Interviewtimes 
Ashish Kumar Pal, a dancer who has won many awards and recognition for his dancing and hails from Dhenkanal, Odisha. Currently he is the Director of ‘Nita Nrutyangana’ where he teaches dance to more than hundred students. He has been awarded with many accolades. Ashish has completed PG in Odia and lives in Dhenkanal. Ashish has participated in many state level and national level dance competitions and has also won in many competitions. Interview Times had a opportunity to interview with him while he was at his dancing school, below are the answers he responded to Interview Times Questionnaire :-
Q1- What Motivated you to become a Dancer?
Answer :- My Mother was a dancer and actor, I was inspired from her to become a dancer. When I was three years old, I started to learn dancing, I used to go to different events and programs with my mother and that motivated me too and I told my mother that I want to dance in events and stage programs and my mother told she will teach me to dance.
Q2- To whom to want to give the credits of your success in dancing ?
Answer :- I want to give the credits of my success to my mother and grandmother. They always supported me, my mother used to taught me dance while my grandmother used to take me to events, do the make-ups and if also I loose any competition, my grandmother used to encourage me. So the credits goes to my mother and grandmother.
Q3- Apart from dancing what else you like to do ?
Answer:- Apart from dance I love to Sing, I love to do acting. In free time I do sing and also I do acting. In different state program and events I have performed many roles and also did singing.
Q4- What would you like to share to people who wants to become dancer ?
Answer :- I would like to say that they should learn it and then dance, they should do regular practice and do research about the dance, do reach to experts and take tips from them.
Q5- How did you came up with the idea of starting your own dance school?
Answer:- My Mother opened a dance school during 2008 but unfortunately she died in 2014, after which I thought to reopen the dance school opened by her. During 2014 no body knew me a lot and my dance school didn’t run well and I went to Bhubaneswar and started reading in Utkal Sangeet Mahavidya and then in 2016 I again reopened the dance school and I also went to teach dance in some schools which gave a boost to my dance school and the strength of my dance school started increasing. Today my dance school has a strength of 110-120 students.
Q6- What are your future plans?
Answer:- My future plan is to built a better dance academy, whatever I have now will make a better one than this, I want to set-up my dance academy in all district of the state. I will teach poor children free of cost those who are interested in dancing.
Photo Courtesy : Ashish Kumar Pal
