A Life Shaped by Kalakshetra: Ambika Buch

Ambika Buch belongs to a generation of artists that believes in art for art’s sake. Born in Chennai and growing up in the safe haven of the Theosophical Society, little did she know that she would come under the spell of the visionary Rukmini Devi Arundale (Athai as she is fondly called). This soft-spoken octogenarian embodies the kind of artist Rukmini Devi envisioned. Beneath the unassuming demeanour is a taskmaster who has trained generations of dancers at the Kalakshetra Foundation. With her unwavering faith in the form she was trained in and a strong Kalakshetra aesthetic, Ambika Buch is one of the torch-bearers of her alma mater. She is one of the first generation of dancers to be groomed under the watchful eye of her beloved Athai. Known for her firm nritta balanced with an old-world charm and grace, Ambika Buch was an indispensable part of Rukmini Devi’s famed dance dramas. Retiring as Senior Professor of Kalakshetra in 2001, she continues her artistic activities as a teacher, mentor and choreographer. Ambika Buch was the recipient of the Natyacharya Ratna award from Natyarangam in 2025.

It is not often that one meets a senior artist with more than six decades of experience who is truly content with her artistic journey. When Rukmini Devi said “To be a good artist, one must first be a good human being”, perhaps she sensed that her words would bear fruit in that quiet child with a shy smile who found her destiny through Kalakshetra. 

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