Bharti Shivaji

🪔 About

Bharati Shivaji is a highly acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, author, and guru, renowned for her profound contributions to Mohiniyattam, the graceful dance form of Kerala. Born in 1948 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, she received her early training in Bharatanatyam under Guru Janakiraman (Vazhuvoor style) and later under Lalita Shastri (Pandanallur style, from Kalakshetra) in Delhi. She also trained in Odissi under the legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra. After marrying D Shivaji in 1965 and moving to Delhi, a pivotal moment in her career came when renowned social reformer Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay encouraged her to research Mohiniyattam. She received a research fellowship from the Sangeet Natak Akademi and undertook extensive study in Kerala under the guidance of Kavalam Narayana Panicker, a scholar of Kerala's temple arts. Her Mohiniyattam training included tutelage under Radha Marar, Kalamandalam Satyabhama, and Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, often regarded as the 'Mother of Mohiniyattam'. In 1984, Shivaji founded Kalambalam in New Delhi, which was later renamed the Center for Mohiniyattam in 1995. This academy is dedicated to the research, training, and propagation of Mohiniyattam. She is credited with significantly expanding the repertoire and format of Mohiniyattam, incorporating elements from other Kerala art forms such as Ottamthullal, Kaikottikali, Thayambaka, and Krishnanattam. Her innovative choreographies include a Mohiniyattam adaptation of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake', created with her daughter Vijayalakshmi. She has also choreographed adaptations of Rabindranath Tagore's Bhanusinger Padavali, Chandrotsavam of the Manipravalam, Somastuthi from the Rig Veda, and the Devagita from Ashtapadi. Bharati Shivaji co-authored two seminal books: 'Art of Mohiniyattam' (1986, with Avinash Pasricha) and 'Mohiniyattam' (2003, with Vijayalakshmi), which serve as important reference works on the dance form. Since 2012, she has been presenting the annual festival, "The Mohiniyattam Collective." Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (2004), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1999), Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman (1990), Lasya Lakshmi (1988), Nritya Choodamani (1994), Nishagandhi Puraskaram (2017), Kalaratana.