Well, the Sierra Madre Playhouse has done it again! Once more, they have brought a show filled with the utmost charm, for children and adults alike to their historical theater in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. “Dancing Storytellers” or “Mythology and Me” was presented on Aug. 29, 2026 at 11:00 am and was a perfect beginning to a hot sultry day in So Cal.
“Dancing Storytellers” bring Indian myth to life through a vivid blend of classical South Asian dance, folk movement, theater, rhythm, and audience engagement.”
Traditional Indian music welcomed us into the theater. A simple red curtain was set upstage with a large outlined black and white map of the world attached to the front. The notable and smart exception was India which was singled out in blue. Elegantly dressed in traditional garb, Ravi Deo the Tabla player (Indian drums) was set on a downstage left platform. Deo would play as needed throughout occasionally joined by pre-recorded tracks. This simple set-up brought us immediately into the cultural atmosphere of the story.
The Dancing Storytellers: Indian Mythology and Me – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Danish Bhandara and Tulsi Shah the dancer/actors appear onstage as friendly narrators who will guide us through simple tales akin to Aesop Fables’ in their humor, pathos and morality. Dressed in long tunics, pants and traditional Ghungroo ankle bells, they are clever and charming hosts. Three stories are told through narration and illustrated with simple yet effective movement smoothly executed by Bhandara and Shah.
“The Flower Episode” starts the show. Utilizing movement, voice and facial expressions the pair illustrate the well-known tale of Bhima as portrayed by Shah, who is searching for the favorite flowers his wife Darupadi desires. When he runs into a monkey, Bhandara, who blocks his path, he demands that the monkey let him pass. The monkey says he is too old to move so asks Bhima to move his long tail to make way. Bhima attempts to move the tail but it is unexpectedly heavy. When The Monkey reveals that he is a God and not just a monkey the arrogant brother recognizes his mistake and apologizes. Not “judging a book by its cover” or “appearances can be deceiving,” is a moral story we all know but when infused with dance, humor and historic Indian sensibility we see it anew.
Group participation followed with a lesson in hand movement. In Indian dance these gestures are imbued with meaning. We learned how to hold our arms, hands and fingers just so to indicate peace, tranquility, happiness and also fire water and earth. These signs and words were repeated with Tabla accompaniment as everyone and I mean everyone, joined in and created a chorus.
Another story followed with a mouse and an elephant whose conflict is solved through cooperation. Here the use of rhythm and dance had an opportunity to shine as the Tabla score carefully underlines the story. Still the highlight was the incorporation of nine volunteer children brought onstage to be helpful mice. By now the elephant had been captured in a net so the children’s task was to set him free. Excited, bold or shy, all were completely absorbed in their assignment much to the delight of the audience.
Dancing Storytellers: Indian Mythology and Me – Photo courtesy of the artists.
This was followed by a lesson for the audience as to the meaning behind facial and physical expression of the “Mudra,” which is the spiritual practice of Indian dance. “Abhinav” refers to the beautiful Indian wear, scarves, saris etc. and “Taal” refers to rhythm as illustrated by the Tabla and the footwork of the performers. Bhandara and Shah made this fun and through dialogue and staging kept the pace moving and the audience involved. And perhaps new vocabulary was learned.
Closing with a story of a selfish king and his crafty wife we are again brought into the tale with audience participation, symbolic props, clear well delivered dialogue, and graceful meaningful movement. Once again, the audience is asked to participate and being “old friends” by now, they did so with enthusiasm. And in the end, it was the Queen who ruled the day.
Bhandara and Shah are perfect hosts. They know their roles well and carry them with gentle energy. This is a show which is perfect for children. They will be entertained thoroughly while also learning about Indian culture and the lessons expressed by the stories. And I might add, so will the adults.
The Dancing Storytellers: Indian Mythology and Me – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Overall, this was a lovely way to while away an hour out of the sun and into the world of “Dancing Storytellers.” Thanks to the Sierra Madre Playhouse for bringing these special shows into the light.
The storytellers are expert in including the audience and keeping their attention at all times.
To learn more about the Sierra Madre Playhouse, please visit their website.
To learn more about The Dancing Storytellers, please visit their website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: The Dancing Storytellers: Indian Mythology and Me – Photo courtesy of the artists.
