In a Vancouver first, Mandala Arts and Culture presents Mohiniyattam, November 18
Event marks the inaugural professional performance locally of the Indian classical dance style
Thomas Vo Van Tao, Mohiniyattam.
Mandala Arts and Culture in partnership with The Roundhouse presents Mohiniyattam on November 18 at 7:30 pm at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
MANDALA ARTS AND CULTURE is dedicated to Indian classical dance. And the organization headed by artist Jai Govinda is about to mount Vancouver’s first professional performance of a style called Mohiniyattam.
Also known as the Dance of the Enchantress, Mohiniyattam is traditionally performed solo by a woman. For the Vancouver presentation of the show of the same name, Mohiniyattam will be performed by Thomas Vo Van Tao, one of the few male dancers in the world to be fluent in the form.
Mohiniyattam originated in the region of Kerala. Its name is derived from the words mohini, meaning a woman who enchants onlookers, and aattam, which means graceful and sensuous body movements. The attire typically consists of a white sari bordered with a golden brocade.
Tao hails from a Franco-Vietnamese family and began studying Indian classical dance at age 12, first learning Bharatanatyam, which he went on to teach in Paris. He has been exploring the male interpretation of Mohiniyattam with mentors Kalamandalam Hymavathi and Neena Prasad. With a bachelor’s degree in history, Hindi, and French pedagogy, Tao also holds a master’s of performance art from Paris 8 Saint-Denis University. Based in Bengaluru (also called Bangalore), he focused his research on the contemporary history of Bharatanatyam as well as male Bharatanatyam performers.
For more details, see https://www.mandalarts.ca/.
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