I85PREP
⌘ K
Assam ASSEB HSLC Elective Dance study materials
Assam ASSEB HSLC Elective Dance study resources

Assam ASSEB HSLC Elective Dance practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Assam ASSEB HSLC Elective Dance understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In the classical Odissi repertoire, which term refers to the opening salutation piece offered to the deity and guru before the main dance begins?

  1. Pallavi
  2. Moksha
  3. Abhinaya
  4. Mangalacharan Correct answer.

Explanation

Mangalacharan is the invocatory item that opens an Odissi performance, combining a prayer, salutation to the guru and earth, and a slow sculptural sequence. Pallavi is a pure-dance elaboration of a melody, Moksha is the concluding release piece, and Abhinaya is the expressive mime section.

Question 2Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

The Sanskrit term 'Nritta' in Indian classical dance most precisely denotes which of the following?

  1. Vocal recitation accompanying dance
  2. Expressive mime conveying a story
  3. Hand gestures that denote objects
  4. Pure rhythmic movement without narrative meaning Correct answer.

Explanation

Nritta is abstract, rhythmic dance movement whose purpose is beauty of form and timing rather than storytelling. It is distinguished from Nritya, which is expressive and interpretive, and from Natya, which is dramatic representation.

Question 3Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A dancer holds the palms together at the chest in Anjali hasta while bowing to the guru. This gesture in the hasta vocabulary is best described as one of the:

  1. Samyuta hastas, performed with both hands joined Correct answer.
  2. Karanas, which are combined dance units
  3. Hasta viniyogas used only for animal depiction
  4. Asamyuta hastas, performed with a single hand

Explanation

Samyuta hastas are the double-hand gestures, and Anjali is the classic example in which both palms are joined. Asamyuta hastas are single-hand gestures, while karanas are units of movement combining posture and step rather than hand gestures.

Question 4Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In the Bharatanatyam margam, which item is a pure nritta composition that follows the alarippu and emphasizes rhythmic footwork?

  1. Padam
  2. Tillana
  3. Varnam
  4. Jatisvaram Correct answer.

Explanation

Jatisvaram is a pure-dance piece in which sollukattu syllables and swara passages are rendered with lively footwork. Varnam and Padam carry expressive content, and Tillana, though containing nritta, is the concluding item of the margam.

Question 5Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

The term 'Tala' in Indian classical dance refers primarily to which element?

  1. The facial expression of the dancer
  2. The costume and ornamentation
  3. The metrical cycle governing rhythm Correct answer.
  4. The melodic framework of the accompanying song

Explanation

Tala is the rhythmic cycle that organizes beats into repeating measures, and dancers mark it with hand claps or gestures. Raga is the melodic framework, while facial expression belongs to abhinaya and costume to aharya.

Question 6Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

Which of the four categories of abhinaya deals with costume, makeup and stage decoration?

  1. Angika
  2. Vachika
  3. Aharya Correct answer.
  4. Sattvika

Explanation

Aharya abhinaya covers external presentation, including costume, makeup, jewellery and set elements that support the character. Angika uses body movement, Vachika uses speech and song, and Sattvika concerns inner emotional states.

Question 7Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

The Sattriya dance tradition, recognized as a classical dance form, developed primarily in which Indian state?

  1. Odisha
  2. Manipur
  3. Kerala
  4. Assam Correct answer.

Explanation

Sattriya originated in the Vaishnava sattras of Assam, introduced through the compositions of Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva. Odisha is associated with Odissi, Kerala with Kathakali and Mohiniyattam, and Manipur with Manipuri dance.

Question 8Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A dancer performs a sequence where a single hand gesture is used to depict a bee hovering near a flower, then the same gesture depicts a parrot. This illustrates which concept?

  1. Hasta viniyoga, the assigned usage of a gesture Correct answer.
  2. Laya, the tempo of the performance
  3. Sthana, the standing posture
  4. Karuna rasa, the sentiment of compassion

Explanation

Hasta viniyoga is the principle that one gesture can carry many assigned meanings depending on context, so the same hand shape may denote a bee or a parrot. Laya concerns tempo, rasa concerns aesthetic sentiment, and sthana concerns stance.

