On October 26, a dancer will perform an intimate display on stage in Brisbane. She will be wearing colorful outfits. Her movements were slow but precise. As she dances, she explains.
“I need to go out and do this before I can’t,” she told Dance Informa; as Bindu Rajendren has been on the journey of a lifetime. Originally from the state of Kerala in southwestern India, through her birthplace of Dubai and time in New Zealand, she now finds herself in Australia as a passionate practitioner and advocate of Mohiniattam. Speaking about her upcoming prom, she said simply: “I’m doing it all on my own dime, well, just because I’m pissed.”
One of several Indian classical dance forms, Mohiniattam is both ancient and regional, and rooted in Hindu cosmology. Although not as popular as Bharatanatyam, it remains one of the treasured cultural expressions of the subcontinent, with Rajendran considered Australia’s premier representative.
Although its exact origins are unknown, the Mohiniattam shares a common ancestor with its sister breeds. Right now, natiya classicis a respected guide for Sanskrit performers. However, in the Indian classical tradition, which is largely dominated by women, it is considered the most feminine. This is because, in the Hindu pantheon, Mohini is known as a witch, either an incarnation of Vishnu or the mother goddess from whom Vishnu was subsequently “born.”
For Rajendren, this gives the dance a deep metaphysical meaning. “Dance is an important part of my spiritual practice,” she declares.
Like many Asian classical styles, Mohiniattam requires a high degree of yogic concentration and discipline. It features both choreographed gestures and twists, emphasizing breath control, facial expression and what Rajendran calls grace.
“Beauty is seen. This is obvious. But grace is something you perceive differently,” she explains. “Beauty can be seen quickly, but you must experience grace. So Mohiniattam is a dance of restraint and release. People think it’s slow, but actually it’s full of grace; grace requires energy.
However, Mohiniattam is not entirely esoteric. Rajendran insists that it is a storytelling dance. It draws not only on the language of Kerala (Malayalam) but also on the gestural qualities of the people of that country. “I always say that Kerala is a head-shaking land,” she says, with a warmth and ease in her voice.
It is also very environmentally friendly. “Mohiniattam has a strong connection with the land. There are many stories about nature. We show trees, we show animals, we show plants. So every dance shows something about nature.
However, here we find a personal connection to Rajendren. Although born in Dubai, her Keralite roots have given her a passion for local dance. Recalling her dance career, she elaborated: “I don’t remember exactly how it started, but when I was four years old, I was dancing on the table at home. I remember my mom telling my dad, ‘This girl has rhythm. We need to get her into some kind of dance class. “If she didn’t, I’d probably still be dancing on the table.
From that point on, she trained for 17 years with her first guru, who taught her all the major Indian forms and continued attending classes during her early pregnancy. Later, after living and working in New Zealand for some time, she arrived in Brisbane and decided to dedicate herself to Mohiniattam.
As she recalls, “I definitely found that I had this style…I can’t explain how or why, but I just found authenticity”.
Fast forward to 2024, and Rajendren not only has an extensive international resume (performing in India, the UK, the UAE, New Zealand, as well as performing at local events such as BrisAsia and the Woodford Folk Festival), but also an undiminished passion. Therefore, she decided to organize the Mohiniattam showcase at the end of October with her own funds.
“All the choreography will be ‘desi’, which means they are from Kerala and represent the culture and storytelling aspects of Kerala,” she explains. “So, I thought what I can do is become a travel agent because I will lead people through dance. This is my first time organizing such an event, although I have performed all over the world and go to India every year, but I just wanted to spark an interest.
Typically, we might expect such displays to be based on more mundane goals, such as promoting a school. However, Rajendren’s commitment to authenticity goes beyond business requirements. She laughed and said she only had six students. “I’d rather focus on creating, choreographing, researching and writing about dance than teaching it to people who aren’t even a quarter passionate or who just want to lose weight.”
However, she is also very realistic. “I knew I needed to share this art form and pass it on. But I needed the right students, otherwise it would stop.
Here again we hear her true mantra. For Rajendren, Mohiniattam was more than an exotic costume spectacle or an endless performative riff on folk orthodoxy. “As a dancer, first I need to believe. Then, I need to be – in a sense, become become. then yes part. exist what am i in dance. So… believe, become, exist. Somehow, maybe because I understand Aboriginal music and gestures, and I love telling stories, Mohiniattam allows for that.
As a conclusion, she took a moment to say, “If Bharatanatyam is like A to B, then Mohiniattam is the journey.”
For more information about Bindu Rajendren, please visit www.bindurajendren.com.
By Paul Ransom of Dance Informa.
