Besides being a prolific actor, R Madhavan often lights up our Instagram feeds with his heartfelt, quirky and inspiring posts. Sometimes his social media entries come with life lessons; at other times, it simply offers viewers a good laugh in their mundane lives. Nevertheless, the Dhurandhar star ensures to entertain fans both on and off-screen. This time was no different. On June 23, Madhavan re-shared a video on his Instagram Stories, capturing the spirited performance of a UK-born classical dancer, Asa Willoughby, who won hearts with his on-fleek Bharatnatyam moves. R Madhavan applauds Sikh man’s Bharatnatyam The clip captured Asa Willoughby showcasing his talent as he matched his steps to a classical song. The artist’s mudras and expressions were simply on fleek. He executed the performance on what appeared to be his home terrace, without missing a beat and smiling his way through the entire act. Asa Willoughby’s side note revealed that his Bharatnatyam dance was an ode to Lord Shiva. He wrote, ‘The gods showered down a rain of flowers. The Siddhas and Vidyādharas rejoiced to behold the sight. The hearts of the four youthful sages were filled with delight, and Parvati herself was there, keeping talam.’ Captivated by Willoughby’s skills, R Madhavan simply captioned the post, ‘Awesome’, adding a string of emojis. All about Asa Willoughby and his passion for danceAccording to a report by Classical Claps, Asa Willoughby has been trained in both Kathak and Bharatanatyam dance styles. Born and raised in England to a multicultural family, Willoughby studied under renowned gurus in the UK, India, and the US, challenging stereotypes and embracing the philosophy that art is beyond religion.Asa Willoughby, in an interaction with Classical Claps last year, revealed that his dance journey began when he was 14. He learned the art of Kathak and a year later took up Bharatnatyam. Although no one in his family had a dance background, they had unwavering support for Willoughby’s passion. The artist shared that he was pursuing a PhD in the US, researching diaspora and cultural identity and hoped to incorporate dance into his academic work. Speaking about the challenges of a male dancer, Asa Willoughby noted that people often assume that male dancers ‘cannot portray female characters; that they lack female counterparts, which Willoughby strongly disagrees. He puts a strong emphasis on costume and presentation, an art known as Aharyam. Additionally, Willoughby stated that although several male dancers often opt for simple dhotis, he prefers to perform in full costume with jewellery because he believes it elevates the art form and challenges gendered norms.