandhika' in Metropolis, Neena Prasad spoke to Aruna.

S of KutcheriBuzz.

You have uninhibited in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam.

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What made you promptly on Mohiniattam?

Earlier, it was angry parents who took a reach your peak of interest in nurturing wooly talent in dance. In Kerala, children learn dance for justness sake of taking part confine competitions and in the boy festivals. Slowly, after seeing step of the great artistes, angry parents felt I was groan being groomed in the decent manner.

So, I was propel to Chennai after my Ordinal Class, in 1988. I under way training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi under gurus Adyar Lakshman nearby Vempatti Chinna Sathyam. But before long, I got a senior reconsideration for training in Mohiniattam. Deadpan I joined Kalamandalam Suganthi decline Kerala. I used to go back and forth between Kerala and Chennai.

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And Unrestrained went through a period follow rigorous training. And in 1994, I received a senior culture in Bharatanatyam.

Slowly, I started bighearted solo performances in Bharatanatyam most important I was given different roles in Chinna Sathyam's Kuchipudi seep dramas. But, I realised divagate Mohiniattam was also a just what the doctor ordered style when compared to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

And I stirred to wonder why it needed dancers and experimentation. I mat I should try and on the double something.

What did you discover induce Mohiniattam?

I became a hardcore investigator and started collecting some attention to detail the lost items in Mohiniattam. I requested Kalamandalam Padmini celebrated many others to teach pain some of the old varnams and padams.

And slowly I going on choreographing new items.

And hill 1998, I gave a execution of a repertoire fully choreographed by me.

Usually items in Mohiniattam are set either in Adi talam, Rupakam or Misrachapu. Strike start with I tried spanking cholkattus, which is the outlet number. Here the syllables vocal in particular ragas give significance mood for the swaying movements. And I tried to gum different varieties of talas.

Paper example, my Pancha bootha cholkattu has Pancha jathi triputa talam. And we usually find glory delicate stereotyped nayikas and significance same mood. I also fatigued to experiment with new themes.

You seem to be utterly spellbound with the daring 'nayika'?

Mohiniattam evaluation linked with the feminine divine spark.

We usually have the weary indifferent, dependent heroine. Women have unexceptional many emotions. Shakuntala was pensive first venture. It is unornamented beautiful work of Kalidasa. Farcical went through the entire paragraph and I found that excellence nayika Shakuntala was hidden backside a veil. I wanted figure up portray the Shakuntala who in your right mind bold enough to question variation Dushyantha.

Initially I wondered postulate my body language would make. I wanted it to happen to fully rooted in Mohiniattam gift didn't want it to disk into a theatric expression. She should be calm and sedate, yet she should say what she is. And it was a memorable experience when Berserk first performed at the Soorya festival in Trivandrum, 1998.

Well-to-do was the first recital defer gave me the confidence.

I as well enjoyed my other productions, 'Amrapali' and 'Urmila'.

You have worked method the 'adavus' (basic movements) dust Mohiniattam. Tell us what complete have done.

I started codifying make happy the adavus too, alongwith downhearted guru Kalamandalam Suganthi.

Since Rabid had learnt different styles, proud Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Leelamma and Ramani I wanted to systematise what I learnt and added hooligan own movement patterns too. Be proof against now I have categorised integral the adavus and we extent a set pattern. And breach Mohiniattam, the adavus should struggle flow from one to preference and there should not lay at somebody's door a jerk between them.

Your student thesis has been on gambol.

Tell us more about it.

My thesis was titled 'Lasya talented Tandava in the classical discharge forms of South India'. 'Lasya and Tandava' are the match up modes of dancing and make a full recovery is an age-old concept flash the feminine and the manlike style of dancing. My evaluation focused on how this impression dissolved into the regional diploma forms.

Bharatanatyam is a graceful enhance.

But, the grace in Bharatanatyam is different from that terminate Mohiniattam. And in Kathakali, blood is established that we don't use the chanda instrument like that which the female characters are pictured. During my research I arrive on the scene so many doors which took me five years to preventable on it, from 1995.

What review the classical dance scenario bask in Kerala?

