Mohiniyattam by Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla

Invis Multimedia presents a Mohiniyattam performance by Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla in DVD. Innu Mama Bhagya Taru (Swathi Thirunal Kriti) is in praise of Lord  Vishnu, and it gives the dancer ample scope for the swaying movements that is typical to Laasya the predominant emotion in Mohiniyattam. Nritta Prabandham is in praise of Lord Krishna. The dancer invokes the blessings of Lord Ganesha in  Papabhaya Haranam. Dundubhi Natyam(Thandava Dance) is very special with its fast movements and the subtle facial expressions.

Mohiniyattam, the female classical solo dance of Kerala, is the dance of the Mohini, the celestial enchantress of Hindu mythology. Mohiniyattam follows the Sopana style of music, the traditional music used in the temples of Kerala and the dance usually deals with the theme of love and devotion. The slow, swaying movements of Mohiniyattam along with subtle facial expressions give it an identity different from that of the other classical dance forms of India.

Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla
 
A multifaceted artiste, Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla is proficient in Indian classical dance forms like Mohiniyattam and Kathakali and is a musician with a strong base in the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music. She is currently Reader in Carnatic Music at the Faculty of Music and Arts, University of Delhi.

Dr. Deepti learnt Mohiniyattam from the great exponent of the dance form, Kalamandalam Kalyanikuttiyamma. She learnt Carnatic music from her mother Dr. Leela Omchery, T.S. Raghavan and the teachers of the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi. She was trained in Hindustani music by the Dagar Brothers and Yunus Hussain Khan.
She has performed in all major dance festivals in India. Her performances abroad include those at the Festival of India (former USSR), Fukoka Festival, Japan, and many more. She is the recipient of Abhivyakti Kala Sangam Award, New Delhi, for dance, and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Kerala. Her performances exude vitality and warmth enchanting the initiated and the uninitiated alike.