The first anti-Nautch and anti-dedication movement was launched in 1882.
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Gough Kathleen, "Female Initiation Rites on the Malabar Coast", Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, No. 85, 1952.
Rukmini went on to become the first Indian lady of so-called decent birth to dance in public, and was instrumental in rejuvenating the Bharatanatyam style of classical dance by emancipating it from the brothels and the Devadasi community to which it had been confined for many centuries.
Along with T. Balasaraswathi in the Madras Presidency, Nagarathnamma virulently opposed the abolition of devadasi system and fought a losing battle with social reformers like Kandukuri Veeresalingam.
Mangudi became interested in Shuddha Nrittam after watching a performance by devadasi of Cheyyur Sengalvarayar temple, who performed it along with other 71 types of items (e.g. Kavita, Nritta, Vadya, Sangeeta and others).
Muddupalani (fl. ca. 1750) was a Telugu speaking poet and devadasi attached to the court of Pratap Singh, the Maratha king of Tanjore.