It is much more than a group dance
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If care is not taken dance dramas can appear like productions hastily put together. LAKSHMI VISWANATHAN discusses the finer aspects of the genre.
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In perfect harmony... dance drama hinges on team work.
BHARATANATYAM, AS we know it today, has a traceable history in the guru-sishya parampara of natuvanars. It is accepted as a solo dance form, with a repertoire which highlights all the salient features of dance, from adavus (pure dance steps and movements) to intricate expressional dance known as abhinaya. With innumerable dance teachers training a vast range of students, a situation has been created to present groups on the stage. The result is the seeking of themes to choreograph a cohesive show.
Safe and recognisable subjects are the rule of the day. Handicapped by the absence of a dance drama tradition, thematic presentations have, in the last few years, tried to infuse dramatic elements in group dance without the embellishments of character roles, specific costumes and sets. Such presentations, while affording opportunities for students to participate in shows, have not produced enough excellence in performance. Invariably, one lead artiste has to carry the show, knitting the many strains together.
Thematic productions require considerable homework. The popular themes are largely mythology-based; while these are assured of a positive response mainly due to their familiarity, they lack freshness. Instances of vidwans composing new tunes suitable for the theme have had mixed results.
Music is such an integral part of choreography that even the simplest of verses can assume dramatically poignant proportions in the context of an unfolding theme. Thus the choreographer needs to have a sound knowledge and understanding of music. Teamwork is the key to producing a good thematic feature. The director has to script the theme perfectly without letting the unfolding of the story sag.
In the Bhagavata Mela tradition, which can be described as the only dance drama form in the Bharatanatyam style, apart from the little seen Kuravanji natakams, music is given such predominance that half the night can be spent in introducing the characters of the drama on the stage with lilting "Patra Pravesa Darus."
Rukmini Devi adapted and modified this format for her dance dramas and understood the importance of composing new tunes to suit her plays.
In contemporary Bharatanatayam, many leading artistes have presented themes without the dancers playing specific character roles. In the initial years of such experiments, themes from the myths around Lord Krishna, Muruga and other gods were presented. But soon, fresh themes took the stage and audiences began to understand and appreciate the productions.
While a Chitra Visweswaran could effectively perform an evening on "Ganga," the sacred river, C. V. Chandrasekar could hold his audience with Kalidasa's "Meghadoot". While dancers with considerable performance experience can do such shows justice at a professional level, inexperienced students keep the productions of their teachers at the level of "school-day" events.
The presence of male dancers has become important in `group' productions. If one were to exploit the innumerable available performance techniques of Bharatanatyam, it would not be difficult to present fresh themes eloquently.
For this, a deep study of texts, an aptitude for visualisation, and a team of good dancers and musicians are important.
There is a demand from the audience's viewpoint to see more than one person on the stage. But this cannot be fulfilled by hastily putting together productions, which have no dramatic impact.
The richness of Bharatanatyam's language of gesture, movement and expressions has to be exploited to the full, to present a theme or a story or even an idea, involving a group of dancers. Stagecraft, such as lighting and costumes, play an important role.
Above all, organisers should understand the output of such a venture and support the artistes who are capable of presenting thematic productions worthy of repeating.
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