BSEB Matric Dance cheat sheet

Dance is purposeful, rhythmic human movement organized in space and time; Indian theory classifies it as Nritta (pure rhythm), Nritya (expressive) and Natya (dramatic narrative).

Four abhinaya: Angika (body), Vachika (speech and song), Aharya (costume, makeup and stage) and Sattvika (inner emotional states).

Navarasa: Shringara, Hasya, Karuna, Raudra, Veera, Bhayanka, Bibhatsa, Adbhuta and Shanta; rasa is the spectator's relish of an emotion.

Tandava is vigorous, rhythmic movement associated with Shiva; Lasya is graceful, lyrical movement associated with Parvati.

Laban movement elements are Body, Space, Time and Energy (Effort); a change in any one element changes the quality of the dance.

Classical Indian dance unites natya (drama), nritta (rhythm) and nritya (expression) with music and literature.

Alignment rule: in a neutral stance the plumb line passes through ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle; deviation increases load on the lower back.

Dance functions include ritual, storytelling, entertainment, social cohesion and cultural transmission; the same movement can carry different meanings by context.

Eight classical dances recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali and Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur) and Sattriya (Assam).

Bharatanatyam repertory order: alarippu, jatiswaram, shabdam, varnam, padam, javali and tillana; varnam is the longest and most expressive item.

Kathak derives from kathaka (storyteller); major gharanas are Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras and Raigarh; tatkar and chakkars are signature elements.

Kathakali is a Kerala dance-drama with green face for noble characters, red for villainous and white for female characters; chenda and maddalam accompany it and it uses 24 basic mudras.

Kuchipudi originated as Bhagavatha Mela dance-drama in Andhra; tarangam includes dancing on a brass plate and the Sutradhara introduces the performance.

Odissi uses tribhangi (three bends) and chowk (square) stances; typical items are mangalacharan, pallavi, abhinaya and moksha.

Manipuri is gentle and circular, centred on Ras Leela; pung cholom is the drum dance and the costume includes kumil and potloi.

Mohiniyattam is a female solo form of Kerala marked by lasya and the white-gold kasavu costume; Sattriya comes from Assam's Vaishnava satras and is associated with Srimanta Sankaradeva.

Jat-Jatin: Mithila women's dance, usually performed in the monsoon, depicting conjugal life and domestic conflict through rhythmic steps and gestures.

Bidesia: Bhojpuri folk theatre-dance created by Bhikari Thakur; its theme is migration and the separation of labourers from family.

Jhijhiya: Mithila festival dance in which women balance a perforated earthen pot with a lamp on the head while moving in a circle.

Domkach: wedding-season folk dance of the Bihar-Jharkhand region, performed in circles with clapping and simple footwork.

Kajari: monsoon folk song-dance of the Bhojpuri and Magahi regions, expressing separation and longing; women dance in groups.

Sohar: women's folk dance sung at childbirth and naming ceremonies, with auspicious themes and rhythmic clapping.

Seraikella Chhau: masked dance of Seraikella (now Jharkhand, historically Bihar), combining martial steps and mime; UNESCO-listed in 2010.

Paika: martial folk dance of the Bihar-Jharkhand-Odisha region using shield and sword, displaying agility and a warrior ethos.

Tala vocabulary: matra (beat), vibhag (division), sam (first beat), tali (clap), khali (wave) and avartan (full cycle).

Laya levels: vilambit (slow), madhya (medium) and drut (fast); dugun is double speed and chaugun is four times speed.

Jati counts: tisra 3, chatusra 4, khanda 5, misra 7 and sankirna 9; a tala's jati describes the subdivision of its matras.

Teentaal = 16 matras, 4+4+4+4; tali on 1, 5 and 13; khali on 9.

Jhaptal = 10 matras, 2+3+2+3; tali on 1, 3 and 8; khali on 6.

Ektaal = 12 matras, 2+2+2+2+2+2; tali on 1, 5, 9 and 11; khali on 3 and 7.

Dadra = 6 matras (3+3); Keharwa = 8 (4+4); Rupak = 7 (3+2+2) with khali on sam.

