Hrishikesh Pawar is the artistic director of the Center for Contemporary Dance in Pune and an important representative of the contemporary dance scene in India. He received his training in Kathak, a classical Indian dance style, from the famous dancer Rohini Bhate and continued it under Guru Neelima Adhye. Followed by dance pedagogy studies at the renowned Palucca University in Dresden. As a performer, Pawar has appeared in numerous feature films and plays. He has  received multiple awards for his dance and choreographic work, including the prestigious »McArthur Fellowship« in 2015/16 for his extraordinarily artistic and socially valuable work. In addition to various films, stage shows, and theatre projects, he works with people affected by Parkinson's disease and creates community dance projects for all generations.