Balakrushna Dash was a veteran Guru of Odissi music. One of the chief disciples of the legend Pt Gokul Chandra Srichandan of Kendrapada, Dash worked variously as a vocalist, composer and music director. He received the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1975-76 for Odissi Vocal. He was an Odissi classical music teacher in the GKCM Odissi Research Centre.