Panchatantra Bharatanatyam Show Staged at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad

A 75-minute Bharatanatyam dance-theatre production titled 'Dancing Tales… Panchatantra' was performed at the Ravindra Bharathi auditorium in Hyderabad on Friday evening. The classical dance event, which was presented by the Shankarananda Kalakshetra production company, successfully drew a packed audience of children and classical dance enthusiasts to the venue.

The entire production was conceptualised and choreographed by Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant. The performance brought five classic animal fables from the traditional Panchatantra collection to life on the stage. Rather than relying on spoken dialogue, the production conveyed the stories through a combination of classical dance movements, spoken narration, and a lyric-free musical score composed by Prema Ramamurthy.

The five fables presented during the 75-minute show included the story of the clever hare and the lion, as well as the tale of the monkey and the crocodile. A cast of nearly 20 dancers animated the stage to bring these various animal characters to life. Among the featured dancers who performed in the production were Mithun Shyam and Aditi Rao Ashtaputre.

The dancers portrayed the fables using fluid storytelling, transitioning the mood of the performance from lighthearted humour to moments of moral tension. The production itself first premiered in 2006, and its staging on Friday evening continued its tradition of engaging audiences.

The performance at Ravindra Bharathi concluded with enthusiastic applause and rhythmic foot-taps from both the children and the classical dance enthusiasts who filled the auditorium.