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{{Short description|Indian dancer (1937–2023)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{About|the people|other uses|Rele (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox person
| name = Kanak Rele
| image = KanakRele.jpeg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1937|06|11}}
| birth_place = [[Gujarat]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2023|02|22|1937|06|11}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], Maharashtra, India
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = {{hlist|Classical dancer|choreographer|academic}}
| years_active =
| known for = [[Mohiniyattam]]
| spouse = [[Yatin Rele|Yatindra Rele]]
| children = 1
| parents =
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Padma Shri]] [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] [[Kalidas Samman]] Gaurav Puraskar Kala Vipanchee [[M. S. Subbulakshmi]] Award
}}

'''Kanak Rele''' (11 June 1937 – 22 February 2023)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=23 February 2023 |title=Renowned classical dancer Kanak Rele passes away |url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1013388&u= |access-date=27 February 2023 |website=[[Kerala Kaumudi|Keralakaumudi Daily]] |language=en}}</ref> was an Indian dancer, choreographer, and academic best known as an exponent of [[Mohiniyattam]]. She was the founder-director of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the founder-principal of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya in [[Mumbai]].<ref name="ccrtindia">{{cite web|title=ARTISTE'S PROFILE — Kanak Y. Rele|url=http://ccrtindia.gov.in/KanakYRele.htm|publisher=Centre for Cultural Resources and Training|access-date=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218094841/http://ccrtindia.gov.in/KanakYRele.htm|archive-date=18 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Imagination unlimited|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/10/27/stories/2006102701570200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113061216/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/10/27/stories/2006102701570200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 November 2007|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=27 October 2006}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Born in [[Gujarat]] on 11 June 1937,<ref name=":0" /> Rele spent a part of her childhood in [[Santiniketan]] and in [[Kolkata]] with her uncle. At Santiniketan she had the opportunity to watch [[Kathakali]] and [[Mohiniyattam]] performances, which she claimed helped shape her artistic sensibilities.<ref name="articles.timesofindia.indiatimes">{{cite news|title=Dance has its own language: Dr. Kanak Rele|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/Dance-has-its-own-language-Dr-Kanak-Rele/articleshow/7924385.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216083315/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-09/news-and-interviews/29400193_1_kathak-mohiniattam-dance-form|url-status=live|archive-date=16 February 2013|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=9 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="thehindu">{{cite news|title=Dance has to serve more social causes|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/dance/dance-has-to-serve-more-social-causes/article855038.ece|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=28 October 2010}}</ref>

Rele was a qualified lawyer with an [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]] from the [[Government Law College, Mumbai]] and a diploma in [[international law]] from the [[University of Manchester]].<ref name="thehindu" /> She also held a PhD in dance from the [[University of Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Dancing Queen — Dr.Kanak Rele|url=http://sitagita.com/working-women/women-achievers/dancing-queen-dr-kanak-rele.html|access-date=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106045017/http://sitagita.com/working-women/women-achievers/dancing-queen-dr-kanak-rele.html|archive-date=6 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Rele and her husband [[Yatin Rele|Yatindra]] had one son. She died in Mumbai on 22 February 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bose |first=Mrityunjay |date=22 February 2023 |title=Classical dance legend Kanak Rele passes away in Mumbai |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/classical-dance-legend-kanak-rele-passes-away-in-mumbai-1193717.html |access-date=26 February 2023 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

== Mohiniyattam artiste ==
Rele was also a [[Kathakali]] artiste having been trained under Guru "Panchali" Karunakara Panicker since the age of seven.<ref name="thehindu" /><ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Tryst with Mohiniyattam|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/01/29/stories/2006012900240500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314050700/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/01/29/stories/2006012900240500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 March 2007|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=29 January 2006}}</ref> Her initiation into [[Mohiniyattam]] came much later under Kalamandalam Rajalakshmi. A grant from the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] and later the [[Ford Foundation]] helped her delve deeper into her interest in Mohiniyattam and during 1970–71 she traveled to [[Kerala]] filming exponents of the dance form such as Kunjukutty Amma, [[Thottassery Chinnammu Amma|Chinnammu Amma]], and Kalyanikutty Amma. The project helped acquaint her with the nuances of Mohiniyattam and record its traditional and technical styles while also enabling her to evolve a teaching methodology for it.<ref name="thehindu" /><ref name="hindu" /> Her study of these artistes and their technique against the backdrop of classical texts like ''[[Natya Shastra]]'', ''[[Hastalakshana Deepika]],'' and ''[[Balarama Bharatam]]'' led her to develop her own style of Mohiniyattam dubbed the ''Kanaka Rele School of Mohiniyattam''.<ref name="hindu" />

Rele's concept of body kinetics in dance is a pioneering innovation that disaggregates body movements in Mohiniyattam using a notation system.<ref name="articles.timesofindia.indiatimes" /> She is credited with having played a key role in the revival and popularisation of Mohiniyattam and for having brought a scientific temper and academic rigour to it.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lasya unlimited|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/dance/lasya-unlimited/article434214.ece|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=20 May 2010}}</ref>

