# Dance Vocabulary and Techniques

## Overview
This chapter helps learners build a vocabulary of dance through practical exploration of movement, rhythm, emotion, and storytelling. It introduces classical concepts of **Nritta**, **Nritya**, and **Natya** from *Abhinaya Darpana*, explores rhythmic combinations (5, 6, 7 beats), emphasizes the use of **hastas** (hand gestures), and highlights the expressive potential of **jumps** and **pirouettes**. Students are encouraged to create sequences and stories through movement and gesture.

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## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Nritta, Nritya and Natya

- **Nritta**: Pure dance focused on movement without emotional expression or narrative.
*“Nritta consists of dance with only movements.”*

- **Nritya**: Expressive dance combining movements with emotions (bhava) and essence (rasa).
*“Nritya combines dance with narration of stories or situations.”*

- **Natya**: Dramatic representation that combines all performance aspects to narrate a full story.
*“Natya is a dance drama that integrates story, movement, and emotion.”*

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### 2. Nritta – Basic Steps and Rhythmic Patterns

Students are introduced to the core building blocks of dance through basic step combinations set to different beats. These steps form the **vocabulary of Nritta**.

#### ➤ Rhythmic Variations:
- **5 Beats (e.g. 2+3)**
Examples:
- Right–left–right–left–right (stamp, stamp, heel, stamp, stamp)
- Right–right–left–right–left (jump, step, cross, step, stamp)

- **6 Beats (3+3)**
Examples:
- Right–left–right–left–right–left (toe, cross, stamp, heel front, stamp, stamp)
- Right–left–right–right–left–right (heel, stamp, stamp, toe, cross, stamp)

- **7 Beats (3+2+2 or 4+3)**
Examples:
- Right–left–right–left–left–right–right (stamp, toe, stamp, heel, stamp, heel, stamp)
- Right–left–right–left–right–left–right (heel, stamp, stamp, cross, stamp, stamp, stamp)

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### 3. Nritya – Emotive Dance with Hand Gestures

Recap of the *Abhinaya Darpana* shloka to understand the journey from movement to emotion:
> *“Where the hand moves, the eyes follow; where the eyes go, the mind follows; where the mind goes, emotion arises; where emotion is felt, rasa is born.”*

This guides students to combine hand gestures, eye movements, and expressions for **effective storytelling**.

#### ➤ Use of Hastas:
- **Asamyuta Hastas (single hand)** – covered in previous grades.
- **Samyuta Hastas (both hands)** – introduced in this chapter.

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### 4. Samyuta Hastas and Their Uses

| Hasta Name | Use Cases |
|--------------|-----------|
| Kilaka | Friendship, Affection |
| Matsya | Fish |
| Samputa | Hide object, Rolling dice |
| Garuda | Eagle, Bird |
| Karkata | Gathering people, Belly, Twist/stretch |
| Shakata | Anger, Demon |
| Pushpaputa | Offer flowers, Drink water, Perform aarti |
| Shankha | Blow conch |
| Anjali | Namaskar |
| Pasha | Disagreement, Knot, Chain |

Students practice storytelling using both **asamyuta** and **samyuta** hastas by forming phrases and full sentences.

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### 5. Jumps and Pirouettes (Utplavana and Bhramari)

Jumps and spins enhance both pure dance and storytelling by adding energy and flair. These movements are performed rhythmically or dramatically depending on the context.

#### ➤ Types of Jumps:
- Jump with one leg raised
- Jump with both legs
- Jump forward with one leg
- Jump with legs folded back
- Jump without folding

#### ➤ Types of Pirouettes:
- Spin on one leg
- Spin with arms stretched in the air

Students explore these movements through observation and practice, often mimicking animals (monkey, cat, peacock, etc.) to understand natural motion.

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### 6. Traditional Dance Styles Featuring Jumps and Pirouettes

| Dance Form | Jumps | Pirouettes |
|----------------------------|-------|------------|
| Aji Lamu (Arunachal) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cherchera (Chhattisgarh) | ✅ | |
| Poykall Kuthirai (Tamil Nadu) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Googa Dhamoda (Haryana) | ✅ | |
| Cham (Ladakh) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fugdi (Goa) | ✅ | ✅ |

Other classical examples:
- **Yakshagana**: Spins on knees
- **Kalbelia**: Circular pirouettes
- **Pung Cholom**: Drum dance with jumps and spins
- **Kathak**: Known for multiple rhythmic pirouettes

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### 7. Storytelling with Dance

Students combine all the learned elements—steps, rhythm, gestures, emotions, and spins—into short dance narratives.

#### ➤ Activities:
- Create your own **mini-story** through dance.
- Group game **“Mookaabhinaya”** (silent acting using dance vocabulary) where peers guess the situation.

Example of sentence using gestures:
> “Welcome, my friend. Do not be angry. Let us go and play together.”

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## New Terms and Definitions

| Term | Definition |
|--------------|------------|
| Nritta | Pure dance without emotion or narrative |
| Nritya | Expressive dance combining story and emotions |
| Natya | Dance drama that narrates a complete story |
| Hasta | Hand gesture used in dance to convey meaning |
| Samyuta Hasta | Gestures using both hands |
| Pirouette | A spinning movement, often on one leg |
| Utplavana | A jump in dance |
| Bhava | Emotion expressed in performance |
| Rasa | Essence or aesthetic experience felt by the audience |

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## Practice Questions

### Easy (3)
1. **What is Nritta?**
→ Nritta is pure dance with only movements, no emotions or story.

2. **Name two Samyuta Hastas and one use for each.**
→ Kilaka – Friendship, Shankha – Blow conch.

3. **Which classical dance is known for pirouettes?**
→ Kathak.

### Medium (2)
4. **Explain the importance of hasta in Nritya.**
→ Hastas help communicate emotion and story through symbolic gestures, enhancing expression.

5. **What are the rhythmic beats used in Nritta in this chapter?**
→ 5, 6, and 7 beats.

### Difficult (3)
6. **Describe the connection between hand, eye, mind, and rasa as per Abhinaya Darpana.**
→ Movement starts from hands, eyes follow, then the mind, which creates emotion (bhava), and from emotion comes rasa (aesthetic joy).

7. **List and explain any two jump types from the chapter.**
→ Jump with one leg raised – used for dynamic entry; Jump with legs folded – adds flair in storytelling.

8. **What is the significance of pirouettes in folk and classical dance forms?**
→ They add visual appeal, rhythm, and often symbolize turning points in the story or mood.

### Very Difficult (2)
9. **Create a short dance sentence using 2 samyuta hastas and a jump.**
→ Use Kilaka (friendship) + Pushpaputa (offer flowers) + jump with both legs → "Greeting a friend joyfully."

10. **Compare Nritta and Nritya with examples from daily dance or classroom practice.**
→ Nritta = Step combinations like stamp–heel–stamp; Nritya = Using Matsya hasta and emotions to show fish swimming in a river story.

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