Assam ASSEB HSLC Elective Dance key terms

Pure rhythmic movement in Indian classical dance, performed without narrative meaning or emotional expression. The dancer's body creates patterns in space, with emphasis on footwork, posture and timing rather than storytelling.

Expressive dance that combines rhythmic movement with meaning, using gestures and facial expression to convey a theme. It stands between pure rhythm and pure mime in the classical repertoire.

The broad Sanskrit term for dramatic art, covering dance, music and acting as one unified performance tradition. It is the umbrella concept from which classical dance and theatre are said to derive.

A codified hand gesture used in classical dance to denote objects, actions or ideas. Single-hand and double-hand gestures form a vocabulary that supports narrative expression in Nritya passages.

The Sanskrit word for hand, used in dance treatises to classify hand positions. Asamyuta hastas use one hand and samyuta hastas use both hands joined together.

A major limb of the body in dance classification. The head, hands, chest, waist, legs and feet are the six major limbs whose controlled movement forms the basis of dance technique.

A minor limb or subsidiary body part used in dance expression, such as the eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips and chin. Their subtle movement carries much of the emotional content in abhinaya.

An intermediate limb in dance classification, including the shoulders, arms, back, thighs and knees. Movement of these parts supports and extends the gestures of the major limbs.

A prescribed standing posture or stance in classical dance, such as the basic half-sitting position used in many styles. Correct stance provides balance, stability and the foundation for footwork.

A unit of locomotion in classical dance describing how the feet move in relation to each other and to the ground. Chari combinations form the building blocks of rhythmic travelling sequences.

Tempo or speed in Indian music and dance, describing the pace at which a rhythmic cycle is rendered. Vilambit, madhya and drut laya refer to slow, medium and fast speeds respectively.

A metrical cycle in Indian music and dance, built from a fixed number of beats and marked by specific accent patterns. Each tala has a name, a beat count and traditional hand gestures for keeping time.

A single beat or unit of time within a tala cycle. Counting matras aloud or with hand gestures helps dancers and musicians stay together during performance.

The barrel-shaped clay drum used in Assam to accompany Sattriya dance and devotional music. Its playing patterns, known as khol badya, follow traditional rhythmic compositions associated with the sattras.

A devotional song composed in Assamese by Srimanta Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva, sung in a slow, meditative style. Borgeets provide the musical base for much of the Sattriya dance repertoire.

A classical dance form of Assam that developed in the Vaishnava sattras, recognised as one of India's classical dances. It combines rhythmic dance, expressive gesture and devotional narrative rooted in Krishna worship.

A Vaishnava monastery in Assam established in the tradition of Srimanta Sankaradeva. Sattras preserve devotional music, dance and theatre, and historically trained generations of dancers and monks.

The traditional director-narrator of Assamese Vaishnava theatre, who introduces the performance and guides the audience through the story. The role combines narration, stage management and musical leadership.

A form of Assamese Vaishnava dramatic performance composed by Srimanta Sankaradeva, combining music, dance and dialogue. Its staging conventions shaped the movement vocabulary later codified in Sattriya dance.

A major Assamese festival and the group folk dance associated with it, performed by young men and women in festive dress. The dance features brisk steps, hip movements and hand gestures accompanied by drums and flutes.

A devotional folk dance of Assam in which dancers hold large cymbals and perform rhythmic patterns while moving in groups. It is associated with Vaishnava religious occasions and requires strong coordination and stamina.

A folk dance of the tea-garden communities and tribal groups of Assam, performed by women in rows with swaying arm movements. Its songs and rhythms reflect the life and emotions of plantation workers.

A folk dance of the Bodo community of Assam, performed by women in colourful traditional dress with graceful swaying movements. The dance imitates nature and is often accompanied by the kham drum and flute.

The art of communicating meaning and emotion in dance through the body, face, gestures and words. Classical treatises describe four types: angika, vachika, aharya and sattvika.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish experienced by a prepared spectator when a performance evokes a dominant emotion. Classical theory names nine rasas, including shringara, karuna, veera and hasya.

The emotional state or feeling portrayed by a performer, which when fully realised and shared with the audience becomes rasa. Bhavas may be transient, such as fear or wonder, or enduring, such as love.

The nine principal aesthetic emotions in classical Indian performance: shringara, hasya, karuna, raudra, veera, bhayanaka, bibhatsa, adbhuta and shanta. Each has characteristic facial and bodily expressions.

Expressive communication through body movement, including gestures, postures and facial expression. It is one of the four abhinaya categories and carries most of the visual storytelling in dance.

Expression through costume, make-up, jewellery and stage properties, which support character and mood. Appropriate aharya helps the audience identify roles such as deity, demon or heroine.

A traditional Assamese mask used in Vaishnava performances to portray characters such as demons and animals. Mask-making is a recognised craft of the sattras and is used in bhaona staging.

Small bells strung together and tied around the dancer's ankles to mark rhythm with each footfall. They reinforce the tala and require the dancer to maintain precise, controlled footwork.

A preparatory phase of gentle movement and joint mobility work done before dancing to raise body temperature and readiness. A proper warm-up reduces muscle strain and improves balance and coordination.

A gradual slowing of activity with stretching at the end of a dance session to aid recovery. It helps restore normal heart rate and reduces stiffness in muscles worked during practice.

The correct stacking of body segments so that weight is carried efficiently through the skeleton. Good alignment in stance and movement protects joints and supports sustained classical dance technique.

Practices that reduce the risk of harm in dance, including adequate warm-up, safe flooring, graded training loads and rest. Reporting pain early and correcting faulty technique are central to this approach.

The practical organisation of a performance, covering stage space, entrances and exits, lighting, sound and timing. Good stage craft ensures the dance is presented clearly and safely to the audience.