KALAMANDALAM KSHEMAVATHY - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Kalamandalam Kshemavathy (born 1948) is a renowned Mohiniyattam dancer from Thrissur, Kerala. She is an alumna of the reputed Kerala Kalamandalam. She joined the institute when she was ten. After completion of the course, she undertook advanced training in Bharata Natyam under Muthuswami Pillai and Chitra Visweswaran, and in Kuchipudi under Vempati Chinna Satyam, but chose to remain within the Mohiniyattam tradition. She has been in the field for 47 years.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011 for her contributions to Mohinyattam. She has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and Nrithya Natya Puraskara.

Kshemavathy is known for her abhinaya and traditionalist approach to the art form. She encourages research and believes that experimentation is inevitable, but must be explored leaving the basics of the art form untarnished. Her dance school has attracted international talents from Germany, France, Sweden and Finland in the past. She continues to be noticed.

She has done a lot of innovative choreographies. She has given a visual representation for about 100 poems, including those of cherrusseri and sugathakumari, "kuchelavrittam", classics like chinthavishtayaya seetha, leela etc., and even ghazals. She is a teacher with a large number of students

Kshemavathy is the wife of well known film director late V.K Pavithran. She has two daughters, Eva Pavithran and Lakshmi Pavithran.

Kshemavathy was just 29 when she received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award for Bharatanatyam. The Kalamandalam Award for Mohiniattam came in 1993 and Kendriya Nataka Academy Award in 1999. Kerala State Government gave her the Nritya Natya Puraskar in 2008. She served the State Sangeetha Nataka Academy as an executive member for six years; remained as a member of the Panel of Judges, ICCR. A senior Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource enabled her to produce a research work of great value to the students of Mohiniattam. 

It is her famous students Krishna Kumar, Dr Neena Prasad, Aparna Marar, Vineetha Nedungadi et all, who carry on her legacy. Students keep coming in search of her, live in her house and learn in Gurukula tradition.