Question 9Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In a Kathak performance, a dancer elaborates a rhythmic pattern with bols and footwork in a gradual acceleration. Which term describes this progressive increase in tempo?

  1. Madhya
  2. Laya
  3. Vilambit
  4. Drut Correct answer.

Explanation

Drut laya is the fast tempo, and a systematic progression from slow to fast is a hallmark of Kathak rhythmic elaboration. Vilambit is slow tempo and Madhya is medium, while Laya is the general term for tempo itself rather than the fast level.

Question 10Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A Bharatanatyam dancer uses the Pataka hasta to show a river, a forest and a sword in three successive lines of a song. This practice is best understood as demonstrating that:

  1. hasta meanings are assigned by usage and context, not by shape alone Correct answer.
  2. each hasta has a single fixed meaning across all contexts
  3. hastas may only depict living beings
  4. hastas replace the need for facial expression

Explanation

The viniyoga system assigns multiple usages to a single hand gesture, and the dancer selects the intended meaning from the context of the text. The gesture's shape stays constant while its referent changes, and abhinaya still requires facial expression to be complete.

Question 11Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

Which pair correctly matches a rasa with its dominant emotional state (sthayi bhava)?

  1. Shringara with love and attraction Correct answer.
  2. Raudra with laughter and mirth
  3. Karuna with heroism and courage
  4. Hasya with grief and sorrow

Explanation

Shringara rasa arises from the sthayi bhava of rati, the feeling of love and attraction. Each rasa is tied to one dominant emotion, so mirth belongs to Hasya, grief to Karuna, and courage to Vira.

Question 12Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In a Manipuri Ras Lila performance, the circular group dance in which dancers move in a ring around the central figures is known as:

  1. Pung Cholom
  2. Lai Haraoba
  3. Ras Correct answer.
  4. Cholom

Explanation

The Ras is the circular devotional dance of Manipuri tradition in which gopis move in a ring around Radha and Krishna. Cholom is a vigorous masculine dance, Pung Cholom is the drummers' dance, and Lai Haraoba is a pre-Vaishnava ritual festival.

Question 13Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A choreographer sets a dance in Adi tala, a cycle of eight beats. Which statement about the structure of this tala is accurate?

  1. It contains eight beats and is among the most fundamental talas Correct answer.
  2. It contains nine beats arranged in three groups
  3. It contains seven beats in an ungrouped cycle
  4. It contains six beats divided into two equal halves

Explanation

Adi tala is an eight-beat cycle, conventionally grouped as four plus two plus two, and it is the most common tala in Bharatanatyam. Six-beat cycles include Rupaka in its common form, seven-beat cycles include Misra Chapu, and nine-beat cycles include Sankeerna.

Question 14Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

During a Kathak performance the dancer and the tabla player exchange rhythmic phrases, each answering the other. This improvised dialogue is best described as:

  1. Sawal-jawab, the question-and-answer rhythmic exchange Correct answer.
  2. Gat bhao, the mimetic walk sequence
  3. Tihai, a phrase repeated three times to land on the sum
  4. Amad, the slow entrance piece

Explanation

Sawal-jawab literally means question and answer and names the call-and-response exchange between dancer and percussionist. A tihai is a thrice-repeated phrase resolving on the first beat, Amad is an entrance composition, and Gat bhao is mimetic walking.

Question 15Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

The Karanas described in the Natyashastra are best defined as:

  1. Cyclic rhythmic patterns of seven beats
  2. Hand gestures used exclusively for deities
  3. Combined units of dance movement involving stance and limbs Correct answer.
  4. Solo abhinaya passages depicting a single character

Explanation

Karanas are composite movement units in which a posture of the body and limbs is combined with movement, and the Natyashastra enumerates them as foundational to dance technique. They are not expressive solos, talas, or a hand-gesture category.

Question 16Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A student watches a Mohiniyattam recital and notes gentle swaying of the torso, soft footwork and lasya-dominant expression. Which feature most distinguishes this form from Kathakali?

  1. Use of codified hand gestures
  2. Reliance on a rhythmic metrical cycle
  3. Presence of a narrative storyline
  4. Predominance of graceful lasya rather than forceful tandava Correct answer.

