Chapter 11: LET US DANCE
3rd StandardArts
LET US DANCE - Chapter Summary
# Movement and Dance
## Overview
This chapter introduces children to dance through body movement, rhythm, beat, and storytelling using gestures and group coordination. It aims to make students comfortable expressing themselves through music and movement while developing awareness of rhythm, beat patterns, and natural inspiration from the surroundings.
## Key Topics Covered
### 1. Introduction to Dance
- Dance can be understood as:
- **D** — Do
- **A** — Actions
- **N** — Narrate
- **C** — Compose
- **E** — Enjoy
- Dancing evokes happiness and magic, inviting full-body engagement and emotional expression.
### 2. Activity 1: Move Freely
- Children dance freely to a popular regional or folk song.
- Focus on natural body movements and enjoyment rather than structured steps.
- Encourages spontaneous creativity and expression.
### 3. Activity 2: Dance to the Beats
- Introduction to **rhythmic patterns** in music.
- Children engage by:
- Clapping
- Stamping feet
- Moving in circles
- Use of heel, toe, flat foot movements with emphasis on **group synchronization**.
- Helps children understand the importance of moving together in a group.
### 4. Activity 3: Guess the Actions
- A visual guessing game where students observe and identify actions shown in pictures.
- Encourages interpretation of body language and movement.
### 5. Activity 4: Movements in Four Beats
- Children form groups and create movements based on **four-beat patterns**.
- Use of hand gestures (hastas) while chanting syllables like:
- “na dhin dhin na”
- “taka dhimi taka jhunu”
- “taa thai thai tat”
- Promotes understanding of rhythm in Indian classical and folk dance traditions.
### 6. Activity 5: Movement of Hands or Fingers
- Students observe movements in nature—like birds, animals, flowers—and imitate them using hands and fingers.
- Examples:
- Flower blossoming
- Bird flying
- Snake slithering
- Fish swimming
- Develops fine motor skills and observational capacity.
### 7. Activity 6: Matching Steps with Hands
- Dancing with four or eight-beat rhythmic syllables while combining hand and finger gestures.
- Children learn to:
- Coordinate hand and foot movement
- Express actions of animals, nature, and emotions
- Reinforces coordination, imagination, and teamwork.
---
## New Terms and Simple Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Beat | The regular rhythm or pulse in music |
| Rhythm | A pattern of sounds and silences in music or dance |
| Syllables | Parts of words or sounds (like “na dhin dhin na”) used in rhythmic patterns |
| Gestures (Hastas)| Movements of the hands and fingers to express meaning in dance |
| Coordination | Moving body parts together in time with music or rhythm |
| Expression | Showing feelings or actions using face, hands, or body movements |
| Stamp | Bringing the foot down heavily on the ground |
| Clap | Hitting hands together to make a sound |
| Nature-inspired | Something that is based on things seen in nature like birds, trees, or animals |
| Posture | The way a person holds their body while standing or moving |
---
## Practice Questions
### Easy (3)
1. **What does the ‘D’ in DANCE stand for?**
→ **Do**
2. **Name one action you can do with your hands while dancing.**
→ Clapping
3. **Which animal’s movement can be shown using fingers?**
→ Snake
### Medium (2)
4. **Write any one four-beat rhythm mentioned in the chapter.**
→ taa thai thai tat
5. **Why is it important to move together in a group dance?**
→ It helps maintain rhythm and looks coordinated.
### Difficult (3)
6. **Describe how you would show a bird flying using hand gestures.**
→ Spread arms outward and move them up and down slowly like wings.
7. **What is the purpose of using syllables like ‘na dhin dhin na’ in dance?**
→ To match movements with rhythmic patterns and maintain timing.
8. **Explain how dance can narrate a story. Give an example.**
→ Dance uses body movements and gestures to act out events, e.g., showing rain with finger tapping.
### Very Difficult (2)
9. **Create a four-beat dance sequence using foot stamps and hand claps. Describe it.**
→ Step 1: Stamp left foot, Step 2: Clap, Step 3: Stamp right foot, Step 4: Clap.
10. **How can observing nature help improve your dance performance?**
→ Observing animals, trees, and birds helps create expressive and creative movements that mimic real-life actions.
---
## Overview
This chapter introduces children to dance through body movement, rhythm, beat, and storytelling using gestures and group coordination. It aims to make students comfortable expressing themselves through music and movement while developing awareness of rhythm, beat patterns, and natural inspiration from the surroundings.
## Key Topics Covered
### 1. Introduction to Dance
- Dance can be understood as:
- **D** — Do
- **A** — Actions
- **N** — Narrate
- **C** — Compose
- **E** — Enjoy
- Dancing evokes happiness and magic, inviting full-body engagement and emotional expression.
### 2. Activity 1: Move Freely
- Children dance freely to a popular regional or folk song.
- Focus on natural body movements and enjoyment rather than structured steps.
- Encourages spontaneous creativity and expression.
### 3. Activity 2: Dance to the Beats
- Introduction to **rhythmic patterns** in music.
- Children engage by:
- Clapping
- Stamping feet
- Moving in circles
- Use of heel, toe, flat foot movements with emphasis on **group synchronization**.
- Helps children understand the importance of moving together in a group.
### 4. Activity 3: Guess the Actions
- A visual guessing game where students observe and identify actions shown in pictures.
- Encourages interpretation of body language and movement.
### 5. Activity 4: Movements in Four Beats
- Children form groups and create movements based on **four-beat patterns**.
- Use of hand gestures (hastas) while chanting syllables like:
- “na dhin dhin na”
- “taka dhimi taka jhunu”
- “taa thai thai tat”
- Promotes understanding of rhythm in Indian classical and folk dance traditions.
### 6. Activity 5: Movement of Hands or Fingers
- Students observe movements in nature—like birds, animals, flowers—and imitate them using hands and fingers.
- Examples:
- Flower blossoming
- Bird flying
- Snake slithering
- Fish swimming
- Develops fine motor skills and observational capacity.
### 7. Activity 6: Matching Steps with Hands
- Dancing with four or eight-beat rhythmic syllables while combining hand and finger gestures.
- Children learn to:
- Coordinate hand and foot movement
- Express actions of animals, nature, and emotions
- Reinforces coordination, imagination, and teamwork.
---
## New Terms and Simple Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Beat | The regular rhythm or pulse in music |
| Rhythm | A pattern of sounds and silences in music or dance |
| Syllables | Parts of words or sounds (like “na dhin dhin na”) used in rhythmic patterns |
| Gestures (Hastas)| Movements of the hands and fingers to express meaning in dance |
| Coordination | Moving body parts together in time with music or rhythm |
| Expression | Showing feelings or actions using face, hands, or body movements |
| Stamp | Bringing the foot down heavily on the ground |
| Clap | Hitting hands together to make a sound |
| Nature-inspired | Something that is based on things seen in nature like birds, trees, or animals |
| Posture | The way a person holds their body while standing or moving |
---
## Practice Questions
### Easy (3)
1. **What does the ‘D’ in DANCE stand for?**
→ **Do**
2. **Name one action you can do with your hands while dancing.**
→ Clapping
3. **Which animal’s movement can be shown using fingers?**
→ Snake
### Medium (2)
4. **Write any one four-beat rhythm mentioned in the chapter.**
→ taa thai thai tat
5. **Why is it important to move together in a group dance?**
→ It helps maintain rhythm and looks coordinated.
### Difficult (3)
6. **Describe how you would show a bird flying using hand gestures.**
→ Spread arms outward and move them up and down slowly like wings.
7. **What is the purpose of using syllables like ‘na dhin dhin na’ in dance?**
→ To match movements with rhythmic patterns and maintain timing.
8. **Explain how dance can narrate a story. Give an example.**
→ Dance uses body movements and gestures to act out events, e.g., showing rain with finger tapping.
### Very Difficult (2)
9. **Create a four-beat dance sequence using foot stamps and hand claps. Describe it.**
→ Step 1: Stamp left foot, Step 2: Clap, Step 3: Stamp right foot, Step 4: Clap.
10. **How can observing nature help improve your dance performance?**
→ Observing animals, trees, and birds helps create expressive and creative movements that mimic real-life actions.
---
Movement and Dance
Overview
This chapter introduces children to dance through body movement, rhythm, beat, and storytelling using gestures and group coordination. It aims to make students comfortable expressing themselves through music and movement while developing awareness of rhythm, beat patterns, and natural inspiration from the surroundings.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction to Dance
- Dance can be understood as:
- D — Do
- A — Actions
- N — Narrate
- C — Compose
- E — Enjoy
- Dancing evokes happiness and magic, inviting full-body engagement and emotional expression.
2. Activity 1: Move Freely
- Children dance freely to a popular regional or folk song.
- Focus on natural body movements and enjoyment rather than structured steps.
- Encourages spontaneous creativity and expression.
3. Activity 2: Dance to the Beats
- Introduction to rhythmic patterns in music.
- Children engage by:
- Clapping
- Stamping feet
- Moving in circles
- Use of heel, toe, flat foot movements with emphasis on group synchronization.
- Helps children understand the importance of moving together in a group.
4. Activity 3: Guess the Actions
- A visual guessing game where students observe and identify actions shown in pictures.
- Encourages interpretation of body language and movement.
5. Activity 4: Movements in Four Beats
- Children form groups and create movements based on four-beat patterns.
- Use of hand gestures (hastas) while chanting syllables like:
- “na dhin dhin na”
- “taka dhimi taka jhunu”
- “taa thai thai tat”
- Promotes understanding of rhythm in Indian classical and folk dance traditions.
6. Activity 5: Movement of Hands or Fingers
- Students observe movements in nature—like birds, animals, flowers—and imitate them using hands and fingers.
- Examples:
- Flower blossoming
- Bird flying
- Snake slithering
- Fish swimming
- Develops fine motor skills and observational capacity.
7. Activity 6: Matching Steps with Hands
- Dancing with four or eight-beat rhythmic syllables while combining hand and finger gestures.
- Children learn to:
- Coordinate hand and foot movement
- Express actions of animals, nature, and emotions
- Reinforces coordination, imagination, and teamwork.
New Terms and Simple Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Beat | The regular rhythm or pulse in music |
| Rhythm | A pattern of sounds and silences in music or dance |
| Syllables | Parts of words or sounds (like “na dhin dhin na”) used in rhythmic patterns |
| Gestures (Hastas) | Movements of the hands and fingers to express meaning in dance |
| Coordination | Moving body parts together in time with music or rhythm |
| Expression | Showing feelings or actions using face, hands, or body movements |
| Stamp | Bringing the foot down heavily on the ground |
| Clap | Hitting hands together to make a sound |
| Nature-inspired | Something that is based on things seen in nature like birds, trees, or animals |
| Posture | The way a person holds their body while standing or moving |
Practice Questions
Easy (3)
-
What does the ‘D’ in DANCE stand for?
→ Do -
Name one action you can do with your hands while dancing.
→ Clapping -
Which animal’s movement can be shown using fingers?
→ Snake
Medium (2)
-
Write any one four-beat rhythm mentioned in the chapter.
→ taa thai thai tat -
Why is it important to move together in a group dance?
→ It helps maintain rhythm and looks coordinated.
Difficult (3)
-
Describe how you would show a bird flying using hand gestures.
→ Spread arms outward and move them up and down slowly like wings. -
What is the purpose of using syllables like ‘na dhin dhin na’ in dance?
→ To match movements with rhythmic patterns and maintain timing. -
Explain how dance can narrate a story. Give an example.
→ Dance uses body movements and gestures to act out events, e.g., showing rain with finger tapping.
Very Difficult (2)
-
Create a four-beat dance sequence using foot stamps and hand claps. Describe it.
→ Step 1: Stamp left foot, Step 2: Clap, Step 3: Stamp right foot, Step 4: Clap. -
How can observing nature help improve your dance performance?
→ Observing animals, trees, and birds helps create expressive and creative movements that mimic real-life actions.