Koodiyattam exponent G. Venu.
| Photograph Credit score: THULASI KAKKAT
G. Venu’s newest e book, Mudra, is a manifestation of his ardour that he had nurtured as a pupil of Kathakali beneath the doyen Guru Gopinath. The 706-page e book is split into 24 chapters and incorporates 1341 notations of hasta mudras in Koodiyattam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam was launched on-line just lately.
Dance notations are alien to our tradition not like the West, the place a system known as ‘Labanotation’ was in vogue greater than 5 centuries in the past. The one Indian to utilize it was scholar Kapila Vatsyayan, who had utilized it to among the dances, however didn’t pursue it additional.
For efficient communication
Whilst his Kathakali coaching was in progress, Venu may realise how the system of hand gestures are full by themselves as a language for efficient communication. If this language is to be recorded, its alphabets must be coined, he felt. So whereas watching performances by the good masters of his time, he was engaged in recording the brand new mudras. As time glided by, the gathering contained nearly all people who have been employed in Kathakali.
Koodiyattam exponent G. Venu. P
| Photograph Credit score:
THULASI KAKKAT
The dance-drama custom not solely entails a big kinetic vocabulary of micro-movements of the palms, completely different components of the face, sophisticated footwork, but additionally stylised actions of all components of the physique from head to foot. Venu persevered for years to file this, which has led to a brand new complete system of notations. He shared it with the then Kathakali doyens together with Chengannur Raman Pillai and famend artist Okay. C. S. Panikker in Chennai, who have been all impressed by this ingenious system.
Initially, Venu designed notations for the fundamental 24 mudras in Hasthalakshanadeepika, the e book on which the Kerala artwork kinds are anchored. They have been depicted on a four-line horizontal workers, the three areas between which divide the physique into three components. The highest most area denoted the mudras to be proven in a line with or above the top and likewise the accompanying facial expressions. The second depicted these to be proven according to the chest and the third, these under the waist. The graphics on this connection are lucid and may be adopted by any avid artiste. Admittedly, Kathakali entails mudras aside from defined on this e book which have been contributions of nice masters. Venu added them too.
Later in collaboration with Nirmala Panikker, his spouse, who can be an acclaimed Mohiniyattam dancer, researcher, choreographer and guru, the system was additionally employed on this lyrical dance type. The e book on Mohiniyattam was revealed in 1983.
As for Koodiyattam, his guru, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar had taught him ‘Ramayana Samkshepam’, a singular technique that helped the actor enact all performs primarily based on Ramayana solely by mudras. Because the Guru defined every, Venu recorded them and eventually the distinctive e book was revealed in 2013, after three years of onerous work.
The e book Mudra by Koodiyattam exponent G. Venu.
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
Mudra is a compilation of all of the above and, subsequently, an exhaustive work. Curiously, the e book entails the historical past of evolution of the three artwork kinds proper and likewise notations for attaprakarams (performing handbook) of Ramayana Samkshepam and cholkettu in Mohiniyattam.
Mastering the approach could possibly be immensely useful for any choreographer to file his manufacturing and will show an efficient instrument for dissemination.
Printed by Natanakairali, Mudra is priced at Rs 3,000.