Explanation

Mohiniyattam is characterized by lasya, the graceful and feminine mode, expressed through swaying and soft movement, whereas Kathakali emphasizes the energetic tandava mode. Both forms use hastas, tala and narrative content, so those features do not distinguish them.

Question 17Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In Bharatanatyam, a dancer executes a tihai that must conclude exactly on the first beat of the cycle. Which term names that first beat?

  1. Sam Correct answer.
  2. Avartana
  3. Khali
  4. Vibhaga

Explanation

Sam is the first and principal beat of a tala cycle, and compositions are designed to resolve on it. Khali is an unaccented beat marked by a wave, Vibhaga is a section of the cycle, and Avartana is one complete cycle.

Question 18Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A dancer performs a piece in which the song text describes Krishna's childhood, and every line is interpreted through facial expression and gesture while the feet remain relatively still. This item belongs primarily to which category?

  1. Nritta
  2. Chari
  3. Nritya Correct answer.
  4. Tandava

Explanation

Nritya is expressive dance in which the meaning of a song text is conveyed through abhinaya, with emphasis on face and gesture rather than pure footwork. Nritta is abstract rhythm, Tandava is a vigorous energetic mode, and Chari is a movement of the feet.

Question 19Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

Which statement best explains why the Natyashastra is considered foundational to the terminology of Indian classical dance?

  1. It is a medieval manual devoted solely to Kathak costume
  2. It is the earliest surviving treatise systematizing rasa, abhinaya and karana Correct answer.
  3. It is a modern compilation of examination syllabi
  4. It records only folk dance forms of Assam

Explanation

The Natyashastra, attributed to Bharata, is the earliest surviving comprehensive treatise on dramatic and dance arts, systematically treating rasa, abhinaya, karanas and tala. Later regional texts and traditions build upon its vocabulary rather than replace it.

Question 20Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A dancer performs a nritta passage in which the rhythmic phrase is rendered three times and the final beat of the third repetition coincides with sam. This device is called:

  1. Muktaya
  2. Jati
  3. Korvai
  4. Tihai Correct answer.

Explanation

A tihai is a rhythmic phrase repeated three times so that its final syllable lands on sam, producing a satisfying resolution. Korvai is a longer structured rhythmic composition, Jati is a rhythmic pattern of syllables, and Muktaya is the concluding rhythmic flourish.

Question 21Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

In the Sattriya tradition of Assam, the dance-dramas composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva are collectively referred to as:

  1. Koodiyattam
  2. Chhau
  3. Ankiya Bhaona Correct answer.
  4. Yakshagana

Explanation

Ankiya Bhaona are the one-act play-dramas written by Sankardeva and Madhavdeva, and their performance conventions shaped Sattriya dance. Chhau, Yakshagana and Koodiyattam are distinct regional traditions from other parts of India.

Question 22Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A dancer interprets a line in which the heroine longs for her beloved, and the audience experiences a sustained aesthetic delight rather than mere sympathy. This experience is best described by which term?

  1. Anubhava, the outward response
  2. Rasa, the relished aesthetic sentiment Correct answer.
  3. Vibhava, the stimulus of the emotion
  4. Bhava, the transient emotional state

Explanation

Rasa is the generalized aesthetic sentiment relished by the spectator when bhava, vibhava and anubhava combine harmoniously. Bhava is the emotion itself, Vibhava is its activating cause, and Anubhava is its visible manifestation, so only rasa names the relished experience.

Question 23Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

Which combination correctly pairs a dance form with its characteristic accompanying percussion instrument?

  1. Manipuri with the pakhawaj
  2. Sattriya with the khol drum Correct answer.
  3. Odissi with the chenda drum
  4. Kathakali with the mridangam

Explanation

Sattriya is accompanied by the khol, the barrel drum central to Assamese Vaishnava music. The chenda belongs to Kathakali, the mridangam to Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, and Manipuri uses the pung rather than the pakhawaj.

Question 24Fundamentals and Terminology of Dance

A choreographer combines a slow vilambit elaboration with a sudden drut passage and then resolves on sam. Which pair of concepts does this passage most directly illustrate?

