Since the resurrection of Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam in the 1930s and the restructuring of the craft and content of the dance form in the early 1950s, a handful of dancers came into prominence as distinguished disciples of the late Kalamandalam Sathyabhama. Of them, one who most faithfully stood by her Guru’s stylistics on stage and the methodology of teaching was Kalamandalam Leelamma. She passed away recently, creating a deep sense of loss and void in her students, colleagues and admirers.
Hailing from Mattakkara village in Kottayam district, Leelamma had a taste for dance even as a child. Hence it was a conscious decision of her parents to enrol their daughter at Kerala Kalamandalam as a student of dance in the early 1960’s. On successful completion of her training in Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi at Kalamandalam, Leelamma joined her alma mater as an instructor. She retired as Professor and Head of the Faculty of Dance at Kalamandalam in 2007. Thereafter Leelamma was appointed as visiting professor for imparting advanced lessons in Mohiniyattam to post-graduate students at Kalamandalam. She continued to contribute her mite to the institution till she became too ill to take classes.
Kalamandalam Leelamma
Although Sathyabhama was the architect of the updated version of Mohiniyattam, it was her disciple Leelamma who brought laurels to the ‘style’ evolved by her Guru. Her seniors Kshemavathy and Sugandhi had by then carved out a style of their own that bore imprints of their individual creativity and imagination. In the initial years of her career, Leelamma did not add anything of her own to the traditional repertoire of Mohiniyattam. She was more interested in reinforcing the ‘received idiom’ than providing frills to the existing visual frames.
Aesthetic dimension
Leelamma promoted and popularised the conventional items of the Kalamandalam School of Mohiniyattam as a member of its troupe and individually too. Yet her treatment of famous varnams and padams were noted for her grace, glow and exactitude. Swathi Thirunal’s Daani Samajendra gaamini in raga Thodi and Manasime parithapam in raga Sankarbharanam found eloquent expression in her gestures, movements and footwork and the upangabhinaya of Leelamma. She stuck to succinct yet captivating improvisations befitting the sthai and sanchari . Her dancing and enactment of the celebrated padavarnam, Sumasayaka , a composition of Swathy Thirunal in Sudha Kappi raga, had enchanted hundreds of rasikas in India and abroad. Although a Viroholkhanditha Nayika (heroine’s angst caused by separation) like those in the aforesaid Varnams, the Nayika here is full of expectations about her glorious reunion with the Nayaka.
Leelamma had exquisitely portrayed the sadness of separation of the Nayika and her endless waiting for the Nayaka in the line Samayam bahubaadhaya . She was exceptionally expressive in presenting Irayimman Thampi’s well-known padam, Karunacheyvan enthu , set to Yadukulakamboji raga. She could virtually convert the pallavi, anupallavi and the charanams of the padam into a soul-stirring prayer to Lord Guruvayurappan, harmonising soka (sorrow) and bhakti (devotion). The brief vinyasas (improvisation) in her own choreography, centring on the plight of Ahalya incurring the wrath and curse of sage Gautama, showed the tantalising impact of the Sanchari bhavas . Angasuddhi Leelamma had in adequate measure. Yet satwikabhinaya was her strength. She was able to identify with the sentiments of the many different Khanditha Nayikas such as Kalahantharitha (quarrelsome) and Pravasavipralambha (residing in a different region and lamenting separation) instinctively.
Mohiniyattam was an abiding passion for her. Hence she took up the task of choreographing and codifying numerous sets of Adavus that jelled with the undulating movements associated with the organic framework of this lasya heritage. Incidentally, Leelamma did not alter the tempos in such a way as to provide more space to the speedy execution of pure dance.
As teacher, Leelamma was highly disciplined and devoted. She was particular about the rigour with which each movement and expression were to be practised by the students in the Kalari. The moment she made out an incongruity in the body kinetics of the young dancers, Leelamma was quick to rectify them. Little surprise that scores of her disciples are still in the field either as teachers or as performers. She was understandably not so impressed by the current developments in Mohiniyattam that unabashedly borrow themes from divergent sources.
More irked was she by the changes the young crop of dancers brought into the costumes and jewellery of the classical dance form.
Leelamma had never been flamboyant throughout her career. Her subdued demeanour was always in contrast to the exasperating exhibitionism of the present-day world of dance. Still accolades and honours came to her, although belatedly. She was recipient of the Central and State Sangeet Natak Akademy Awards, Kerala Kalamandalam Award, Keraleeya Nrithya-Natya Puraskaram of the State Government and Senior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Leelamma was fond of life in its multiple splendours. She was both emotional and indulgent. With an iron will, she braved the trials and tribulations in her life.
She did not feel embarrassed about being the torch-bearer of a tradition handed down to her by illustrious Gurus. The spirit of resolve and optimism that she kept alive all through her life should be a guiding force to a young generation of dancers.
