Kanak Rele, renowned Mohiniyattam exponent passes away.

• Known as one of India’s most inventive classical dancers and pioneering dance educationists, Mohiniyattam exponent Kanak Rele, who played a significant role in bringing a systematic structure, academic veracity and much currency to Mohiniyattam, besides propagating female roles in Kathakali, died recently.
• She was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2013.

About Mohiniyattam

• Mohiniyattam is from Kerala and one of the eight classical dances of India.
  • 8 Classical dances are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Sattriya, Mohiniyattam and Manipuri.
• It is performed by women in honour of god Vishnu in his incarnation as enchantress Mohini.
• Conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists, it emotes a play through dancing and singing. Instruments used: Maddalam, Mridangam, Veena, Kuzhitalam or Cymbals, Edakka etc.
• It has its roots in sage Bharata Muni’s text called ‘Natya Shastra’.
• Mohiniyattam lays emphasis on acting. The dancer identifies herself with the character and sentiments existing in the compositions like the Padams and Pada Varnams which give ample opportunity for facial expressions.
• The hand gestures, 24 in number, are mainly adopted from Hastalakshana Deepika, a text followed by Kathakali. Few are also borrowed from Natya Shastra, Abhinaya Darpana and Balarambharatam.
• The gestures and facial expressions are closer to the natural(gramya) and the realistic (lokadharmi) than to the dramatic or rigidly conventional (natyadharmi).