Name: Panchatantra - The Dancing Tales of Wisdom
Start: 2024-11-09T19:30:00-06:00
End: 2024-11-10T14:00:00-06:00
Location: The O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University

Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) is excited to announce the world premiere of Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom at the O’Shaughnessy auditorium at St. Catherine University. The show will take the stage November 9 and 10, 2024.
With choreography by KDT Artistic Director Rita Mustaphi, Panchatantra is based on a series of ancient Asian Indian animal fables of the same name. The original Panchatantra stories are a collection of interrelated animal folktales from India that originated in the 3rd century BCE. Originally written in Sanskrit, the Panchatantra tales are simple to understand and always end with a moral that is still relevant today.
The stories included in KDT’s Panchatantra have been selected for their relevance to today’s world––issues of friendship, conflict, separation and union––especially as they relate to equality and social justice. Using Kathak, the Indian classical dance form and featuring gorgeous handmade animal masks, Panchatantra will portray the stories through intricate footwork, lyrical movements, spinning pirouettes and gestural storytelling. It will all be set to cross-cultural recorded music by the great J.D. Steele, his company, and musicians from India (including co-composer Jayanta Banerjee) using energetic beats of Asian Indian compositions.
Panchatantra will feature a cast of 42 intergenerational dancers from KDT’s professional Company, Apprentices and students from its dance school in St. Louis Park as well as guest dance artist Souvik Chakraborty from Kolkata, India. Tickets are available now at the O’Shaughnessy’s website.
The Sunday show will be ASL-interpreted.
Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom, November 9 at 7:30 pm CT and November 10 at 2 pm CT (ASL-interpreted), O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105, $15-$30, 75 minutes, no intermission.