She is just eight years old but budding dancer Kanika Goel has won so many laurels that it would make any grown-up artist green with envy. A student of Class IV at Ryan International, Ghaziabad, she is a brilliant student as well. Kanika is determined to do something extraordinary in her career. She says, "Dance and academics both are my passion and sky is the limit for both."
Not surprisingly, Kanika has been learning dance since she was three years old. Daughter of Ajay Goel, a property dealer, and Anjali, a homemaker, Kanika aspires to become a doctor and a part-time choreographer.
The beginning
Kanika's mother says, "From the beginning, I wanted her to learn dance as I always dreamt that my daughter would become a great dancer. I took her to the dance training school and after that she started taking dance seriously and started enjoying it too."
A hard worker
Anjali gives full credit to her daughter's dance teacher. Kanika's daily routine is very hectic but she is a hard worker and never complains. She comes back from school at 3 pm. After just half an hour of rest, she starts studying. Then she practises dance from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm and after coming from her dance class, she takes her tuition classes from 7 pm.
Kanika's father proudly says, "It is owing to Kanika's devotion and hard work that she is doing so well in dance and studies."
Anjali is so inspired by Kanika's dance that she has also started taking dance lessons. She says, "I have never danced in my entire life, but after watching my daughter I was inspired to learn the art."
A brilliant student
Kanika has been a top ranker in her class from day one. She scores above 90 in every subject. In 2009, Kanika participated in a function at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi, where delegates from Egypt came to attend it.
Memorable incident
Remembering one her performances, she says, "When I was performing in Panipat, my nose ring accidentally fell on stage, but I did not get nervous. I performed with enthusiasm throughout and won the best performance award."
Other hobbies
Besides dancing, she has keen interest in Taekwondo. She learned it in her school for eight-nine months and won a gold medal in an inter-school competition. This dancer also loves to paint.
Her laurels 
o Won group dance competition at 10th International Festival of Performing Arts in New Delhi, 2009.
o Bagged best performance award in talent hunt at Haryana Youth Festival, 2007 held at Panipat.
o Winner in Vandematram Dance Competition in 2007 in Gautam Budh Nagar.
o Winner in talent search 2008 at district level and third prize in all-India dance competition.
o Got second prize in kids dance competition 2008, organised by Noida Physical Education.
o Best dancer award in kids' category in Graam Mela Utsav 2009, Ghaziabad. 
o Winner of Ganesh Utsav 2009 organised by Maharashtra Mitra Mandal.
—Dipanshu Roy