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Vastly gifted with an attractive demeanor suitable for this form of dancing, Sunanda indeed casts a spell on her onlookers while performing. She exudes vitality, warmth and endows her dance with an added dimension, and she enchants the initiated and the uninitiated alike. It is her ability to infuse beauty in whatever she creates and give joyousness to her movements and expressions that set her apart from other practitioners. The movements are full of life and endowed with sensitive lyricism. Sunanda is the disciple of the noted Mohini Attam exponent Padmashree Dr. (Smt) Kanak Rele, who is renowned for her contribution to the revival and popularization of this classical dance style.

She has the proud privilege of being the first student to earn a Master's degree in Mohini Attam from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Sunanda has prepared for her vocation both as a professional dancer and a teacher of dance, through rich and multifaceted experiences in higher academics, stage performances, classroom instruction and choreography.

Dances of India  
Mohiniattam
The Dance of the Enchantress

This Indian classical dance form - Mohiniattam - comes from one of the southern states of India, Kerala. And the mere mention of Kerala brings up in one’s mind the wondrous and incomparable beauty of its landscape. The scenic backwaters where the palm fronds fill up the Kerala skyline moving gently and gracefully in the breeze, the boats bobbing up and down gently, gracefully and in perfect tune with nature and its rhythm.

A Mohini Attam dancer immediately reminds you of this scenic beauty in her dance. The movements are beautiful and lyrical and they are always in an unbroken chain, from one movement very gently and gracefully merging into another. Though the movements are swaying and gentle the presentation comes out with a tremendous and strong impact leaving the spectator in an atmosphere of grace, charm, vitality and a forceful vivacity. The graceful and long limbs of a Mohini Attam dancer brings before your eyes the vision of the palm fronds swaying and dancing in the breeze and the movements are like those of a boat bobbing up and down in the back waters. There is a tremendous amount of force that a Mohini Attam dancer brings out in her performance without which the performance would be lacking in its luster but this tremendous energy is released in a very controlled and graceful manner which can be achieved only with discipline, hard work and (Bhakti) or devotion to the art form.

Also, another feature that influences Mohini Attam is the simplicity of dressing by the people in Kerala which is visible in the costume of the dancer. White is a favorite color of the people basically because of the hot and humid climate, and a Mohini Attam costume is always white or off white with gold or red border. The hair is tied in a bundle on the left side with white flowers (Mogra) around it, with a simple ornament tied on the bun. The jewelry used for the neck is a ‘choker’, and a kasimala (coin chain). For the ears a dancer wears a “toda’ which is circular like a coin and has dangling earrings with it known as “jhumka”. The face is done up with an exaggerated eye make up to help her express her emotions.  The eyes reflect immediately the mental state of the situation or character the dancer is representing and a description of Mohini Attam cannot be complete without the mention of the Nayan–Abhinaya or the use of the eyes, eyebrows and eyelids.