Among the distinguised senior dancers of the Odissi style, Shrimati Kumkum Mohanty received her training in Odissi dance at Kala Vikash Kendra under the tutelage of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She is also trained in Odissi. Early in life, she was acclaimed as an outstanding dancers and won appreciation among the connoisseurs.

She has excelled in her sensitive renderings of Asthapadis from the Gita Govinda and taken lead roles in several choreographic works by her guru. She has also participated in major festivals in the country and abroad. In the mid-1980s, when the Odissi Research Centre was established by the Government of Orissa, Shrimati Mohanty was appointed its Chief Executive.

In that capacity she has worked with several masters of Odissi dance and music carrying out significant work in the documentation and dissemination of the tradition. She also has several dance compositions to her credit. Shrimati Mohanty is Special Secretary ( Culture) to the Government of Orissa. Her contricution to Odissi was acknowledged with the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, bestowed on her 1993. Shrimati Kumkum Mohanty received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contributions to Odissi dance in 1994.