Just a quarter of a century ago Mohini Attam had reached a point where only a few items from its once rich repertoire were remembered. Under a research grant from Sangeet Natak Academy, Kanak toured extensively in Kerala to gather as much material as possible on Mohini Attam by meeting scholars, connoisseurs and surviving exponents. A subsequent grant in 1970-71 from The Ford Foundation enabled her to film the traditional dances of the surviving exponents of Mohini Attam; late Smt. Kunjukuttyamma, late Smt. Chinammuamma and Smt. Kalyanikuttyamma. She has analyzed this recorded data with diligent care in light of the `shastric' tenants and arrived at an authoritative format for the technique of Mohini Attam. For the past 15 years she has been collaborating with noted Kerala scholar Kavalam Narayana Panikkar who has done deep research in the indigenous "music and tala" tradition of Kerala Sopana Sangitam. Under this collaboration old and almost forgotten dance items of the Kerala tradition have been revived and cast in Sopana mode. With her deep knowledge of the technique of the shastras and native creative brilliance Kanak has choreographed these items which today total more than 50 in number. Thus Mohini Attam now has a rich repertoire which it can claim all to be its own.

Kanak Rele is today one of the most distinguished dancer-scholars of India. The President of India has honoured her as "A pioneering dance teacher and top most Mohini Attam exponent". For the past 30 years she had ceaselessly strive to rejuvenate the classical dance art Mohini Attam of Kerala. Today her name is synonymous with Mohini Attam. A highly acclaimed exponent, she has performed singly and with her troupe all over India as well as many parts of the world. She is a qualified lawyer who has done research in International Law at the University of Manchester U.K. Her Ph.D. at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Mumbai was on Mohini Attam. Trained initially from a very young age in another Kerala art Kathakali under late Guru `Panchali' Karunakara Panikkar, who is regarded as one of the best performer for "stree-vesham" in Kathakali, Kanak has won high acclaim for her rendition of Kathakali as well.

Today Kanak is equally recognized for her pioneering work in two fields - that of re-establishing the exquisitely lyrical dance Mohini Attam and for introducing new and richer dimensions to the field of academics and research in classical dancing