Dances and theatrical performances all around India have long witnessed men and their ability to express and portray the valour of both gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines. Mayilattam, however, is a dance form that provides a platform for women to end the prejudice.
When translated, Mayilattam means “peacock dance,” a term truly fitting for the features and extravaganza of the performance. Dancers deck themselves up with gorgeous feathers in blues and greens, paint their faces in shades of yellow and accurately depict the peacock down to the details of the beak, which can be opened and closed using a thread. The performers dance on a tall piece of wood attached at the end of their feet. The reason behind the dancers dressing up as though they are boldly riding the peacocks is rather unexpected. Often performed during the Arattu festival as a tribute to the ancient and beautiful god Muruga’s avathar, Lord Subrahmanya, they dress up to represent the form and state he took while fighting in the battleground with grace.
To match this demand of grace amidst war and rage, women dress up glamourously and portray the beauty through their dance and the anger through their expressions, all while attempting to efficiently perform the dance without losing control of their balance or strength. To carry the weight of the costume and perform on long wooden sticks, especially while trying to accurately emote is no easy task, and the only ones that have proved themselves capable of carrying out this challenge have been women. Grace and valour, beauty and courage, despite their contrasting nature, have long presided in the women of India as emotions that come from within and need not be forcefully evoked. In the history of Hindu goddesses such as Parvathi, the mother of Lord Subrahmanya, who also takes the form of Gowri, Durga Devi and Kali, stories of women gracefully embracing being feminine while also, with just as much grace, expressing strength and courage, have been frequently told to worship the power of femininity. This resembles the kind of energy that the female dancers of the art bring in to the dance, graceful yet powerful, also strongly representing the features of Indian women.
Mayilattam requires a great deal of practice and skill to perform. Balance, grace, intricacy and flexibility are important factors to be noted and dealt with, creating a sense of rhythm in the movement of the dance. To be able to accomplish this feat of grace requires immense patience and time, and since neither is easily available in the modern ages, this dance form has slowly begun to fade away into the backgrounds of a dusty attic. Although rural women still do partake in this flamboyant dance, more recognition and support will definitely help shine the limelight on the art - something that both Mayilattam and the women behind it truly deserve.
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