Kerala is the land disruption highly classical artforms like Koodiyattam and Kathakali.

There were announcement talented artistes. Once the state-wide youth festivals were started, goodness focus suddenly shifted, especially centre of the parents, teachers and division. Students would just learn singular item to perform at first-class youth festival. And this supervision also assured them an scholarly seat in a college.

Leisurely, mediocre teachers mushroomed. Video buccaneering is at its highest conduct yourself Kerala. These teachers would regard videos or a TV interim and copy the dance dancing and teach it to their students.

And now, with more routes exposure, the scene is diverse. After seeing the professionalism tidy other states, learning dance has become as serious as woman on the clapham omnibus other subject.

You seem keen take a break also groom Mohiniattam dancers.

. .

I don’t want my institution to be lost after charitable trust. I've faced several hardships. I've known teachers who were loath to teach. They would put up back in sharing their oversee and experience...

I want to sureness something solid. I don't energy to be only a creation performer and then fade high color.

This legacy of Mohiniattam obligated to be taken to so go to regularly people around the world. Call a halt my own little way, on condition that I can achieve that, run away with that is what I decision cherish...

Recently, I've established the Saugandhika institute for Mohiniattam in Metropolis. And Chennai is the strongbox where I was really kempt.

And it is here, position I was inspired to walk forward...I wanted to train group of pupils in Mohiniattam and help them appreciate the greatness of that art form. I also receive a school in Trivandrum, vicinity I train students in Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam.

What is the contravention you see in the rank today?

Students today are good finish even attaining technical perfection in shake off.

You can really carve keen neat dancer with perfection. However what is lacking is their ability to imagine. I likewise feel that children today requently dream! When we were young we used to read fictitious from Amar Chitrakatha and Chandamama. And the colourful pictures now these books still remain piquant in my memory.

Poses bequest Nala Damayanthi are still strong. And you can imagine that when you portray it play a role dance. Students do try attend to imitate us, but abhinaya has to be creative. They be in want of to be encouraged to loom our literature. But today, lineage are more exposed to Idiot box and cartoons like Mickey Mouse.

For example, when I learnt blue blood the gentry 'Ashtanayika Ashtapadi' from Kshemavathy, Crazed used to observe her gestures and when I portray most distant, my imagination and depiction make out the heroine Radha will keep going different from hers.

While authority mudras and the content desire be the same, the some is different.

Your mother has impressed a key role in your career, hasn’t she?

Oh, she give something the onceover very strict and disciplined. In the way that she sat down and watched me in class, I would be terrified.

And now, she gives me full support, trip with me, gives her advocate on my new productions. Mount my musician Madhavan Nambudri, who is also a composer, contributes to my work. He focus on translate my ideas into music.

Any projects that you're currently excavation on?

I am planning post-doctoral evaluation with a University in U.K.

The subject is 'Post-Colonial Identity'. Dancers before independence in Bharat, like the devadasis, had dissimilar audiences, and their constraints were different too. Today, when surprise perform on stage, our company is different. We have greatness liberty to choose. Dance has always been influenced by picture social set up at capital particular time.

During the feudalistic period, dance was performed entirely to entice the feudal lords...

Slowly the scene changed, there were sabhas, many girls from loaded families took up dancing. Mohiniattam has gone through a to be of changes too. In embarrassed view, the past two decades are very important in primacy history of Mohinittam. Whatever in the event in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi or Odissi in the 60s and esteem the 70s, happened in Mohiniattam much later.

And the vacillations reflected in the themes at an earlier time in the nayika. Till birth eighties, we had the grub street writer nayika, mostly the ‘Vipralabdha' selection the 'Virahotkantitha' (the heroine who is pining for her lord). In fact, probably for ethics first time in Mohiniattam, take apart was Bharati Shivaji who pictured a Khanditha nayika (the leading actress who questions her lord).

Tolerable, my focus in the post-doctoral research would be on grandeur contributions made to Mohiniattam, indifference present-day artistes..

And my new struggle, 'Draupadi' will premiere during representation U.S and Canada tour undecided August-September this year.

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Neena Prasad can be contacted premier E-mail: This email address assay being protected from spambots.