Kerala Kalamandalam

Aswathi Chandran (Assistant Professor | Indian Classical Dancer | Engineer | Interdisciplinary Researcher | Learning Sciences • Pedagogy • Dance) writes on her experience of attending Kerala Kalamandalam Masterclass in Mohiniyattam by Dr Methil Devika held at Fort Kochi from 22 to 24 May 2026. She was an observer in the program.

Reflecting on three days of deep artistic, personal, and academic immersion at Kerala Kalamandalam Centre for Performance and Outreach, Kochi.

I recently had the privilege of attending the intensive three-day Masterclass in Mohiniyattam led by the phenomenal Dr. Methil Devika and organized by Kerala Kalamandalam.

As a doctoral researcher focusing on dance pedagogy and learning science, stepping into Dr. Devika's "dance lab" was a rare gift, an environment where the boundaries between rigorous academic theory and rich performance practice completely dissolve.

🌸 The Joy of Witnessing
This weekend was a deeply personal journey of re-centering for me. Lately, my mind has been completely consumed by thesis outlines, study designs, data collections, and long hours on laptop screen. Stepping into that dance space meant setting the academic stress aside and just being present.

Even without stepping onto the dance floor myself, allowing myself to be fully present in that environment, to closely witness the intense physical and spatial calibration of the dancers, and to challenge my own intellectual assumptions was profoundly liberating. There is an unmatched joy in letting your mind adapt to a fresh creative energy, reminding me exactly why I fell in love with this art form in the first place. It was a beautiful reminder that before we can analyze movement from an academic distance, we must first let it move us from within.

🤝 Artistry Meets Academia
Kudos to Kerala Kalamandalam for their incredible vision in organizing this masterclass and for consistently bringing in formidable artist-academicians like her. It is exactly this kind of leadership that bridges the gap between traditional institutions and contemporary scholarly research.

And immense gratitude to Dr. Methil Devika for being absolute poetry in motion. She is a wonderful, masterly artist and choreographer, but equally a brilliant, rigorous academician. Seeing someone embody both worlds so seamlessly is incredibly inspiring for the next generation of artist-scholars.

Thank you for a transformative space that nurtured both the mind and the spirit.

(As posted in Aswati Chandran's LinkedIn profile)

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aswathi-chandran-24a805375_mohiniyattam-danceresearch-embodiedcognition-activity-7465050221589467136-GvRE

#mohiniyattam #danceresearch #embodiedcognition #indianknowledgesystems #dancepedagogy #keralakalamandalam #artistscholar #qualitativeresearch | Aswathi Chandran ✨ Reflecting on three days of deep artistic, personal, and academic immersion at Kerala Kalamandalam Centre for Performance and Outreach, Kochi. I recently had the privilege of attending the intensive three-day Masterclass in Mohiniyattam led by the phenomenal Dr. Methil Devika and organized by Ke...

Kalamandalam deeply mourns the sad demise of Hari R Nair, one of the few Kathakali actors of the contemporary generation, with versatility and creativity.

Being a Faculty Member of Kerala Kalamandalam, Hari has been a loving teacher to many students and a charming colleague for each and everyone of the institution.

Hari's departure is a huge loss for all of us.

May his soul rest in peace.

Few Seats are Available ✨
Kalamadalam Master Class - Mohiniyattam
By Methil Devika
22,23,24 May 2026
Fortkochi
https://kalamandalam.ac.in/