Kala Vijayan

🪔 About

Kala Vijayan, born on May 8, 1944, in Desamangalam village near Shornur, Kerala, India, is an acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, author, and actor, primarily known for her contributions to Mohiniyattam. She is the daughter of legendary Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and the revered Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, often hailed as the "mother of Mohiniyattam". Vijayan began her rigorous training at a young age, learning Mohiniyattam from her mother starting at four, Kathakali from her father at eight, and Bharatanatyam under Guru Thanjavur A.R.R. Bhaskar, also from the age of eight. She performed her Mohiniyattam arangettam at four and her Kathakali and Bharatanatyam arangettams at ten. She further pursued Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra in Chennai on a scholarship. While proficient in all three forms, she later focused predominantly on Mohiniyattam, performing until the age of 52 and continuing to teach and research into her eighties. At fourteen, Vijayan began her teaching career, assisting her mother at the Kalyani-Krishnan Fine Arts Academy (also known as Kerala Kalalayam), founded by her parents in 1952 in Thripunithura. Following her parents' demise, she assumed the role of Principal Director, guiding the academy's curriculum and operations. She has significantly enriched the Mohiniyattam repertoire by introducing 25 new 'adavus' (steps) and conducting extensive research into Tantrik Mudras and Gramya Mudras. Her choreographic works exceed 100 pieces in Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam, including innovative interpretations such as a Mohiniyattam piece based on the biblical story of Job. Her scholarly contributions include the 2012 Malayalam book "Mohiniyattam Ariyendathellam" (published by D.C. Books), a comprehensive text on the theory and practice of Mohiniyattam, which is used as a syllabus in institutions like R.L.V. College of Music and Dance and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. She also served as Chairperson of the Mohiniyattam section for the Karnataka government's textbook preparation committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched an online video series, "Mohiniyattathiloode," on the Kerala Kalalayam YouTube channel to share her knowledge. Kala Vijayan is recognized for upholding and evolving the distinctive Kalyanikutty Amma style, emphasizing narrative depth and expressive abhinaya. Awards & Honours: Natyakalarathnam Award by Sahrudaya Samithi (1978), Junior Fellowship from the Cultural Department of Govt. of India (1993), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam (1998), Honorary Award from Kathakali Kendra (2000), Natyasree Award from Kala Darpan (2002), Natya Kalanidhi Award from Kerala Nritha Kala Vedi (2005), Swathi Thirunal Performing Arts Trust Award for Mohiniyattam (2006), State Award for Mohiniyattam from Govt. of Kerala (2019), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Mohiniyattam) (2022), Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2024), Senior Fellowship from the Cultural Department of Govt. of India.