  1. Aharya and vachika
  2. Raga and shruti
  3. Laya and tala Correct answer.
  4. Mudra and bhava

Explanation

The passage manipulates tempo, which is laya, and resolves within a metrical cycle, which is tala. Raga and shruti concern melody and pitch, mudra and bhava concern gesture and emotion, and aharya and vachika concern presentation and speech.

Question 25Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

In the five-element framework of dance, which element is primarily concerned with the arrangement of dancers and pathways across the performance area?

  1. Time
  2. Body
  3. Space Correct answer.
  4. Energy

Explanation

Space deals with where movement happens: levels, directions, pathways, formations and the relationships between dancers. Time governs rhythm and duration, Energy governs force and quality, and Body concerns the moving instrument itself.

Question 26Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer performs a phrase once at a slow tempo and then repeats it at double speed with identical steps. Which element has been changed?

  1. Energy
  2. Time Correct answer.
  3. Space
  4. Body

Explanation

Tempo and speed belong to the element Time, which covers duration, pulse, speed and accent. The steps and their spatial path stay the same, so only the temporal quality has altered.

Question 27Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

Which term describes the quality of movement that is smooth, flowing and continuous, without sudden stops?

  1. Sustained Correct answer.
  2. Percussive
  3. Vibratory
  4. Collapsed

Explanation

Sustained movement is continuous and even in its flow, releasing energy gradually. It contrasts with percussive, vibratory and collapsed qualities, which involve sharper or more abrupt changes in energy.

Question 28Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

In dance terminology, the term 'level' refers to which aspect of spatial use?

  1. The number of dancers in a formation
  2. The height at which movement occurs, such as low, middle or high Correct answer.
  3. The speed at which a pathway is travelled
  4. The direction a dancer faces relative to the audience

Explanation

Level describes vertical placement in space: low near the floor, middle at standing height, and high through jumps or raised limbs. It is one of the key spatial variables alongside direction, pathway and size.

Question 29Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A choreographer asks dancers to move in a curved pathway around the stage. Which spatial element is being explored?

  1. Dimension
  2. Focus
  3. Relationship
  4. Pathway Correct answer.

Explanation

Pathway describes the floor pattern or route a dancer travels, such as straight, curved or zigzag. A curved route around the stage is a direct exploration of pathway.

Question 30Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

The element Body in dance is best described as which of the following?

  1. The area within which the dance is performed
  2. The rhythmical structure that organises a phrase
  3. The physical instrument and its parts, shapes and actions Correct answer.
  4. The force and flow applied to a movement

Explanation

Body refers to the dancer's instrument: body parts, whole-body actions, shapes and the initiation of movement. The other options describe Time, Energy and Space respectively.

Question 31Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer raises an arm sharply and holds it still, then releases it slowly downward. Which pairing of energy qualities is demonstrated?

  1. Percussive then sustained Correct answer.
  2. Vibratory then collapsed
  3. Swinging then suspended
  4. Sustained then percussive

Explanation

A sharp, accented initiation is percussive, while a slow, even release is sustained. The sequence therefore moves from percussive attack to sustained follow-through, showing how energy quality can shift within a single action.

Question 32Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

Which statement correctly distinguishes rhythm from beat in dance?

  1. Rhythm is the steady pulse, while beat is the pattern of accents
  2. Rhythm refers to the loudness of the accompaniment, while beat refers to its tempo
  3. Beat is the underlying steady pulse, while rhythm is the pattern of movement organised against that pulse Correct answer.
  4. Beat and rhythm both refer only to the speed of the music

Explanation

The beat is the regular underlying pulse, whereas rhythm is the arrangement of durations and accents that plays against or with that pulse. Dancers may move on the beat or syncopate against it to create rhythmic interest.

Question 33Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

During a group dance, one dancer moves while the others remain still, then another dancer takes over. Which spatial relationship is being used?

  1. Mirroring
  2. Unison
  3. Alternation Correct answer.
  4. Canon

Explanation

Alternation occurs when dancers take turns, one moving while others are still. Unison involves doing the same movement simultaneously, canon involves overlapping sequential entries, and mirroring involves reflecting a partner's movement.

Question 34Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A phrase is built from a strong movement followed by a lighter rebound, repeated regularly. This organisation of strong and weak movement is best called what?

