Ragamala Dance Company: Children of Dharma at Northrop

Described as “soulful, imaginative, and rhythmically contagious” by The New York Times, Ragamala Dance Company presents the world premiere of Children of Dharma, a Northrop Centennial Commission. In this seamless blend of mesmerizing Bharatanatyam choreography, original music, and lush visuals, creators Aparna, Ranee, and Ashwini Ramaswamy take inspiration from Keerthik Sashidharan’s novel The Dharma Forest—a re-envisioning of the Indian/global epic The Mahabharata.

The rippling effects of dharma, or “right action,” are revealed wordlessly through the body. Featuring scenic and light design by famed French artist Willy Cessa, Children of Dharma illustrates the emotional, moral, and physical consequences exacted on and outside an epic battlefield.

“Dharma is unseen despite its presence everywhere. Like the fidelity of a shadow which vanishes but never leaves us, like a forgotten old love that shaped us into who we are, like a forest that nourishes all who live within without asking anything in return.”—Keerthik Sasidharan