La Danse de l’Enchanteresse

Brigitte Chataignier’s evocative and atmospheric film, La Danse de l’Enchanteresse – co-produced with Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kerala’s famed film director – is a visual ode to the classical dance from Kerala, Mohiniattam (which literally means ‘dance of the enchantress’). The absence of dialogue provides a hint of mystery and the brilliant imagery and exquisite music speak much louder than words.

Throughout the 75-minute film, we see different aspects of Mohiniattam revealed through a collection of scenes shot in scenic locations around Kerala. A peek through a doorway reveals a class in progress in a temple courtyard, dancers in resplendent white Kerala saris practice adavus under the watchful eye of their guru, seated in a circle with their teacher dance students learn a padam, dancers in costume apply eye makeup, there is a rehearsal with musicians, a recital in a temple. Interspersed with these dance images, we are also offered glimpses of life in Kerala: a young girl looking out over a lake lost in thought, a bus journey, a village temple, pouring rain. Several prominent Mohiniattam gurus and dancers are featured in the film.

For Brigitte Chataignier, the film is a testimony of a certain time which she wanted to capture and preserve. It is also a homage to her dance gurus and to Maharaja Swati Tirunal, the 19th century poet, composer and musician. His compositions are featured in the film and some scenes were shot in his palaces.

Brigitte Chataignier’s fascination with the Indian performing arts first brought her to India more than 20 years ago. In her native France she had studied contemporary dance, theatre, mime and yoga. She had the opportunity to study Mohiniattam at the famous Kerala Kalamandalam school with Kalamandalam Leelamma and then with Kalamandalam Kshemavathy. She has presented group and solo performances in India and abroad and also studied Carnatic music, Kathakali and Kalaripayattu. After living continuously in Kerala for six years she now divides her time between France and India. (Left: Brigitte Chataignier)

I had the chance to see La Danse de l’Enchanteresse in Bangalore during the 2009 Attakkalari India Biennial and spoke to Brigitte Chataignier about her film.

How did this film come about?

I had the idea to make this film for a long time. In the process, I interviewed teachers and older people and asked them not only about Mohiniattam, but also about the arts and life in Kerala.

I’m a big admirer of the work of Adoor Gopalakrishnan and I quickly realized that he was the only person who I could collaborate with on this project. What I appreciate about his work is his fabulous use of light. I approached him and told him about my idea. He didn’t agree at first. But slowly through the many discussions we had, an understanding and friendship developed between us and after some time he agreed to do the film.

We both agreed that we wanted to create a certain atmosphere in this film. We wanted to bring out the essence of Mohiniattam while also capturing a certain time period in India, a time which is quickly disappearing. We carefully thought out and planned each scene in detail and wrote the scenario together. We decided to have very little dialogue and an underlining ‘hint’ of a story. We didn’t want to tell too much. Throughout the film different aspects of Mohiniattam are revealed. There are glimpses of each item of the Mohiniattam repertoire. And interspersed with these are short ‘vignettes’ or glimpses of life in Kerala.

Who are the gurus and dancers featured in the film?

The teachers are Satiabhama, Sreedevi Rajan, Kalamandalam Kshemavathy and Kalamandalam Leelamma. I wanted to bring them all together in the film. I found that each had certain qualities and thought they could all be featured, like all the fingers in a hand. There are four main styles of Mohiniattam. Three are represented here. There are also glimpses into the relationship between teacher and student. Some of the dancers include Kalaratna Smitha Rajan, Dr Neena Prasad, and Pallavi Krishnan.

Tell me more about the underlying theme or story in the film.

The story is of a young dance student who is living a romance ‘in her head’: she’s thinking of the potential husband she’ll meet one day. She is a young girl with love on her mind. The theme is sringara, longing, separation. The same themes we find in padams. So there is a link between the poetry and lyrics of the padams featured in the film and the girl’s story.

How was the film received in France?

Very well. It received good reviews. The film is beautiful to watch, it’s also very contemplative, so it’s appreciated by art lovers and connoisseurs, and those who like India, dance, meditation, yoga.

It is not at all a commercial film so it was shown only at select cinemas which feature films on art and dance. It was also screened at several film festivals in Europe, Asia and in Brazil and won a prize in 2008 at the International Audiovisual Festival of Performing Arts in Lisbon, Portugal.

In India it has been shown in Trivandrum, the Habitat Centre in Delhi, Shantineketan, Calcutta and now Bangalore.

The locations used in the film are stunning. Where are they located?

Yes a lot of thought had gone into selecting locations. We see Maharaja Swati Tirunal’s palaces in Trivandrum and Padmanabhapuram, a small Shiva temple in a local village, the Kuthambalam theatre at the famous Kalamandalam school and Thiruvattar temple. We also see traditional Kerala houses with their courtyards and verandas.

These locations provide an echo of history. Time stops in the film. It captures a certain time, a memory of a certain time. It’s a testimony of something I felt and a homage to my teachers. The aim was not to illustrate the complete technique and every detail of the dance but rather the feeling of lasya in Mohiniattam and the atmosphere of Kerala, which I really love. This is what I wanted to preserve in this film.

Watch the trailer of La Danse de l’Enchanteresse:



A few more excerpts from the film:

An Introduction to Indian Classical Dance

(Above: Rukmini Devi)

India’s many styles of popular, folk and classical dances are as rich and colourful as the country itself. Bollywood dance is probably the most popular dance associated with India thanks to the popularity of Bollywood films, not only in India but also abroad. These prolonged and energetic dance sequences are a vital ingredient of any Bollywood flick – along with a good dose of melodrama and a few fight scenes!

