Mukherjee began dancing at the age of three, with her parents being her primary inspiration. Dance became an integral part of her life from that early age, and she has since had the privilege of learning from renowned dancers such as Meera Das Gupta, Kelucharan Mahapatra, Maruthapa Pillai, and Birju Maharaj. She attended Loreto School, where she developed a close bond with Sister Cyril, who she considers a second mother. She witnessed Sister Cyril’s work with street children, which greatly influenced her. Like most children, she pursued studies in zoology and got married at the age of 20. In 1984, she founded her own dance school, Tulir Taney, which gradually saw an increase in student enrollment. As a respected dance teacher, she has worked on a national level with children, including those with disabilities.

Her work spans areas like assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, inclusive education, workforce development, and biomedical research for holistic development. She also joined MonoVikash Kendra, where she met special children who inspired her to work with them. To deepen her understanding, she earned a B.Ed. focusing on mental disorders. Over the years, she has been invited to conduct various dance programs on Doordarshan and other popular TV channels such as Zee Bangla, Akash Aath, News Bangla, Sristi, 24 Ghanta, and ABP Ananda. She has also served as a special judge for several prestigious competitions, including Nehru Talent Search, Arya Sangeet, Dover Lane Music Conference, and BAL Shree Talent Search. In 1998, Tulir Taney was formally registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1981.

Through her extensive experience with special children, she has observed that dance therapy can bring remarkable improvements in their ability to express emotions, reduce stress, enhance physical strength, improve gross motor skills, and boost self-confidence and mental health. She has seen numerous children benefit from mainstream education as part of inclusive schooling and lead fulfilling lives. As a trained Dance Movement Therapist, she established the “Art of Healing” department, where workshops are held, and certificates are awarded to participants. She has also had the honor of meeting Mother Teresa, whose influence motivated her to focus on dance movement therapy for children with special needs. In January of this year, she was awarded the India Icon Award for her outstanding work as a dance therapist. In addition to her work as a therapist, she is also an accomplished author.

She has written four books, including the “Theory of Classical Dance,” published in both Bengali and English, which covers classical dance and Rabindra Nritya Natya. Her books are widely recognized not only in India but also in the United States, Canada, and Japan. In 2015, she performed at a Japanese folk festival, receiving high praise from the Japanese audience. She was invited to Japan for four consecutive years as a special guest. Despite being offered the opportunity to open a sister school in Japan, the project has not yet materialized. Over the years, her exceptional work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Maria Montessori Award in 2016, an award from the Press Club in 2017, and the Bismilla Khan Award from the Bihar State Academy of Sports for the Disabled in 2019. She firmly believes in the transformative power of dance therapy, especially in improving eye-hand coordination for children with motor difficulties.

Her work has shown positive results in nearly 100 children. Her personal experience, particularly with mothers dealing with depression and the pain of seeing their children suffer, inspired her to conduct research on the impact of dance therapy on mothers of special children.

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