My Story
There was always something in me that wanted to dance- and found immense joy in dancing. After learning different forms, I took to the form Mohiniyattam in my early twenties and have been pursuing it ever since.
People said that dance as a profession is not for those who are good in academics. Unfortunately for me, I was always one among the toppers! Nevertheless, I continued training through private classes along with my academics. In fact, I grew up with time for little else other than school, dance classes and for some years, even swimming. In my career, I have been fortunate to integrate academics and dance by pursuing dance academically and as a performer. I completed by PhD from the Humanities and Social Sciences Department of IIT Bombay in the Semiotics of Mohiniyattam.
I currently teach at the Fine and Performing Arts Department of the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Hyderabad and pursue my independent creative projects.
About me
Lost to Mohiniyattam, I am a Hyderabad based performer running Moham Arte Kalari, and a half academic from IIT B who teaches at the Fine and Performing Arts Department of GITAM (deemed-to be ) University and visits the NIDs.
Mohiniyattam is the practice of grace I chose. Smitten by the dance as a youngster, I have pursued it against all odds. I was not satisfied repeating choreographies and dancing with a plastic smile, and felt I was too thought-ridden to be a dancer (a critic called me a thinking dancer). But, my Gurus' mentoring gave me faith, besides the technique, logic and philosophy my mind craved for. My impatience leads me to new narratives, characters and concepts, in an effort to explore multiple facets of the human, apart from the spiritual, a much-ploughed area in dance.
"Grace is a way of dance and a way of life. Grace for me is the opportunity to lose myself in the flow of the movement and the lilt of the music and, also find myself. Grace for me is love, beauty, and elegance, things I strive for myself and others in dance and life" : Mythili
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Mythili is an ICCR empanelled Mohiniyattam artist and academic. Through long training she amalgamates multiple styles of the dance and has been moulded by Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Nirmala Paniker and Kalamandalam Sugandhi. Her initial training was under Gopika Varma. She has presented her work at festivals such as Indrashanush Dilli, IIC and SICA, Erasing Borders Festival of India.
FB proflie: Mythili Anoop/ Mohiniyattam in Hyderabad
Insta: mythili.iitian_mohini