Charulatha Jayaraman Enthralls SoCal With Tales From The Panchatantra

Photos: sphotos4you and Vinod Krishnan

India-West Staff Reporter

IRVINE, CA – ‘Panchatantra: Dances of the Lore,’ a dance drama presented by Charulatha Jayaraman and her students at Shrishti, captivated audiences during the Labor Day weekend at the Portola High School Theatre, here.

The production, choreographed with masterful ingenuity, brought to life the timeless Panchatantra tales, showcasing the collective and individual talents of the performers.

Jayaraman, the artistic director, brought the many characters of the Panchatantra to life on stage along with her students. The dance drama was paced judiciously, balancing the narrative flow of the stories with their underlying moral lessons.

This balance between showing and telling enabled the audience to engage deeply with the performance, contributing their own “anubhava” as “sahridaya rasikas” (empathetic spectators), thereby enriching the overall aesthetic experience.

The tales were brought to life through colorful backdrops that caught the scenes where it was set, perfectly. The music complemented the dancers and heightened the emotional and visual impact of each scene.

The choreography blurred the lines between humans and animals, creating a seamless visual continuum of the “hum-animal,” allowing the audience to connect with the stories on a deeper level.

Five stories were presented in five different languages, making the production accessible and enjoyable to audiences of all ages. Memorable characters, such as the clever crows, the fierce lion, the cute rabbit, the loyal mongoose, and the silly monkey, left a lasting impact, making “Panchatantra: Dances of the Lore” truly enjoyable.