However the Bollywood-style of dance seen in Indian films today is something that has evolved over the history of film-making in India. Dance has always been a vital feature in Indian cinema, though in earlier films, the dances featured were always classical, choreographed by the great dance gurus of the time. Renowned Bengali director, Satyajit Ray’s classic films like The Music Room (1958) and The Chess Players (1977) featured professional dancers performing classical (North Indian) Kathak dance. Tamil films like Parthiban Kanavu (1960) and Konjum Salangai (1962) included mesmerizing dance sequences of the (South Indian) classical dance Bharata Natyam by renowned dancers. (Below: Saswati Sen in Satyajit Ray's The Chess Players)

So what makes a dance classical? There are eight Indian dance-styles which are classified as ‘classical’ because they all have their roots in the Natyashastra, a classical treatise on the arts believed to have been written in Sanskrit by Bharata Muni sometime between 200BC and 200AD. This text covers several aspects relating to drama, dance and music. It covers the facial expressions, hand gestures, head and eye movements, and some of the body positions and movements which are common to the classical dance styles.

Many of the classical dances were traditionally performed in temples as a sacred offering to the gods by resident dancers. Today classical dance is performed on stage, most often by solo dancers, though group compositions and innovations in dance choreography are also very popular. All classical dances have two distinctive elements: nritta or pure dance which is abstract dance movements, and the facial expressions (abhinaya) and hand gestures (hastas) of its expressive dance element, or nritya. It takes several years of rigorous training to learn and master any of these Indian classical dance traditions.

There are four classical dances having their roots in South India: Kathakali and Mohiniattam from the state of Kerala, Bharata Natyam from Tamil Nadu, and Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh. In North India we find the origins of Kathak, Odissi from the state of Orissa, Manipuri from the north-eastern state of Manipur, and Sattriya from north-eastern Assam.

Traditionally performed only by men, Kathakali from Kerala literally means ‘story-dance’. Performances include several dancers enacting scenes and different characters from Hindu mythology, especially the Ramayana and Mahabharata. This ‘larger-than-life’ art form features bright billowing costumes, colourful make-up, exaggerated expressions and frenetic music which is played by accompanying drummers.

Kerala’s other classical dance, Mohiniattam, is a graceful and alluring dance performed by women, most often solo. The movements are soft and graceful, characterised by gliding movements. The torso moves in circular figure-8 movements with the legs kept in a half-bent (demi-plié) position. The footwork is rhythmical and energetic, keeping time with the music. Mohiniattam dancers are always dressed in beautiful white and gold costumes.

Originating more than 2000 years ago in the south-eastern state of Tamil Nadu, Bharata Natyam is one of the most popular Indian classical dance styles, performed by both male and female dancers. The quick, rhythmical footwork is mathematical in its precision, while symmetrical, geometrical patterns and lines are drawn by the intricate arm and leg movements, and dramatic poses. Like Mohiniattam and Kuchipudi, a distinctive feature of the dance is its basic posture in the half-sitting or demi-plié position.

The classical dance of the state of Andhra Pradesh, Kuchipudi, is similar in many ways to Bharata Natyam with its rhythmical footwork and quicksilver movements. A unique feature of the Kuchipudi style is Tarangam, a technique where the dancer dances on a brass plate while moving it across the stage.

One of the most popular Indian classical dances is Kathak which has three main schools or styles based in the North Indian cities of Lucknow, Banaras (Varanasi) and Jaipur. Kathak is characterised by fast rhythmical footwork set to complex rhythms, and impressive lightning-fast pirouettes finishing in precise, dramatic poses. The rhythm and tempo of the dance is set by the accompanying percussion instrument, the tabla, the sounds of which the dancer’s feet emulate through quick, precise footwork accentuated with the sound of bells tied around the dancer’s ankles. Female dancers wear long flowing ankle-length skirts which twirl and flare out during spins and pirouettes, creating beautiful visual designs.

Odissi, the soft and lyrical dance from the eastern state of Orissa can be described as visual poetry! Considered to be linked to the element of water, the gracefulness of the arm and wrist movements, and fluid movements of the torso resembling waves on the ocean, are juxtaposed with firm rhythmical footwork and striking poses. The characteristic postures of this classical dance are the tribanghi, where the body is ‘bent’ in three places (head, waist and hip) and chawk, a quadrangular posture created by the knees bent outwards and outstretched arms forming a square. The love poems of the Gita Govinda describing the love between Radha and Lord Krishna, are a favourite theme of expressive pieces performed in the Odissi style.

From the mountainous region of Manipur on the north-eastern border of India, comes the graceful feminine dance called Manipuri. With delicate steps and gentle undulating movements, Manipuri dancers sway to the music while moving their arms in slow circles and arcs. The continuous flowing movements and curving of the body into different postures give this dance form a suppleness and fluidity which contrasts with the quick, sharp movements and strong footwork of the classical dances of South India. Like its movements, facial expressions are also soft and subtle. Manipuri dancers wear long, embroidered skirts along with translucent veils. Male Manipuri dancers play on a drum known as pung while executing exciting leaps and turns set to a fast rhythm.

Sattriya originated in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, where this classical dance has been performed for centuries as a spiritual ritual in monasteries by male monks. Today the dance is a performing art also performed by women in solo and group performances. Though centuries old, Sattriya was officially recognised as a classical dance of India only a few years ago. The repertoire of this classical dance is vast, accompanied by traditional music from Assam which includes a drum called khol, cymbals, flute, violin as well as other instruments. Dancers wear distinctive Assamese costumes and ornaments.

This article was published in two parts in the April and May 2008 issues of Rangoli.