Bharati Shivaji

Bharati Shivaji is an Indian classical dancer of Mohiniyattom,^[1] choreographer and author, known for her contributions to the art form by way of performance, research and propagation.^[2] She is the founder of Center for Mohiniyattam, a dance academy promoting Mohiniyattom^[3] and the co-author of two books, Art of Mohiniyattom^[4] and Mohiniyattom.^[5] She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award^[6] and Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman.^[7] The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2004, for her contributions to Indian classical dance.^[8]

Bharati Shivaji was born in 1948 in the temple town of Kumbakonam, in Tanjavur district of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu,^[10] and had her early training in Bharatnatyam under Lalita Shastri^[11] and Odissi under Kelucharan Mohapatra.^[12] Later, on advice from Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, renowned social reformer, she took up research on Mohiniyattom, the traditional dance form of Kerala.^[7] After obtaining a research fellowship from Sangeet Natak Akademi, she traveled to Kerala and pursued research under Kavalam Narayana Panicker, a scholar of the Temple Arts of Kerala and former vice-chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi.^[13] Shifting her focus from Bharatnatyam and Odissi,^[11] she started training Mohiniyattom under Radha Marar and, later, under Kalamandalam Satyabhama, and also had a training stint under Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma,^[3] considered by many as the Mother of Mohiniyattom.^[14]

Moving to New Delhi, Shivaji founded the dance academy, Center for Mohiniyattom, a dedicated facility for promoting the dance form. She is known to have contributed to the evolution of the dance tradition,^[7] by adding more languor to the already languorous discipline,^[11] and by adapting it to other dance forms such as ballet; her Mohiniyattom adaptation of the Swan Lake of Tchaikovsky, choreographed along with her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, is one such effort.^[15] Her productions include adaptations of Bhanusinger Padavali of Rabindranath Tagore,^[16] Chandrotsavam of the Manipravalam, Somastuthi from the Rig Veda, and the Devagita, from Ashtapadi.^[3] She is known to have incorporated postures, movements and music from other Traditional art forms of Kerala such as Ottamthullal, Kaikottikali, Thayambaka and Krishnanattam into Mohiniyattom, a legacy from her tutelage under Kavalam Narayana Panicker.^[17]

In 1986, Shivaji published his first book, Art of Mohiniyattam, co-authored by Avinash Pasricha.^[4] The book documents her researches under Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship and a subsequent senior fellowship from the Department of Culture under the Ministry of Human Resource Development and is a reference book on the subject.^[7] She published another book, Mohiniyattam, co-written by her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, herself a noted Mohiniyattom performer, in 2003.^[5] The book deals with the history and evolution of the art form and comments about the styles and techniques, repertoire, music, costumes and jewellery associated with it.^[2] She has performed on several stages in India^[18][19] and abroad^[20] and has taught many Indian and foreign students.^[21] She also continues her research by visiting temples and gives lecture-demonstrations on the dance form at conferences and seminars.^[16]

Shivaji was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1999-2000.^[6] Four years later, the Government of India included her in the 2004 Republic Day Honours list for the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri.^[8] She is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman, Lasya Lakshmi title from Kunchan Nambiar Memorial Trust, Kerala and Nritya Choodamani title from the Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.^[22] She won the Nishagandhi Puraskaram of the Government of Kerala in 2017.^[23]

Sara and Urs Baur, two American filmmakers, have made a documentary, Beyond Grace, on Mohiniyattom and the art of Shivaji which features her daughter, Vijayalakshmi, too.^[24] The 78-minute film, which details the work of the mother-daughter combination,^[25] was premiered on 9 July 2011 at the Raleigh Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles.^[24]

• Bharati Shivaji, Avinash Pasricha (1986). Art of Mohiniyattam. Lancer, India. p. 107. ISBN 978-8170620037.
• Bharati Shivaji, Vijayalakshmi (2003). Mohiniyattam. Wisdom Tree. ISBN 9788186685365.

• Bharati Shivaji (2 September 2014). "A tete a tete with Mohiniyattam exponent Bharati Shivaji" (Interview). Interviewed by Supriya Rajan. Sree Sankara School of Dance, Kalady, Kerala. Retrieved 26 November 2015.

• Bharati Shivaji at IMDb
• "National dance fest : Bharati Shivaji (Mohiniyattam)". YouTube video. Kutcheri Buzz. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
• "Geeta-Govinda Sopan (Mohiniyattam) performance by Padmashri Bharati Shivaji". YouTube video. Konchhok. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
• "Bharati Shivaji and Dance Troupe". National Geographic. 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2015.