Contribution to Mohini Attam

Just a quarter of a century ago Mohini Attam had reached a point where only a few items from its once rich repertoire were remembered. Under a research grant from Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kanak toured extensively in Kerala to gather as much material as possible on Mohini Attam by meeting scholars, connoisseurs and surviving exponents. A subsequent grant in 1970-71 from The Ford Foundation enabled her to film the traditional dances of the surviving exponents of Mohini Attam - late Smt. Kunjukuttyamma, late Smt. Chinammuamma and Smt. Kalyanikuttyamma.

She has analysed this recorded data with diligent care in light of the ‘shastric’ tenets and arrived at an authoritative format for the technique of Mohini Attam. For the past 20 years she has been collaborating with noted Kerala scholar Kavalam Narayana Pannikar who has done deep research in the indigenous “music and tala” tradition of Kerala Sopana Sangitam. Under this collaboration old and almost forgotten dance items of the Kerala tradition have been revived and cast in Sopana mode. With her deep knowledge of the technique of the shastras and native creative brilliance kanak has choreographed these items which today total more than 50 in number. Thus Mohini Attam now has a rich repertoire which it can claim all to be its own.