Indian classical dance performance in Capital today

Abu Dhabi: A Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam performance by renowned classical dancer Pattathil Dhanya Menon will be held at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi at 7.30pm today.

The Kuchipudi performance will feature authentic Devadassyam style which is almost an extinct ritualistic temple dance genre, especially practised and propagated by Devadasis of coastal Andhra. This will be followed by a Mohiniyattam performance, an enchanting dance form the state of Kerala.

Conceptualised and presented by Dhanya Menon, the event mainly seeks to exhibit and explore one of the oldest traditional sampradaya of Kuchipudi dance form.

Dhanya Menon is also a noted cybercrime investigator and consultant of the central and state governments in India.
Initiated into the world of dancing at the age of three, she gradually flourished in to a seasoned Kuchupudi and Mohiniyattam dancer. Her tutelage has been under Guru Kalamandalam Kalyanikuttyamma, Kalamandalam Subhadra and RLV. Ayesha Sasidharan in Mohiniyattam. Her specialisation in Kuchupudi has been under legendary performer Annabathula Lakshmi Mangathayaru and Smt. Rama Vani Sundari. Dhanya had her lessons in abhinaya from Guru Smt. Brigha Bessel (dancer and Abhinaya exponent) and in the theory of dance (Natyashasthra) from Guru Prof C. P. Unnikrishnan. She is the managing trustee of Salabhanjika Studio for Arts and Performances, Thrissur, Kerala.
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