Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2020 - 54

captivating demeanor, when accented
with white flowers, Pushpmala, or a gold
chain and diadem on the dancer's raven
black hair. In one instance, dancer Deepti
Omcheri Bhalla is seen with a center
back hair knot trimmed in white flowers (see Venkataram and Pasricha 2002,
101). Scholar Priyadarshini Shome and
Sruthi Mohan both explained that the
asymmetric hairstyle and costume draws
from Kerala's Nangyar community's women's hairstyle. Here, too, dancers could
choose to go with the centered hair bun
or the asymmetric bun, but many choose
to go with the asymmetric bun since it has
become iconic of Mohiniyattam style.

the wrist. Red marking on the fingertips
and feet define the hands and her mudra rendering. These were traditionally
done with alta stains, but now many use
washable markers. The waist is distinctly defined by the gold Lakshmi belt. An
occasional hip belt is sometimes used,
referred to as the AraPatta. A youthful innocent choice in jewelry is the use of the
left nose ring, the muputti, and occasional
center nose ring the pullak. The light ankle chain moves with the oscillating steps
and adds a lilting quality. Mohiniyattam
dancers in plain white and un-patterned
gold appear simple yet captivating.

Accessories
A gold hair ornament at the center is
called the chutti kamal. On the ears are
large gold circular stud ornaments called
thoda. A dangling part attached to this is
the jhimiki. Two layers of necklaces consist of the close chain called dhala minni
and the long chain called illaka minni.
The long chain can also be referred to as
the illakathali. The gold chains contrast
with the sari to elongate the proportions
of the dancer. Gold bangles are worn on

In the modernized version of costumes
of Indian dance, many aspects of textile and jewelry traditions come alive.
Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam allow for an exhibition of the rich weaving
and jewelry-making traditions of south
India, while Odissi costumes showcase
the textiles, shola, and silver work of the
Odisha region. Even though use of particular jewelry items overlap between
dance forms, such as temple jewelry in
both Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam,

Enhancing, Preserving Tradition

MFA

ACTING
COSTUME PRODUCTION
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION

they convey different qualities. The white
pearl-trimmed or stone-set jewelry in
Bharatanatyam set against rich colors of
the costumes exude lavishness to the stage
picture. When set against the pure whites
and creams of Mohiniyattam costumes,
they add delicacy. The ethereal whites
and off-whites of Mohiniyattam costumes
are distinct from the Bharatanatyam and
Odissi costumes with their rich colors
and border patterns. The restrained use
of color and trim speaks of simplicity and
elegance in the former. The large pleated
skirt, instead of visible form-fitting pants,
renders a graceful quality. Extreme and
contorted leg movements are softened
rather than highlighted by the use of the
skirt.
In Odissi, the sculpted headdress
and jewelry allow for visual interval-and
emphasize crafty repetition. The same occurs when the jewelry such as the belt or
armlets are strung on dyed yarn, thereby
allowing some growth and expansion between each metal piece. The often-used
three-tiered silver belt is soft and hugs
the dancer at the high hip, unlike the
Bharatanatyam belt that defines the true
waist of the dancer. The same gold belt in

THEATRE
THAT

MOVES.

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playmakersrep.org

54 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SUMMER 2020

Shanelle Nicole Leonard '19 Sense & Sensibility
Photo by HuthPhoto.
http://drama.unc.edu http://www.playmakersrep.org
Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2020

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