Nupur Mukherjee

Nupur Mukherjee, the founder and principal of *Tulir Taney*, is a renowned classical dancer and a dance teacher and also is a blessing for special need children. She started to learn dance from guru Meera Das Gupta, after which she became a student of Kathak of guru Pt. Birju Maharaj. On completion of learning Kathak

she started her training in Odissi from famous guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. By her formal education she is a science graduate with Honors. Beside a dancer and dance teacher, Nupur Mukherjee is also a talented choreographer. She choreographed various dance programs in Doordarshan as well as in other channels. She is also a judge and examiner at different dance competitions and examinations, like Nehru Talent Search Contest, Arya Sangeet Academy, Dover Lane Music Conference, National Level Bal Shree Talent Search Contest and Pracheen Kala Kendra. She is also attached to Manovikas Kendra as a dance therapist. She devoted herself for the development of special need children. To learn specific requirements of a special child she educated herself in B.Ed specialized in M.R. She is the author of dance books "Tatya Kathaye Rabindranritya", "Tatya Kathaye Rabindranritya o Sreejansheel Nritya” and "Tatya Kathaye Odissinritya" all of which are written in Bengali. She also authored inritya" all of which are written in Bengali. She also authored "Theory of Classical dance" in English. All the above books are not only well-known among the dance students of India, but also recognized in abroad.

Attainments of 2015 - 16

*Tulir Taney* (Academy of Dance, Art, Music & Choreography), situated at south Kolkata near Kasba Bijon Setu, is a dream of Nupur Mukherjee. She founded this institution twenty years back with only three students. Currently it has about three hundred students. Thus the once-formed small bud now blossomed into a big colorful

flower with its fragrance that perfumed its students, who spread the aroma to everywhere through their performing art-skills like dance, painting and music. Tulir Taney is also a boon to special need children. In a special wing, Nupur Mukherjee uses dance therapeutic techniques on special need children to improve their ability in social and physiological aspects. Such techniques increase mental discipline and self-control of a special child, enhance their co-ordination, memory-level, and help flourish their intrinsic aptitude. The polish these students thereby obtain, enable them to perform as good as the normal students. Inclusive dance education among the normal and differently-abled children is provided to meet the demand of modernstandard tutoring. Surprising performances of special children, perceived in the Tulir Taney conducted annual cultural programs over the past few years, prove the benefits of her unique techniques.