Creating My Dance – Class 4 Arts Chapter 16 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 4ArtsChapter 16NCERT book: Bansuri - Arts Class 4

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 16 of the NCERT Class 4 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 16: Creating My Dance

Introduction

After exploring many kinds of movement, children now make steps with their feet, which makes their movements more dance-like. Creating My Dance builds footwork combinations, circular movements, a dance with home-made props and an understanding of vigorous and gentle movement qualities.

What's in this Chapter

Foot positions. The book shows:

Sama: feet together, standing in complete balance

cross toe, back or front

heel front

heel side

standing with the toe in front

Activity 16.1: Rhythmic steps. Children take two steps to the right and two to the left, counting 1 for right and 2 for left. Table 1 builds combinations: stomp-stomp, heel-stomp, toe-stomp and cross-stomp. Table 2 gives four-count patterns, for example right stomp, right stomp, left toe cross, right stomp, then the same starting on the left. Children notice the pattern: a step on the right is repeated on the left, and it can be flipped to start on the left.

Activity 16.2: Circular movements. "Dance is like a gentle whirl of joy." Some children love to spin, others to swirl, and some make soft circles or hold hands in a group circle. The book asks whether a dog chasing its tail is also dancing, and which other animals make similar movements.

Level 1: circles with the feet. Spin on your knees, spin on your toes, spin with your foot flat on the ground, and spin in a circle holding a friend's hands.

Level 2: add arm movements, such as circular movements, swinging side to side, and up and down.

Level 3: put circles into a 4-beat rhythm: clap on beat 1 and make the circle on beats 2, 3 and 4, alone, in a circle or in formations. The book calls this the next step in choreography: movement with formation.

Activity 16.3: Dance with props. Sticks have been used in dance for many years across the world. Children make their own. They need pencils or a small ruler, coloured paper or cardstock, glue, glitter or sketch pens, and lace, ribbon or yarn.

Roll a paper strip tightly around a pencil into a tube, glue the edge and let it dry completely.

Decorate the tube with stripes, polka dots, glitter, stickers or sequins, and wrap ribbons or yarn around it.

Children can also make pompoms, ribbons and flags.

Activity 16.4: Elements of movement. Every movement has a quality:

Vigorous movements are forceful, like stomping hard, beating a big drum or jumping high.

Gentle movements are soft, like tiptoeing while mother sleeps, picking up a flower to smell it, or sliding the feet.

Children tick which animal situations are vigorous or gentle: a lion chasing a deer, an elephant caring for her baby, a deer grazing and a mouse running from a cat. Nature has both qualities too. Storms rush and bend trees, while a breeze and swaying flowers feel calm. Fire can leap and crackle wildly, or glow calmly in a diya. The sky is vigorous in lightning and thunder but soothing at sunrise or sunset.

Activity 16.5: Team creativity. Two groups choose five movements. Group 1 shows gentle ones and Group 2 shows vigorous ones, and then they switch.

Key Ideas

Footwork uses different parts of the feet: toe, heel and the whole foot.

Patterns repeat on the right and left.

Circular movements with formation are the next step in choreography.

Props make dance colourful and interesting.

Movements can be vigorous or gentle.

Words to Learn

Stomp (पैर पटकना)

Heel (एड़ी) and toe (पंजा/अंगूठा)

Balance (संतुलन)

Spin (घूमना)

Circular (गोलाकार)

Prop (सहायक सामग्री)

Vigorous (ज़ोरदार)

Gentle (कोमल)

Quality (गुण)

Tips for Parents & Teachers

Practise right-right-left-left stomps to a clap.

Make the paper sticks together and let the glue dry overnight.

Spot vigorous and gentle movements in nature videos.

Keep space clear for spinning to avoid bumps.

Common Mistakes

Losing count and mixing up right and left.

Using the stick before the glue has dried.

Doing every movement forcefully. Learn to be gentle too.

Spinning too fast and losing balance. Start slowly.

💡 Key Learning Points

✓Foot positions include sama (feet together), toe cross, heel front, heel side and toe in front.
✓Rhythmic step combinations repeat on the right and left and can be flipped.
✓Circular movements of feet and arms, set to 4 beats and formations, are the next step in choreography.
✓Home-made decorated paper sticks show how props add fun to dance.
✓Movements have qualities: vigorous (forceful) or gentle (soft), seen in both animals and nature.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

→Demonstrate each foot position slowly before combinations.
→Clap counts aloud: 1 for right, 2 for left.
→Progress through Levels 1, 2 and 3 of circular movements over several classes.
→Prepare materials for the paper sticks and allow drying time.
→Use nature images such as a storm, a breeze, a diya and a bonfire to discuss movement qualities.
→Let groups switch between gentle and vigorous roles.

📋 Assessment Questions

Does the child understand the different parts of the feet used in dance?
Can the child follow the dance steps?
Does the child show effort to learn steps and movement qualities?
Does the child make and use the prop with effort and imagination?

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