Guru Parampara
Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale
​Rukmini Devi Arundale was an influential Indian dancer and founder of the Kalakshetra Foundation, a renowned academy for dance and music in Chennai. She came from a wealthy Brahmin family and was exposed to various forms of art and culture in her upbringing. She later married a theosophist, Dr. George Arundale, and was inspired by the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova to learn and revitalize the traditional Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam. She founded Kalakshetra in 1936 with the goal of promoting artistic education that upheld the cultural values of India and resisted commercialism. Through her efforts, Bharatanatyam gained popularity globally.
Dr. M.R Krishnamurthy
Dr. M. R. Krishnamurthy, fondly known as Kittu Sir is the disciple of the legendary Bharatanatyam revivalist Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale of highly acclaimed Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai. At Kalakshetra, he also underwent extensive training under revered gurus like Mylapore Gowri Ammal, Smt. Sarada Hoffman and the Kathakali maestro Sri. Chandu Panikkar. After four decades of his dance journey, he founded Kalakshiti in the year 1991 in Bengaluru with the help of his elder sister Smt. Rukma Narain. Kittu Sir is a recipient of several awards and honors such as 'Sangeeta Natya Sangam', 'Karnataka Kalashri', 'Natya Tapasvi', 'Natya Rasarushi" and 'Purandara Prashasthi. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Indian Virtual University for Peace and Education. Kittu Sir is a firm believer in hard work and perfection.