Kanak Rele was an Indian dancer, choreographer, and academic best known as an exponent of Mohiniyattam.
13 Facts About Kanak Rele
2.
Kanak Rele was the founder-director of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the founder-principal of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai.
3.
Kanak Rele held a PhD in dance from the University of Mumbai.
4.
Kanak Rele was a Kathakali artiste having been trained under Guru "Panchali" Karunakara Panicker since the age of seven.
5.
Kanak Rele's concept of body kinetics in dance is a pioneering innovation that disaggregates body movements in Mohiniyattam using a notation system.
6.
Kanak Rele is credited with having played a key role in the revival and popularisation of Mohiniyattam and for having brought a scientific temper and academic rigour to it.
7.
Kanak Rele is noted for the contemporisation of mythological tales in her performances and her portrayal of strong women characters in them, which is a marked departure from the traditional Mohiniyattam theme of the nayika pining for love.
8.
Kanak Rele credited Kavalam's compositions as being inspirational for several of her choreographies that "highlight the trauma of women in society based on women characters in mythology".
9.
Kanak Rele was instrumental in beginning the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Mumbai and served as its dean.
10.
Kanak Rele established the Nalanda Dance Research Centre in 1966 and the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay in 1972.
11.
Kanak Rele served as an expert and advisor on dance to the Department of Culture of the Government of India and the Planning Commission and was part of the University Grants Commission's curriculum development team and a consultant to Indian and foreign universities in developing academic dance courses.
12.
Kanak Rele was conferred the Gaurav Puraskar by the Government of Gujarat in 1989 and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in 1990.
13.
Kanak Rele was honoured with the title Kala Vipanchee by Vipanchee, a pioneering institution for Indian music and dance, in 2005.