Utkarsh – Reviving The Glory Of The Panchtantra

Panchtantra stories are something every one of us have grown up on. The morals and the stories by themselves were captivating to us all as children, and what better way to relive these stories than through dance!

Nrityaratri, a non-profit organisation, that aims to provide a platform to upcoming artists and dancers brings to the city Utkarsh.

A Bharatnatyam performace, Utkarsh, is a re-enactment of the Panchtantra tales told through dance. While children can enjoy these stories, adults can relive their childhood memories. What makes this all the more interesting is that it is performed by children, all under the age of fifteen. They are dancers from the Sridevi Nrityalaya and are the students of Guru Sheela Unnikrishnan.

“These are very young dancers. Despite their young age, they are professionally trained. Their perfection is at the highest level,” says Meghana Sabade, the organiser.

Sabade explained that this event was being held in the interest of students. She hopes that this would motivate and encourage them to pursue the Indian classical arts. She explains that Indian classical dance need not be rooted in it’s traditional form, but can also be used to portray various current issues.

It will feature the performance of Pavithra Srinivasan, senior disciple of V. P. & Shantha Dhananjayan, veteran dance gurus from Chennai (fondly called as the Vodafone Couple).

Pavitra Srinivasan is an acclaimed & much awarded Classical Dancer.  She is the first recipient of the title ‘Yuva Kala Bharti’. She has received the ‘Balasaraswati Trust Award’ for best Danseuse. She will be presenting an unique blend of dance, theatre, music & literature through her performance.

Amulya Chintaluri