'Mohiniyattam, for me, epitomises the best exposition of lasya. With its gentle pace and rhythm, and the swaying movement, it recreates the gentle landscape of Kerala, the beautiful land of its birth.'
Through its rhythmic patterns, dressing style and unique features, Mohiniyattam is truly distinct and different from other dance forms of South India, and has become justly famous the world over.
I have been trained extensively in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathakali at the feet of renowned masters such as Adyar Lakshmanan, Vempatti Chinnasatyam and Vembayam Appukkuttan Pillay. After years of dedicated and arduous study, I returned to my first love, Mohiniyattam.
It involved another period of rigorous training under Kalamandalam Sugandhi and Kalamandalam Kshemavathi. I started to explore my research inquisitiveness as I joined simultaneously for my PhD at Rabindra Bharati University, West Bengal. Research became part of my living and this molded me further as a dancer and an academician. And this continues.
Also, I could conduct extensive research in Mohiniyattam. This made me to discover the roots of the tradition and build a bridge between the practices and the treatises. The academic exposure fine tuned the researcher in me. Thanks to all opportunities which came my way.
Mohiniyattam to me is a journey inward. Dance revealed to me the truth and cause of my existence. With my dance I touch the soul of nature, and it binds me to the cosmos. My passion elevates my dance to a realm of meditation.
PhD Summary of Dr. Neena Prasad:
'The concepts of Lasya and Tandava in the classical dances of South India : A detailed Study' is an in-depth examination of the various manifestation of lasya and tandava, the two fundamental and philosophical modes common to all classical dance forms in India. The study explored, how these twin concepts are aesthetically differentiated and synthesized in the South Indian dance such as Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi and Kathakali. The work looks at the concepts from the classical canons of Indian aesthetics beginning from Bharatha and other leading exponents of the Sound theory of the nine sentiments, or the Doctrine of Rasa.
Post Doctoral Fellowship
Dr Neena was awarded a Research Fellowship from the AHRB Research Center for Cross Cultural Music and Dance Performance, University of Surrey. UK. She worked on the theme: Post Colonial Identity Construction: The study explores the evolution of the protagonist, or ‘Nayika’ from the colonial period, to its present form in the post colonial context.