About
Saswati Sen is a leading Kathak dancer of the Lucknow gharana, widely regarded as the foremost disciple of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. A Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, she is a distinguished performer, choreographer and guru, and a key custodian of Birju Maharaj's Kalashram legacy.
A lifelong disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen trained under him from a young age, became his principal dancing partner and a central figure at his institution Kalashram, and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004. She has performed across India and internationally and continues to teach and preserve the Lucknow gharana and the Birju Maharaj legacy.
The artistry
Sen dances in the lyrical, expressive Lucknow gharana style, celebrated for refined abhinaya and nuanced bhava as well as command of rhythm, absorbed over decades of close discipleship to Birju Maharaj. As his long-time performing partner and teaching associate, she carries his aesthetic forward with fidelity and depth.
[Atlas Perspective] Saswati Sen is the foremost disciple of Birju Maharaj and a distinguished Kathak exponent. For flagship festivals and heritage programmes, she is a first-rank choice.
Saswati Sen is a principal custodian of Pandit Birju Maharaj's Kathak legacy and the Lucknow gharana, carrying forward his refined abhinaya and his Kalashram tradition as one of the form's foremost living exponents.