Inspect Rukmini Devi By Leela Samson Available In PDF

inspiring amp motivating to read the legend Rukmini Devi amp how she grows up to become this enigmatic woman through the ups amp downs of her life.
A lovely book. For a biography to keep me turning pages right through is simply wonderful! The detail in the book and the affection with which it has been written make the book stand out.
Wonderful biography of Rukmini Devi and Kalakshetra by Leela Samson an alumnus and former director of this great institution, OnDecember, thirtyone year old Rukmini Devi created history with her performance of Sadir, later known as Bharata Natyam, which had until then been confined to temple precincts and was the preserve of devadasis.
A celebrated artiste and dancer, she was also a Theosophist, a composer of acclaimed dancedramas, an educationist, an animal welfare and child rights activist, and a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.
This rich biography illuminates her many lives, Rukminis early life was in the districts of Madras presidency where her father, an engineer, was posted, and it took many dramatic turns: her marriage into George Arundale, a Theosophist and family friend, caused public outrage,

particularly among the Madras brahmins.
She was closely associated with Annie Besant, who became her mentor, and her meeting with Anna Pavlova inspired her to learn dance, Rukmini went on to establish Kalakshetra, an academy of arts, in, which grew and flourished, and is renowned to this day for its classicism in dance training and performancea tribute to her skill as an institution builder.
Rukmini revered traditions but did not hesitate to innovate, whenever necessary, She reinterpreted traditional natakas for some of her dancedramas she introduced women to nattuvangam, traditionally a male preserve, and adapted the traditional Kerala theatre, the kootambalam, to modern needs of performance at Kalakshetra.
Her liberalism was not confined to the arts, Believing in oneness of all living creatures, she successfully piloted a bill which became the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in, She was also president of the Indian Vegetarian Congress in, Leela Samson draws on the oral evidence of Rukminis family, friends, associates and stalwarts of dance and music, the reminiscences of such luminaries as Annie Besant, J.
Krishnamurti, C. W. Leadbeater, Maria Montessori, C. Rajagopalachari, Tagore, Pandit Nehru and the Dalai Lama, as well as,