‘Dance Drama in Theory and Practice’ is a scholarly book written by Dr. S. Ramaratnam, Vice Chancellor (designated) of Jagadguru Kripalu University, Odisha. A former Professor of Sanskrit and Principal, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, Dr. Ramaratnam is an academician with a wide range of interests. He holds a doctorate in Sanskrit, a post-doctoral D.Litt degree, degrees in Indian Music and Management, diplomas in many Indian and International languages, etc.
It is a book that traces the origin of dance — from dancing figures found in pre-historic sites in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh and the Indus Valley to the vedic age followed by the epic period from 600 B.C.- 200 A.D., ending with the first written texts of dramaturgy and dance, Bharata’s ‘Natyashastra’ about 200 B.C.- 200 A.D. and Nandikesvara’s ‘Abhinaya Darpana’ in 200 A.D . Next, the origin of Sanskrit drama from the Vedic and Epic Ages is presented with a note on the types of Sanskrit dramas (Dasarupakas), followed by the Rasa Theory as propounded in the Natyashastra along with critical interpretations, and finally a discussion of the Navarasas.
This top-down approach is followed throughout the book. His passion for history, literature and culture is evident in how much he researches and discusses every topic, even at the cost of going off on a tangent. After introducing dance and drama separately, the second chapter takes up forms of dance dramas, from the Uparupakas, the temple rituals such as the Indira Festival that have given rise to the dance drama tradition, Raas- Lila from the Bhagavatha Purana, Koodiyattam, the oldest surviving theatre form in India, Kathakali, Yakshagana, Bhagavatha Mela, etc to folk traditions across India.
The Kuchipudi Natya Mela and the champion of the Kuchipudi solo, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, are presented later in the book.
Despite the pan-India overview, the book is really about Bharatanatya Dance Dramas performed in Chennai. That Dr. Ramaratnam got so much material from an essentially solo dance tradition is laudable. Besides Kalakshetra Foundation, whose dance dramas, conceptualised and choreographed by its founder, Rukmini Devi, have gained a ‘classics’ tag, most senior dancers have a larger corpus of solo or group choreographies. The author has rightly included thematic solos such as Vyjayanthimala’s ‘Sri Krishna Jananam’ set in a ragam-tanam-pallavi style and Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam’s ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and Dhananjayan’s ‘Deiva Kaarunyam’ about a pregnant deer, as they are dramatic presentations.
The repertoire of each institution has been discussed, through a scene-by-scene script, as in Sudharani Raghupathy’s ‘Krsnam Vande Jagadgurum’ or through lyrics and meaning of Swati Tirunal’s kriti, ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam’ in Chitra Visweswaran’s ‘Raghuvamsatilakam,’ through which the Ramayana was re-told.
Within the folds of the dance drama matter, are conversations with the dancers about the productions that will help future choreographers. There are also interesting snippets such as an interview with Dr. Vyjayanthimala Bali in which the veteran speaks on a lighter note about her home, 'This is where I practiced my dance for years; stalwart musicians performed in the chamber concerts held regularly here; ... this house is full of memories and I am one of the well-preserved antiques in it.'
Thematic works by other senior artists such as Adyar Lakshmanan, Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, Lakshmi Viswanathan, Vasanthalakshmi and Narasimhachari, Krishnakumar Narendran, Anita Ratnam and the Travancore Sisters, Lalitha, Padmini, Ragini, are similarly discussed.
A chapter dedicated to well-known dancers of today, calling them ‘Artists of the Twenty-first Century,’ giving their background, presentations, his views and reviews from pre-dominantly The Hindu Friday Review is followed by an overview of contemporary productions in classical, folk and other dance dramas under the headings, ‘Mythological, Traditional, Historical, Folk, Contemporary.’
Dr. Ramaratnam ends with an empathetic discussion about the dancers’ dilemma and their need to provide a ‘marketing mix’ to attract audiences. He concludes, ‘Watching all the new trends that are taking place in the evolution of dance drama, it is difficult to say whether it is for good or bad. In fact, in art, there is nothing like good or bad. But a trend should not become directionless, nor should it remain static. The present trend seems to be rather shaky, undecided whether to take a step forward or backward… Future will decide whether it is right or wrong.’
The book is content-heavy and is meant for cultural historians and dance scholars. Better editing may have done away with extraneous information, as about today’s dancers, that have been downloaded from their websites. While it feels like a text book, one cannot but be moved by Dr. Ramaratnam’s erudition and involvement on every page.
