Kalakshetra Vilasini

🪔 About

Kalakshetra Vilasini, born Vilasini Krishnapillai in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in 1939 or 1940, is a prominent Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and guru, renowned for her expertise in the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Her early training in Bharatanatyam began at age nine in Coimbatore under Pazhaniswamy of Tagore Academy, and continued in Madurai with traditional gurus such as Jagadambal, Lakshmy, and Bharatham Subramania Iyer. She made her arangetram (debut performance) in Madurai in 1952 at the age of 12. Vilasini won first prize in Bharatanatyam at the inaugural Kerala University Youth Festival in 1957. In 1958, she was selected by the Government of Kerala as the first artist to receive specialized training at Kalakshetra in Chennai under Rukmini Devi Arundale, Sharada Hoffman, Thankamani, Adyar Lakshman, Pushpa Shankar, N.S. Jayalakshmi, and Kamala Rani. She earned her diploma from Kalakshetra in 1962 and participated in major productions, including the 1961 staging of 'Shyama' for Rabindranath Tagore's centenary celebrations. Upon returning to Kerala, Vilasini joined RLV College of Music and Fine Arts in Tripunithura as a Bharatanatyam instructor, establishing the institution's Bharatanatyam department and teaching until her retirement as Head of Department in 1995. In 1972, she founded the Nrithyasri Institute of Classical Dance and Music in Kochi, Kerala, to provide advanced training in the Kalakshetra style. Her teaching career spans over six decades, during which she has trained nearly a thousand disciples worldwide. She has also choreographed approximately 300 items, including the 2015 mega-production 'Gowrishankaram' involving 757 artistes. Awards & Honours: First prize in Bharatanatyam at the inaugural Kerala University Youth Festival (1957), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award for Dance (1995), Natyacharya, Natyaratna, Lifetime Achievement Award from Bhavalaya (2012), Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award (2022).