A world-renowned Kathak dancer from Chester has performed for some of the world’s most famous politicians including notorious tyrants Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gadaffi.

Kajal Sharma, 52, lives at the family-owned Belgrave Hotel in City Road with husband Satish but has travelled the world with Kathak, one of nine classical Indian dance styles, an expressive, storytelling form of dance.

Mrs Sharma has performed for Indian presidents and ministers as well as the Queen of Thailand, Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. As a teenager, the Indian-born dancer, who appeared on a one-hour Dehli TV special in February, recalls dancing for the late Baroness Thatcher and Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi during a Commonwealth summit.

“We were ushering, to welcome the dignitaries and unfortunately there were no mobiles in those days, so nobody took a picture, Mrs Ghandi and Mrs Thatcher came. We had a plate full of flower petals and we were throwing them on them and the moment came, both of them stood next to me, I was in a Mogul costume and Mrs Indira Ghandi started telling about the name of the jewellery and costume.”

“Mrs Thatcher said I looked very beautiful,” added Mrs Sharma, who said the former Tory premier pinched her cheek. “ I was 18 years old at that time.”

Mrs Sharma, who moved from India to England in 1993, has been dancing since she was tiny and was taught by Birju Maharaj, who is regarded as “a living legend” in India.

She said kathak had its origins 3,000 years ago having started as an expressive art form in the temples of northern India and was influenced by the Moguls after they invaded when it became a court dance, with a more sophisticated technique, providing entertainment for the emperors.

During British rule, the dance, regarded as the mother dance of tap and flamenco, moved from the courts into the theatre and has a worldwide following.

Mrs Sharma, who has sons Bharat, 20 and Gunchit, 16, added: “My only concern is that I’m carrying the legacy of this classical dance form, so people should know about it, I’m not going to make money out of it, it’s my passion, it’s my life – money, everything else, is secondary. Passion is first.”

A multi-award winning dancer, Mrs Sharma teaches classes in Manchester and Wirral and is taking part in this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. She added: “I’m a free bird. I want to dance as long as my body will let me. It’s about body discipline, health awareness and a good constructive approach for society and it’s such a lovely art. It’s for peace, it’s for love, it’s for uniting everyone.”