New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj will give dance lessons online through DancewithMadhuri.com. He believes the academy is an "excellent initiative".

Owned by actress Madhuri Dixit, DancewithMadhuri.com was launched earlier this year. She has now requested her guru to use the medium to teach the dance form to larger audience.

"I think it's excellent initiative by Madhuri to teach various forms of dance on an online academy. I believe it will help a lot of people to learn and understand dance better," Birju Maharaj said in a statement.

For starters, Birju Maharaj will teach some footwork and abhinaya (expressions).

He recently choreographed Madhuri’s dance in her forthcoming film "Dedh Ishqiya".

Madhuri's online academy familiarises her fans with different dance forms like salsa, contemporary and jazz. A latest addition to the academy is Dancercise - a combination of dance and workout that helps you stay fit while dancing.