Dance Vocabulary and Techniques – Class 7 Arts Chapter 11 Notes & NCERT PDF

Introduction

Dance is made of many small units joined beautifully together. Some are joyful movements, some tell a situation, and some tell a whole story. This chapter uses definitions from the Abhinaya Darpana, a text widely followed by classical dancers, and teaches you the building blocks — the vocabulary — of dance: basic steps and rhythms, hand-gesture conversations, and jumps and spins.

Key Ideas

1. Nritta, Nritya and Natya

Nritta — nṛttah bhāvābhinayahīnam tu nṛttamityabhidhīyate — dance with only movements, without emotive content or narrative.

Nritya — nṛtyam rasabhāvavyañjanādiyuktaṁ nṛtyamitīryate — dance combined with narration of stories or situations, with rasa and bhava.

Natya — nāṭyaṁ tannāṭakaṁ caiva pūjyaṁ pūrvakathāyutam — a dance drama where all aspects of performance are integrated to tell a full story.

The basic steps are the most important unit of a dance form. They form the dance vocabulary, and are strung together to make a dance.

2. Nritta: steps and rhythms (Activity 11.1)

Ways the feet can be used: heel front, feet together, toe front and back, cross at the back, cross in front, jump with one leg raised, jump with both legs, stamp and heel.

The book builds step combinations on different beats:

Example (5 beats, Step Combination 1): right stamp, left stamp, right heel, left stamp, right stamp — then repeat starting with the left leg.

Note to the teacher (from the book): this can be aligned with maths for counting and beats. Bols (rhythmic syllables) can be decided by the teacher or students.

3. Nritya: hand, eye, mind, bhava, rasa

The Abhinaya Darpana shloka you met in Grade 6:

yato hastastato dṛiṣhṭi, yato dṛiṣhṭistato manah

yato manastato bhāvah, yathobhāvastato rasah

Wherever the hand moves, the eyes follow; wherever the eyes go, the mind follows. Where the mind is directed, bhava is created; where there is bhava, rasa unfolds.

4. Conversation using hastas (Activities 11.2 and 11.3)

Some samyuta hastas and their uses, as given in the book:

You then "speak" sentences with asamyuta and samyuta hastas, such as Welcome, my friend, Do not be angry and fight, In the forest, there was a deer, We are together and There are fishes in the river, and your friends guess the meaning.

5. Jumps and pirouettes (Activity 11.4)

Dances with jumps and spins named in the book:

Activities in the Chapter

Key Terms

Artists & Traditions Mentioned

Yakshagana, Kalbelia, Pung Cholom, Kathak, Aji Lamu, Cherchera, Poykall Kuthirai, Googa Dhamoda, Cham and Fugdi.

Connect to Your Life

Notice how karate postures, sports and even everyday gestures communicate meaning, just like hastas. Count the beats in a song you like — is it made of 3s and 4s?

Common Mistakes

Let's Reflect