  1. Tempo
  2. Pathway
  3. Metre Correct answer.
  4. Duration

Explanation

Metre is the organisation of strong and weak beats into recurring groups, such as a pattern of accent followed by release. Tempo is speed, duration is length of time, and pathway is spatial.

Question 35Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

Which of the following best describes the energy quality known as 'swinging'?

  1. Movement that is held completely still in a balanced position
  2. Movement that hangs momentarily at a high point before releasing into a fall
  3. Movement that travels in a pendulum-like arc with momentum and release Correct answer.
  4. Movement that trembles rapidly in small oscillations

Explanation

Swinging energy follows a pendulum arc, gathering momentum and releasing through the bottom of the curve. The momentary hang at the top of a movement belongs to suspension, stillness to balance, and trembling to vibration.

Question 36Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer shifts weight from one foot to the other in a repeated rocking pattern. Which body action is being performed?

  1. Transferring weight Correct answer.
  2. Turning
  3. Gesturing
  4. Stretching

Explanation

Transferring weight is the shift of the body's mass from one support to another, as in rocking or stepping. Gesture involves movement of a body part without taking weight, turning involves rotation, and stretching involves extension.

Question 37Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

Which spatial term describes the size of a movement, such as a small gesture of the hand versus a large sweep of the whole arm?

  1. Direction
  2. Level
  3. Dimension Correct answer.
  4. Focus

Explanation

Dimension refers to the size and range of a movement, including small and large. Direction concerns where movement travels, level concerns height, and focus concerns gaze or attention.

Question 38Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer performs a movement sequence with sudden, explosive accents followed by complete stillness. Which description of the energy and dynamics is most accurate?

  1. The dynamics are purely vibratory, with continuous trembling
  2. The dynamics contrast sharp attack with stillness, showing abrupt change in energy Correct answer.
  3. The dynamics remain sustained throughout, with even flow
  4. The dynamics are purely swinging, with pendulum momentum

Explanation

Dynamics describe how energy changes through a phrase. Explosive accents followed by stillness create contrast between percussive attack and absence of motion, which is a clear dynamic shift rather than a single continuous quality.

Question 39Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

In Laban's effort framework, which pair of factors describes whether a movement is direct or indirect and whether it is light or strong?

  1. Space and Weight Correct answer.
  2. Weight and Flow
  3. Space and Time
  4. Time and Flow

Explanation

Effort analysis uses four factors: Space (direct or indirect), Weight (strong or light), Time (sudden or sustained) and Flow (bound or free). The pair describing directness and strength is therefore Space and Weight.

Question 40Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A choreographer sets three dancers on a diagonal, each one step behind the previous dancer, all performing the same phrase starting at different moments. Which two elements are most clearly combined?

  1. Time through a steady beat and Body through weight transfer
  2. Energy through sharp accents and Body through isolated gestures
  3. Space through the diagonal formation and Time through sequential timing Correct answer.
  4. Space through low levels and Energy through sustained flow

Explanation

The diagonal placement is a spatial choice, and the staggered starts create a canon-like timing structure. Together they show how Space and Time can be combined deliberately in composition.

Question 41Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

Which statement most accurately explains the relationship between energy and dynamics in dance?

  1. Dynamics refers only to the loudness of the accompanying music
  2. Energy and dynamics are identical terms with no distinction in dance analysis
  3. Energy is the force and quality of movement, while dynamics describes how that energy changes through a phrase Correct answer.
  4. Energy refers only to the speed at which a dancer travels

Explanation

Energy is the underlying force and quality of movement, such as strong, light, sharp or sustained. Dynamics describes the changes and contrasts in that energy across a phrase, including shifts between qualities.

Question 42Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer begins a phrase with bound flow, gradually releasing into free flow, and then returns to bound flow at the end. Which description of the dynamic structure is most accurate?

  1. A purely percussive phrase with sharp accents throughout
  2. A closed arch of flow that opens in the middle and closes again Correct answer.
  3. A continuous free-flow phrase with no control
  4. A phrase with no change in energy quality

Explanation

Bound flow is controlled and held, while free flow releases control. Moving from bound to free and back creates an arch-like dynamic shape that opens in the middle and closes at the end.

Question 43Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

When analysing a group dance, a teacher asks students to identify how the dancers' spatial relationships create meaning. Which observation best addresses this analytical task?

