Methil Devika

🪔 About

Methil Devika is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, research supervisor, and actress, renowned for her profound contributions to Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi. Born in Dubai, UAE, in 1976, Devika's early education spanned Dubai, Palakkad, and Kolkata, culminating in a Commerce degree from Government Victoria College, Palakkad. She holds an M.A. in Performing Arts from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, where she secured a first rank and gold medal in Kuchipudi. Furthering her academic pursuits, she earned an MBA with a first rank from the University of Madras and a Ph.D. in Mohiniyattam from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Her dance training began at the age of four, with initial tutelage in Bharatanatyam from Melattur S Natarajan. She received formative and advanced training in Kuchipudi under Satyapriya Ramana and later from Guru Vempati Ravi at the Kuchipudi Dance Academy of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. Her Mohiniyattam training was under Girija Chandran. Devika is celebrated for her innovative approach to classical dance, integrating diverse content, music, and languages into her choreographies. She has performed extensively in India at prestigious festivals like Khajuraho International Festival, Madras Music Academy, Mudra Festival, and Nishagandhi Dance Festival, as well as internationally in cities including Boston, New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne. Beyond performance, Devika is a dedicated researcher and academic. She served as a lecturer and examiner for M.A./M.Phil. students at Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University, which she joined in 2009. In 2023, she was a Senior Research Associate at ISRO's Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, leading an arts-integrated-advance-science project. Her research includes exploring temple terrain as a new performance space for women dancers and developing astronomical sign language for spatial temporal learning, as seen in her project HASTHAS. She is currently undertaking the Kerala Chief Minister's Nava Kerala Post Doctoral Fellowship. Devika also made her feature film debut in 2024 with the Malayalam film 'Kadha Innuvare'. Awards & Honours: Nirod Baran Award (2000), Ustad Bismillah Yuva Puraskar for Mohiniyattam (2007), Devadasi National Award (2010), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2011), Best Dancer Award of the Mid-Year Fest (2016), Vishalakshi Award (2020), Kshetrakala Akademy Award (2020), Kshetrakalasree State Award (2021), Dakshinamurthy Puraskar (2022), Avanavan Kadamba award (2023).