A classical dancer, Pooja started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 30 against her family’s wishes. Her biggest accomplishment is becoming a member of the International Dance Council and performing at an International Dance Festival.

Pooja Nathawat is a classical dancer who is also a member of UNESCO's International Dance Council in Paris. She conducts workshops for the West Zone Cultural Centre as well. She is currently employed at Vidya Bhavan Public School as a Bharatanatyam instructor.

Pooja reveals that she chose to learn Bharatanatyam after, as a youngster,  she saw Leela Samson perform. However, her family being conservative, they were against her taking dance class. After her second daughter was born, she moved to Delhi and began learning Bharatanatyam. She thereafter moved to Chennai, and joined a university to learn Bharatanatyam, earning a bachelor and master degree in the same.

Pooja says her greatest accomplishment to date is being asked to participate in an international dance festival and becoming a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO. She considers what she has achieved without anyone's support as her biggest achievement.

Recalling her childhood, Pooja shares that she is from Jaipur and attended several different schools to get her education. She learnt horse riding when she was a little child and continued doing so throughout college.

Pooja views Leela Samson and Guru Shree Jaykrishnan K. M. as her role models and finds inspiration in them. She desires to dance in their style.

She finds great inspiration and motivation in Sadguru's statement, "You are responsible for whatever you are and whatever you are not."

Speaking of her struggles, Pooja says that initially, no one let her dance and that her family was against dancing. Her family disapproved of her decision to learn Bharatanatyam, so she had to face a big challenge. Her parents later gave her permission to study dance but prohibited her from giving public performances. However, she never gave up and made her stage debut at Rajasthan University, where NCC had called her to appear as a motivational speaker. She had a hard time convincing people that classical dance is more of a meditation than an entertainment medium since it was not accepted in the community. She began to make progress in this area gradually, which led to her being accepted and respected.

Pooja advises upcoming dance aspirants that learning classical dance doesn't depend on age. Gaining knowledge of any classic artistic form requires perseverance, commitment, and determination. Learning dance also requires a certain level of physical conditioning. Practice yoga, listen to your body, and keep up your physical activity.

She exhorts young people to think about our country, embrace nationalism, and maintain a connection to their roots. Always follow your heart, not your mind, and let your energy flow like a river. Recognise the significance of your birth and keep pursuing your objectives.  She requests everyone to be more conscious about themselves and their surroundings. Preserve earth and save the environment, exhorts Pooja.