== Notable choreographies ==
Rele is noted for the contemporisation of mythological tales in her performances and her portrayal of strong women characters in them, which is a marked departure from the traditional [[Mohiniyattam]] theme of the [[nayika]] pining for love.<ref name="narthaki">{{cite news |date=7 May 2006 |title=Dr. Kanak Rele gets Kalidas Samman |newspaper=Narthaki |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/reviews/rev346.html |access-date=27 January 2013}}</ref> Some of her notable subjects and choreographies include ''[[Kubja Vishnuvardhana|Kubja]]'', ''Kalyani'', ''[[Silappadikaram]],'' and ''[[Swapnavasavadattam]]''.<ref name="hindu" />

Rele's association with the [[Malayalam poetry|Malayalam poet]] and scholar [[Kavalam Narayana Panicker]] led to her introduction to [[Sopana Sangeetham]] and creation of choreographic pieces set to Sopana Sangeetam's [[Tala (music)|talas]]. Rele credited Kavalam's compositions as being inspirational for several of her choreographies that "highlight the trauma of women in society based on women characters in mythology".<ref name="thehindu" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Art of evolution|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/dance/art-of-evolution/article790731.ece|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=23 September 2010}}</ref>

''Nritya Bharati'', a documentary on [[Indian classical dance|India's classical dances]] produced by Rele's Nalanda Dance Research Centre has been acquired by the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] as the official capsule for all [[List of diplomatic missions of India|Indian missions abroad]].<ref name="hindu" /> ''The Enlightened One — Gautama Buddha,'' which premiered in 2011, was a choreographic piece created against the backdrop of the [[Mumbai Terror Attacks|26/11 attacks]] on [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Dance of peace|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article2666492.ece|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=28 November 2011}}</ref>

== Academic career ==
Rele was instrumental in beginning the Department of Fine Arts at the [[University of Mumbai]] and also served as its dean. Rele established the Nalanda Dance Research Centre in 1966 and the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay in 1972.<ref name="hindu" /> The Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai which trains students for a university degree in Mohiniyattam is recognised as a research institute by the [[Ministry of Science and Technology (India)|Ministry of Science and Technology]].<ref name="thehindu" /> Rele also served as an expert and advisor on dance to the [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Department of Culture]] of the [[Government of India]] and the [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission]] and was part of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission's]] curriculum development team and a consultant to Indian and foreign universities in developing academic dance courses.<ref name="ccrtindia" />

== Awards and honours ==
Rele was conferred the [[Gaurav Puraskar]] by the [[Government of Gujarat]] in 1989 and the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth-highest civilian award in the [[India|Republic of India]], in 1990.<ref>{{cite journal|last=VENKATACHALAM|first=JYOTHI|title=DR. KANAK RELE IS A DISTINGUISHED DANCER-SCHOLAR|date=August 2007|url=http://www.khaasbaat.com/aug2007/arts.htm|journal=Khaas Baat}}</ref> She was honoured with the title ''Kala Vipanchee'' by Vipanchee, a pioneering institution for Indian music and dance, in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kanak Rele honoured|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/01/07/stories/2005010702070800.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414050249/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/01/07/stories/2005010702070800.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 April 2005|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=7 January 2005}}</ref> In 2006, the [[Government of Madhya Pradesh]] conferred the [[Kalidas Samman]] on her for her contributions to and excellence in the field of classical dance.<ref name="narthaki" /> She was also a recipient of the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] and the [[M. S. Subbulakshmi|M. S. Subbulakshmi Award]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Dance-Drama by Dr Kanak Rele at Lionel Wendt|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/08/06/news60.asp|access-date=27 January 2013|newspaper=Daily News|date=6 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809002742/http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/08/06/news60.asp|archive-date=9 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, she was conferred the [[Padma Bhushan]] by the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=91838|title= Padma Awards|publisher=pib|date= 29 January 2013 |access-date= 29 January 2013 }}</ref>

== Books ==
*''Mohinī Āțțam: The Lyrical Dance''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rele |first1=Kanak |title=Mohinī āṭṭam: The lyrical dance |date=1992 |publisher=Nalanda Dance Research Centre |location=Bombay |url=https://archive.org/details/mohiniattamlyric00rele |access-date=26 February 2023|oclc=624391217}}</ref>
*''Bhaava Niroopanna''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rele |first1=Kanak |title=Bhaava Niroopanna |date=1996 |publisher=Nalanda Dance Research Centre |location=Mumbai|oclc=36807042}}</ref>
*''A Handbook of Indian Dance Terminology''<ref name="ccrtindia" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Londhe |first1=Veena|last2=Agneswaran |first2=Malati|last3=Rele |first3=Kanak |title=Hand book of Indian classical dance terminology|date=1992 |publisher=Nalanda Dance Research Centre |location=Bombay|oclc=679985421}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Indian women in dance]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.nalandadanceeducation.com/ Nalanda Dance Research Centre]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}
{{SangeetNatakAkademiFellowship}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rele, Kanak}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Mohiniyattam dancers]]
[[Category:Indian classical choreographers]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Mumbai]]
[[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Founders of educational institutions]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:Women writers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian art educators]]
[[Category:Indian women choreographers]]
[[Category:Women educators from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian dance teachers]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Educators from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Women artists from Gujarat]]

Kanak Rele - Revision history

CharlineDiederic at 04:28, 12 January 2026