Kalakshetra Foundation and Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale

Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale is the founder of Kalakshetra Foundation, whose curriculum we follow at Nritya Sankalpa Dance Academy. She was born in February of 1904 and grew up in the environment of the Theosophical Society. As a result of her marriage to Dr. George Arundale, she was able to travel internationally and was exposed to many fascinating art forms.  Smt. Rukmini Devi developed a passion for ballet and performances, and eventually honed in on the art form of bharatanatyam. She worked extremely hard in her early thirties in order to precisely absorb every detail of the dance. Her first performance was given at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Theosophical Society in 1935. This marked an era of changes to the way bharatanatyam was presented: this was the first time a dance program was given as a stage performance. In addition, the musicians were seated on the side of the stage instead of following the dancer's location on the stage, and the costumes and jewelry were altered for a more pleasing aesthetic. Smt. Rukmini Devi was not fully satisfied, however; she wanted to find a younger generation of dancers who would aid her in reviving and enriching bharatanatyam. Kalakshetra was created as a result of this desire. 

For more information, you can visit the Kalakshetra Foundation website here.