International Dance Day! Shantanu Maheshwari: Dance didn’t just shape my career, it shaped me

Dance has made him the person that he is, says Shantanu Maheshwari. As the world celebrates International Dance Day today, the actor reflects on how the art form has not only shaped his career, but also transformed his identity, mindset and creative vision. Excerpts:
‘I grew up watching Boogie Woogie’
Talking about his love affair with dance, Shantanu shares, “I grew up watching Boogie Woogie, and that show set the tone for how I perceive dance. My teacher taught me that one should be a versatile dancer and be able to grasp any dance form. Javed Jaffrey used to say the same thing on Boogie Woogie. That encouraged me to learn different styles of dancing. I am not very well-versed in ballet, but through YouTube, I managed to learn the basics just to understand the form better.”
‘Dance has lifted my confidence in ways I cannot even describe’
For Shantanu, dance has been more than just a performance. He says, “Dance has played a major role in my career. I have been able to connect with so many people because of it. It has boosted my confidence in ways I cannot even describe. It has also deepened my knowledge of music. As I grew older, it helped shape my personality overall. So, dance didn’t just shape my career, it shaped me.”
‘Dance has not taken a backseat’
Now that he is focusing on acting, has dance taken a backseat? “I don’t think dance has taken a backseat. I have always been juggling between dancing and acting projects. After Gangubai Kathiawadi, there was a shift, people realised that I am not limited to dance-oriented roles. It opened new avenues for me, and makers saw that I had more to offer. I choose projects that are challenging. I would be more than happy to dance in films if I get those kinds of roles. I am equally passionate about both acting and dancing,” says Shantanu, who was last seen in the web show Campus Beats.