Kalamandalam Vijayan

🪔 About

Kala Vijayan, an eminent Indian classical dancer, choreographer, author, and actor, was born on May 8, 1944, in Desamangalam village, Shornur. She is the distinguished daughter of two legendary figures in Indian classical dance: Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. Immersed in the arts from a young age, Kala Vijayan received comprehensive training in multiple classical forms. She began her Mohiniyattam training under her mother and had her arangettam (stage debut) at the age of eight. Concurrently, she commenced training in Kathakali under her father and Bharatanatyam under Guru Thanjavoor A.R.R. Bhaskar, completing her arangettams in both by the age of 14. She further honed her Bharatanatyam skills at Kalakshetra in Chennai through a scholarship. Her performing career is extensive, having graced stages with Mohiniyattam from age four to 52, Bharatanatyam from age 10 to 36, and Kathakali from age 10 to 25, continuing to perform Mohiniyattam for selected programs. A prolific choreographer, she has created over 100 original pieces in Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam, including dance dramas like 'Kannaki' and 'Kalam', and an experimental Mohiniyattam item based on the story of Job. Kala Vijayan began teaching Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam at the age of 14. She is the Principal Director and senior Guru at Kerala Kalalayam (Kalyani-Krishnan Fine Arts Academy), an institution founded by her parents in 1952 in Thripunithura. She is also credited as the founder of the Kerala Kathakali Centre in Kochi. Her academic contributions include configuring syllabi for Mohiniyattam BA and MA courses and an 8-year children's program, and serving as Chairperson of the Mohiniyattam section for the Karnataka Government's textbook preparation. As a researcher, she developed 25 new adavus for Mohiniyattam and published research on Tantric and Gramya Mudra. She also had a stint as an actor, appearing as a child artist in drama and later in films and documentaries. Awards & Honours: Natyakalarathnam Award (1978), Junior Fellowship (1993), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam (1998), Honorary Award (2000), Natyasree Award (2002), Natya Kalanidhi Award (2005), Swathi Thirunal Performing Arts Trust Award for Mohiniyattam (2006), State Award for Mohiniyattam (2019), Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Mohiniyattam) (2022), Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2024), Senior Fellowship.