Ragini Maharaj, scion of the Kalka Bindadeen Gharana, brings classical Kathak to life with warmth, humour and hands-on rhythm. Through memories of learning from her grandfather and lively audience exercises, she demystifies Kathak’s numeric compositions and reveals how dance encodes complex mathematical patterns into joyous movement.She traces how choreography becomes storytelling, from the moral parables of ballets like “Loha” to playful pieces about bureaucracy, and argues that dance transcends gender: through expression one can embody both Shiva and Parvati, Krishna and Radha. Her talk is part history lesson, part interactive masterclass, and a passionate plea for greater respect and understanding of India’s classical performers. Ragini Maharaj, granddaughter of Pandit Birju Maharaj, is a distinguished Kathak dancer from the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Lucknow. Trained under her grandfather and Vidushi Mamta Maharaj, she has performed at renowned festivals across India, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.She has played key roles in Pt. Birju Maharaj’s dance dramas like Kho-Kho, Meera Hari Rang Rachi, and Krishna-Dhyaan. Honored with awards like the Nritya Shringar Gandharv Award and Tarana Yuva Pratibha Award, she continues to preserve and promote the legacy of Kathak. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx