# Dance and Sculpture

## Overview
The chapter “Dance and Sculpture” introduces the deep interrelationship between dance, body geometry, sculpture, emotions, and artistic expression. Drawing from ancient Indian texts like the Vishnudharmottara Purana and Natyashastra, students explore how dance movements mirror the structure of temple sculptures and communicate powerful emotions through postures and gestures.

## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Dance and Sculpture Connection
- **Ancient Insight**: The Vishnudharmottara Purana highlights the importance of dance knowledge for understanding sculpture and painting.
- **Integrated Arts**: Dance (movement), painting (visuality), and sculpture (structure) are deeply interconnected.
- **Geometric Awareness**: Sculptural understanding helps dancers become aware of body geometry.

### 2. Geometry in Dance
- **Arms and Angles**: Arm movements form lines, circles, diagonals—vital for balance and symmetry.
- **Shapes Formed**: Triangles, squares, rhombuses, and other shapes appear in dance postures.
- **Upper Body Postures**:
- *Samabhang*: Equal weight on both legs
- *Dwibhang*: Two-part bend
- *Abhang*: One side bent
- *Tribhang*: Three-part bend
- *Atibhang*: Extreme bend
- **Lower Body Postures**:
- Based on degree of knee bend: standing, ¼, ½, ¾, full squat.
- Distance between feet changes the shape formed.

### 3. Sculptures Depicting Dance
- **Temples Showcased**:
- Chidambaram Temple (Tamil Nadu)
- Konark Sun Temple (Odisha)
- Hoysaleshwara Temple (Karnataka)
- Elephanta Caves (Maharashtra)
- Dilwara Temple (Rajasthan)
- **Observation Practice**:
- Students match their postures with those seen in sculptures.
- Focus on balance, shapes, and symmetry in ancient figures.


### 4. Hand Gestures (Hastas)

* **Asamyuta Hastas (Single-Hand Gestures)**:

* Examples: *Pataka*, *Tripataka*, *Shikhara*, *Ardhachandra*, *Mrigashirsha*, *Chatura*, etc.
* **Samyuta Hastas (Double-Hand Gestures)**:

* Examples: *Anjali*, *Utsanga*, *Shankha*, *Pushpaputa*, *Kartariswastika*, *Garuda*, etc.
* **Sculpture Integration**:

* Sculptures often show these gestures, making emotion visible through form.
* Students are encouraged to observe, imitate, and create new gestures.

### 5. Navarasa — The Nine Emotions

* From *Natyashastra* and later texts, these include:

1. **Śṛingāra** (Love/Beauty)
2. **Hāsya** (Laughter)
3. **Karuṇā** (Compassion/Sorrow)
4. **Raudra** (Anger)
5. **Vīra** (Heroism)
6. **Bhayānaka** (Fear)
7. **Bībhatsa** (Disgust)
8. **Adbhuta** (Wonder)
9. **Śānta** (Peace)
* Students practice expressing these through face and body gestures.
* Everyday examples (flowers, animals, people) help relate to these emotions.

### 6. Activities for Learning

* **Body Geometry Practice**: Combine torso and arms to create shapes; classmates identify them.
* **Dance Poses from Sculptures**: Try replicating ancient postures from temple carvings.
* **Hasta Identification**: Match hand gestures in sculptures to dance gestures.
* **Emotion-Action Matching**: Combine an emotion with a daily chore to act out a scene (e.g., “confused” + “doing homework”).

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## New Terms and Definitions

| Term | Simple Definition |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Nṛityaśhāstra | Ancient text on dance and drama |
| Chitra | Painting or drawing |
| Śhilpa | Sculpture or image-making |
| Hasta | Hand gesture used in dance |
| Navarasa | Nine emotions expressed in Indian art |
| Samabhang | Straight standing posture |
| Tribhang | Three bends in body posture |
| Shanta | Peaceful expression or emotion |
| Asamyuta Hasta | One-hand gesture in dance |
| Samyuta Hasta | Two-hand gesture in dance |

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## Practice Questions

### Easy (3)

1. **Name any two classical Indian dance forms.**
*Answer*: Bharatanatyam, Kathak
*Explanation*: These are well-known traditional dance forms of India.

2. **What is ‘Samabhang’ posture?**
*Answer*: A posture where the dancer stands with equal weight on both legs.
*Explanation*: It is a balanced stance used in classical dance.

3. **Which ancient text talks about the connection between dance and sculpture?**
*Answer*: Vishnudharmottara Purana
*Explanation*: It states that understanding dance helps understand sculpture.

### Medium (2)

4. **Define ‘Navarasa’. List any three.**
*Answer*: Navarasa refers to the nine emotions expressed in Indian art. Three of them are: Śṛingāra (Love), Raudra (Anger), Hāsya (Laughter).
*Explanation*: These emotions help dancers communicate mood.

5. **What kind of shapes can the human body form in dance? Give two examples.**
*Answer*: The body can form shapes like triangles and circles.
*Explanation*: These shapes help with symmetry and visual appeal in dance.

### Difficult (3)

6. **How are hand gestures used in sculptures and dances similar?**
*Answer*: Both express emotions or ideas without words using specific positions of fingers and hands.
*Explanation*: Hastas convey meaning visually in both mediums.

7. **What is the role of geometry in dance?**
*Answer*: Geometry helps form balanced and symmetric shapes with the body.
*Explanation*: Dance postures often follow geometric lines for aesthetics and structure.

8. **Explain the posture ‘Tribhang’ with an example.**
*Answer*: Tribhang is a pose with three bends in the body — head, torso, and hip.
*Explanation*: Common in Indian sculpture and Odissi dance.

### Very Difficult (2)

9. **Why is knowledge of dance essential for understanding sculpture according to ancient texts?**
*Answer*: Because the body movement knowledge in dance reveals how postures, balance, and emotion are reflected in sculpture.
*Explanation*: Texts like Vishnudharmottara Purana say sculpture is incomplete without dance principles.

10. **Describe an activity that helps in understanding emotional expressions in daily life through dance.**
*Answer*: Picking chits with emotions and daily activities, then enacting the action with that emotion.
*Explanation*: Helps connect dance with real-life expression and emotion.

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