Her performance at the Diamond Jubilee convention of the Theosophical Society amazed Dr Arundale, who had till then thought dance was a delightful hobby his young wife had picked up. After the performance, he realised it was more of a spiritual experience like meditation. He also felt dance could be a part of Theosophical Society's work.

They decided to start a dance academy. Pandit Subramanya Sastri suggested the name Kalakshetra.

At Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi wanted the best of music by the greatest of musicians. She wanted Sanskrit classics set to pure classical music and made into dance dramas. She wanted everything -- the music, the dance, the story -- to be pure and classical. Kalakshetra grew to become a pioneering institution; path-breaking artistes from all over the country taught there.

Also see: Hail the Maestro

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