  1. The dancers transfer weight from foot to foot during the opening
  2. The dancers form a tight cluster that suddenly expands outward, suggesting a release of tension Correct answer.
  3. The dancers use sustained energy throughout the middle phrase
  4. The dancers perform the phrase at a faster tempo in the second section

Explanation

Spatial relationship analysis focuses on grouping, proximity, formation and how these change. A cluster that expands outward is a spatial observation that can be read as meaning, such as tension and release.

Question 44Elements of Dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Dynamics

A dancer performs a phrase in which each movement is initiated from a different body part in turn, while the overall spatial path remains a straight line forward. Which analysis is most accurate?

  1. Energy is the only element being explored in this phrase
  2. Time is the dominant element because the path is straight
  3. Body initiation varies while the spatial pathway stays constant, showing that elements can vary independently Correct answer.
  4. Space and Body both change together throughout the phrase

Explanation

Initiation from different body parts is a change in the element Body, while the straight forward path is a constant spatial feature. This illustrates that individual elements can be varied independently within one phrase.

Question 45Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

Bharatanatyam takes its present name from a revival associated with which region and cultural movement?

  1. Andhra Pradesh, linked to the Kuchipudi village tradition
  2. Tamil Nadu, linked to the Tanjore Quartet and twentieth-century revivalists Correct answer.
  3. Odisha, linked to the Gotipua akhadas of Puri
  4. Kerala, linked to the Kathakali training centres of the south

Explanation

The dance formerly called sadir or dasiattam was renamed Bharatanatyam in the twentieth century, and its modern repertoire was shaped by the Tanjore Quartet and by revival figures in Tamil Nadu. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are associated with other classical forms rather than with this renaming.

Question 46Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

In Bharatanatyam, the pure, abstract dance passages that follow rhythmic cycles without expressing a specific narrative are called:

  1. nritya
  2. nritta Correct answer.
  3. abhinaya
  4. natya

Explanation

Classical Indian dance theory distinguishes nritta, which is rhythmic movement without emotional meaning, from nritya, which conveys mood and story. Natya refers to dramatic representation, and abhinaya is the expressive technique itself rather than the category of pure movement.

Question 47Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

Kathakali's large headgear, painted faces and codified gestures developed chiefly within which regional performance culture?

  1. Gujarat
  2. Kerala Correct answer.
  3. Assam
  4. Punjab

Explanation

Kathakali grew in Kerala from earlier temple and folk performance traditions and is performed in Malayalam. Its elaborate makeup codes, such as the green pacha and the red beard, are specific to that Kerala tradition. The other regions listed have their own distinct performance forms.

Question 48Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

Which classical dance form is most closely associated with the Vaishnava Sattras established by Srimanta Sankardeva?

  1. Manipuri
  2. Sattriya Correct answer.
  3. Mohiniyattam
  4. Odissi

Explanation

Sattriya developed in the Vaishnava monasteries, or Sattras, of Assam founded in the tradition of Sankardeva, and it was performed by celibate monks before gaining wider stage presence. Manipuri, Odissi and Mohiniyattam arose in other regional religious settings.

Question 49Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

The Natya Shastra, the foundational treatise on Indian performance, is traditionally attributed to which sage?

  1. Panini
  2. Abhinavagupta
  3. Patanjali
  4. Bharata Correct answer.

Explanation

The Natya Shastra is traditionally ascribed to the sage Bharata and is the earliest systematic treatment of dance, music and drama. Panini and Patanjali are known for grammar and philosophy respectively, while Abhinavagupta was a later commentator.

Question 50Indian Classical Dance Traditions: Origin, History and Characteristics

Mohiniyattam is characterised by which quality of movement?

  1. Sharp, stamping tandava movement with wide leaps
  2. Rapid whirling turns performed in a skirt of flared panels
  3. Soft, swaying, lasya-dominated movement with gentle torso undulation Correct answer.
  4. Martial acrobatics accompanied by drum signals

Explanation

Mohiniyattam is noted for lasya, the graceful and tender mode, with side-to-side swaying and soft, rounded movement. The other descriptions fit forms such as Kathakali's vigorous passages, Kathak's spins, or martial traditions rather than Mohiniyattam.