Whether on stage or off it, I am constantly aware that what I am today is due to the love and appreciation of my audiences. – Guru Maneesha Sathe.

This is the awareness that drives each and every one of her performances. Knowing that most of the masses shy away from classical dance forms because they feel lost in its nuances, Pta. Maneesha Sathe chooses compositions and Taals that are challenging to perform, yet simple to understand. By further simplifying it through her interactions with the audience, she ensures that her performance reaches out to every member of the audience, irrespective of his/her level of knowledge about Kathak. This keeps alive the very purpose of Kathak, to relate to the audiences.

In this way, Guru Maneesha Sathe upholds two foundational aspects of Kathak: that it is a ‘performing art’ and that it is the art of storytelling. To maintain the authenticity of Kathak, she believes it is crucial to maintain a balance between the purely technical part and the expressions part as an excess of either will make a performance too monotonous or theatrical, respectively. This balance however, can only be manoeuvred with time and experience.