Once a young girl secretly indulging her passion for dance, Ameena Shanavas has now authentically embodied the spirit of a danseuse for whom dance is the quintessence of existence. Her recent Mohiniyattam solo at the esteemed Natana Kairali, Irinjalakuda, where she earned high praise, serves as a testament to her unwavering dedication. Holding a Masters in Fine Arts (Bharatanatyam) from Bharathidasan University, her voyage through the realms of dance was met with ample challenges.
Hailing from an orthodox family, Ameena’s mother initially enrolled her in Bharatanatyam classes despite familial disapproval looming over them. Skepticism and critical gossip followed Ameena, as a woman from a conservative background should not, as dictated by societal norms, take center stage and perform. It was her family’s unyielding support that allowed her to not only maintain but flourish in her relationship with the art.
The Ameena who graces her home, and the performer who dazzles the audience are distinct facets of the same persona. Her father, the late Congress leader and parliamentarian MI Shanavas, instilled in her a foresight to view the world through diverse lenses—a trait that greatly influenced her inclusive approach to dance. “Dance is an art,” Ameena asserts, explaining how she convinced her family to regard her passion as transcending all religious, gender, and communal barriers. Gradually, they became part of her journey, watching her perform with admiration.
Ameena’s fondness for Mohiniyattam lies in the dance form’s movements and expressions—elements she believes breathe in unison with her. Teachers began recognizing her natural rhythm and talent early on, although convincing her family to allow her to compete in various dance forms was often laden with difficulty. However, her father saw the value in her pursuit of the arts without hesitation.
Life shifted gears with marriage at the tender age of 18 to Mohammed Hanish, but it was he who inspired her to complete her education. Domestic and maternal duties slowed her dance engagement, but later, Hanish’s role as the Collector of Kochi provided Ameena with the time necessary to reignite her passion for dance. Under the guidance of Shyamala Surendran, founder of Kochi’s Dharani School of Performing Arts, she resumed lessons in 2002, and over the years, became a celebrated performer across Europe and at prestigious festivals in India.
Adversities struck with health concerns and her father’s passing in 2017, causing an intermission in her dual role as a dancer and school teacher. Yet, the intermission was brief, for Ameena’s resolve was steadfast. In 2019, under the tutelage of guru Nirmala Paniker, she once again adorned her dance anklets, utterly captivated by the enchanting dance philosophies and expressive nuances integral to Mohiniyattam. The differences in dance vocabularies only fueled her eagerness to learn from her new mentor.
Commuting almost 70 kilometers for lessons, the onset of the pandemic transitioned her studies to online, yet her discipline remained unfaltering. After the lockdown’s lift, her commitment only deepened, participating in recitals and lecture-demonstrations. A culminating solo performance was both a personal triumph and a stepping stone toward further mastery under Nirmala Paniker’s wing.
Additionally, she continues to study Bharatanatyam with specialists Renjith and Vijna in Chennai alongside teaching a select set of students online. Despite pausing her involvement in a local dance school due to health issues, Ameena plans to introduce offline classes for those desirous of classical dance education.
Ameena Shanavas has journeyed through myriad rites of passageways—distance, disapproval, and duty—to emerge as a beacon of cultural defiance and artistic fervor, undeniably proving that for her, dance is not just an art form; it is a testament to life itself.
