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Dr. Kalamandalam Radhika is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, research scholar, teacher, writer and philanthropist. She was the first non-resident Keralite to win the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award for Mohiniyattom. She learnt
Kuchipudi Kuchipudi () ( Telugu: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sa ...
, Bharatanatyam,
Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
and other dance forms.


Early years and education

Dr. Kalamandalam Radhika was born in Bangalore to K.K Nair, a chartered accountant. She started learning dancing at the age of three under Guru Rajan, and later learnt Kathakali from Muttar Sri. Narayana Panicker and mridhangamvaitharis from Guru Ponniahpillai. In the late 1960s, she moved to Cheruthuruthy and stayed at the Kalamandalam for four years. Under the wings of Chinnammu Amma, Kalamandalam Sathyabhama and Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair she was moulded into a skilled performer. Her tutelage under the late Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutty Amma and her training under Kalamandalam Padmanabha Ashan in Kathakali honed her skills.


Dancer and choreographer

She has conducted more than two thousand performances in India and abroad at national and international levels. She is a member of the UNESCO International Dance Council, and has conducted her performances for WHO delegates, SAARC delegates, diplomats, Soviet representatives, and others. To explore the depths of Mohiniyattom, she has undertaken extensive research, and re-organized the basic steps, jewellery and costumes worn by Mohiniyattom dancers of the early 1940s. She has executed and choreographed biblical themes including the advent of Christianity in India, and the birth of Christ. Radhika has conducted workshops in US, UK, Europe, Atlanta, and Germany. She has also choreographed and danced for ''Behold Thy Mother'', a biblical film directed by an Italian priest Fr.Gerard. She has composed and choreographed five cholkettus, three varnams and innumerable padams in different languages. She was criticized for performing biblical themes in Mohiniattam, but the poetical works of VeerappaMoily, Kuvempu, Fr. Abel, Amruth Someshwar and St. Chavara as adapted by Radhika were well received.


Author

Radhika has written numerous articles for the dance and music magazine ''Shrutilaya'' and has submitted a paper on Mohiniyattom at a seminar organized by the NCERT on the subject of ‘Dance Education in Schools'. She has also written an article about the Devadasi system of Kerala for the weekly ''Indu'' , published from Houston, USA, and is the author of the books 'Mohiniyattom-The Lyrical Dance of Kerala´ and ‘Mudra’ published by Mathrabhoomi.


Appearances

;Television ;Film ;Endorsement * Oxygen - The Digital Shop Advertisement * Pankajakasturi


See also

* Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair *
Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma (1915 – 1999) was an epoch-making Mohiniyattam danseuse from Kerala in southern India. A native of Thirunavaya in Malappuram district of the state, she was instrumental in resurrecting Mohiniyattam from a dismal, ...
*
Kalamandalam Satyabhama Kalamandalam V. Satyabhama (4 November 1937 – 13 September 2015) was an Indian classical dancer, teacher and choreographer, known for her performances and scholarship in mohiniyattam. She was awarded the Padma Shri, in 2014, for her contributi ...
* Mohiniyattam


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radhika, Kalamandalam Living people 21st-century Indian actresses Indian female classical dancers Performers of Indian classical dance Indian women choreographers Indian choreographers Indian women philanthropists Indian philanthropists Actresses from Bangalore Dancers from Karnataka Year of birth missing (living people) Actresses in Malayalam television Actresses in Malayalam cinema Actresses in Tamil cinema Indian television actresses Indian film actresses