Renowned Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj today said, "dance teaches you to love oneself and is not only entertainment". The Maharaj was addressing a three-day workshop, organised by Abhijit Nritya Natya Sangeet Academy (ANNSA) here. "Dance is not only entertainment, it's worship, a penance."
"There is no limit to love. Love is in every part of you. Dance teaches you to love yourself", the veteran dancer said.
He said he never changed himself on public demand adding, "Create others like yourself, your victory lies in it". Ms Shashwati Sen, Sangeet Natya Academy award winning dancer and one of the senior disciples of Panditji, said during her union with him for the past 38-40 years, she had known 'very little' of him.
Sheela Mehta, Renu Agarwal, Jaipur Gharana singer Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar, painter Dhananjar Govardhan, artists from Nashik Rekha Nadganda and Sanjeevani Kulkarni were present on the occasion.
The workshop will also have small discussion sessions in the evenings. The subject for today's discuesion was 'Kathak and other arts' whereas the subject for tomorrow is 'Kathak as a Career'.