Dance Drama in Theory and Practice, Vol. I

Dance Drama in Theory and Practice is a documentation of nearly a hundred years of growth and development of a precious art-form that developed in south India, more particularly in Tamil Nadu. The origin of Dance Drama may be traced to the Sanskrit Drama which is firmly grounded in lyrics and music. Texts like Natyasastra and Abhinayadarpana are the basis for both Dance and Drama. Dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kudiyattam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Yaksagana and Bhagavatamela, as also Bhajana tradition, Harikatha, and some of the folk traditions too might have contributed to the development of Dance Drama. The book consists twelve chapters, in which the first two chapters are introductory by nature. The dance dramas of some of the important dance schools are discussed till the eighth chapter. The contributions of some of the senior artistes in the field are acknowledged in the ninth chapter. Artistes of the younger generation who have come to the fore in the twenty-first century and their presentations are analysed in the next chapter. There are also some new trends in the present-day dance dramas which are discussed in the penultimate chapter. In the last chapter, some pointers to the future are highlighted. The book is well-served by illustrations, pictures, and drawings.