At Santiniketan she had the opportunity to watch Kathakali and Mohiniyattam performances, which she claimed helped shape her artistic sensibilities.

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.

[4] 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.

[9] 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.

[5] Rele also served as an expert and advisor on dance to the Department of Culture of the Government of India and the Planning Commission and was part of the University Grants Commission's curriculum development team and a consultant to Indian and foreign universities in developing academic dance courses.

[2] Rele was conferred the Gaurav Puraskar by the Government of Gujarat in 1989 and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in 1990.