Skip to content

Home › Exam notes › OSSC Art Education Instructor › Dance Fundamentals

Dance Fundamentals

Art Education

Useful for: OSSC Art Education Instructor

Overview

Dance fundamentals include rhythm, movement, expression and the Natyashastra concepts of nritta, nritya and natya.

Key points

Nritta is pure rhythmic movement; nritya adds expression; natya is dramatic dance.
Four kinds of abhinaya: angika (body), vachika (speech/song), aharya (costume), sattvika (inner emotion).
Hastas (mudras) are hand gestures with meanings.
Eight classical dances are recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Folk dances express community life and festivals.
Warm-up and posture prevent injury.

Explanation

Creative movement suits young children.
Dance supports spatial and body awareness.
Odissi uses tribhangi and chauka postures.
Inclusive dance adapts movements.
Dance links with music and theatre.

Step by step

Identify the art concept, medium or movement asked.
Recall the definition, artist, period or technique.
Choose the option that matches the visual or pedagogical principle.

Examples

A dancer conveying sorrow through the face → sattvika/angika abhinaya.
Pure footwork patterns without story → nritta.
Costume and make-up → aharya abhinaya.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Mixing nritta and nritya.
Trap: Wrong abhinaya types.
Trap: Ignoring folk dance.

Quick revision

Nritta, nritya, natya.
Four abhinayas.
Eight classical dances.

Practice MCQs

Odissi is the classical dance form of
1. Manipur
2. Kerala
3. Tamil Nadu
4. Odisha
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Odisha. It grew from temple and gotipua traditions.
The three-bend posture characteristic of Odissi is called
1. chowk
2. tribhanga
3. mudra
4. tatkar
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) tribhanga. Head, torso and hips bend in opposite directions.
The square, strong basic stance of Odissi is
1. tribhanga
2. chowk
3. araimandi
4. tribhangi only
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) chowk. It represents Lord Jagannath.
Hand gestures used in Indian classical dance to convey meaning are
1. ragas
2. mudras
3. talas
4. bols
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) mudras. For example, pataka and tripataka.
Bharatanatyam originated in
1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Odisha
3. Kerala
4. Tamil Nadu
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Tamil Nadu. Kathakali is from Kerala and Kathak from north India.
Kathakali is a classical dance of —
1. Tamil Nadu
2. Kerala
3. Odisha
4. Manipur
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) Kerala. Kerala; Odissi belongs to Odisha.

More topics in this chapter

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.