BPM formula: beats per minute = matras per cycle x cycles per minute; at double laya the duration of each matra is halved.

Accompaniment mapping: mridangam for Bharatanatyam, pakhawaj for Odissi, tabla for Kathak, chenda for Kathakali, pung for Manipuri and khol for Sattriya.

Anga = major limb; pratyanga = minor limb; upanga = sub-limb such as eye, eyebrow or lip.

Sthana = stance; chari = leg movement; karana = combined movement of hands and feet; mandala = sequence of karanas.

Bharatanatyam terms: adavu (basic unit), jathi (rhythmic syllable sequence), korvai (linked adavu series) and tillana (rhythmic finale).

Kathak terms: tatkar (footwork), amad (entrance), salaami (salutation), tora or tukra (short composition), paran (bol composition), gat (stylized walk) and padhant (recitation).

Abhinaya = expressive acting; Nritta = pure dance; Nritya = expressive dance; Natya = drama.

Bhramari = spin; utplavana = leap; aramandi = half-sit; muzhumandi = full sit.

Stage terms: downstage (towards the audience), upstage (away), wings (sides), apron (front edge) and cyclorama (backdrop).

A dance item is a complete composition with a fixed raga, tala, sahitya and choreography.

Hasta = hand gesture; asamyuta hasta = single-hand gesture (28 in Abhinaya Darpana); samyuta hasta = double-hand gesture (23).

Pataka: all fingers extended and joined; meanings include flag, cloud, forest, river and forbidding.

Tripataka: ring finger bent; used for tree, crown, arrow and fire.

Ardhapataka: little and ring fingers bent; used for knife, banner and corner.

Kartarimukha: index and little fingers separated; used for scissors, separation and lightning.

Anjali: palms joined for salutation, prayer and greeting; Hamsasya: thumb and index curved with the other fingers extended.

Kathakali uses 24 basic mudras; Bharatanatyam's Abhinaya Darpana lists 28 asamyuta and 23 samyuta hastas.

Notation systems: Bharatanatyam adavu solkattu (tat tai ta ha), Kathak padhant bols (dha dhin na) and Labanotation for spatial movement.

Nada = sound; shruti = smallest audible pitch unit; swara = note; saptak = octave.

Sapta swaras: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni; Re, Ga, Dha and Ni have komal (flat) forms and Ma has a tivra (sharp) form.

Raga is a melodic framework with arohana (ascent), avarohana (descent), vadi (important note) and mood; tala is the rhythmic framework.

Carnatic music accompanies Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam; Hindustani music accompanies Kathak and Odissi; Sattriya uses Borgeet.

Carnatic ensemble: mridangam, nattuvangam, violin, flute, veena and ghatam; Hindustani ensemble: tabla, harmonium, sarangi and pakhawaj.

Nattuvangam is the cymbal played by the nattuvanar, who recites sollukattu and cues the dancer.

Padhant is the Kathak dancer's recitation of bols; the tabla player and dancer must align on sam.

A dance item's music sets raga for mood, tala for structure and sahitya for meaning; changes in laya are cued by the conductor.

Bharatanatyam costume: silk saree stitched into a fan-shaped pyjama, temple jewelry, flowers in the hair and ghungroo on the ankles.

Kathak costume: lehenga or churidar with angrakha and dupatta, light makeup and ghungroo.

Kathakali: enormous headgear, green face for noble characters, red for villains and white for women; heavy skirt and ornaments restrict movement.

Odissi: patta saree, silver filigree jewelry and tiaras; Mohiniyattam: white-gold kasavu saree with a red blouse.

Manipuri Ras Leela: kumil (barrel skirt) and potloi for women; dhoti and pagdi for men; movements are soft and rounded.

Stage zones: downstage, upstage, stage right and left, wings, apron and cyclorama; blocking uses these zones for composition.

Lighting: front light for the face, side light for form and back light for silhouette; cues are written on a cue sheet and called by the stage manager.

Costume safety: secure jewelry, tape loose laces, check ghungroo straps and rehearse quick changes before performance.

Warm-up of 10-15 minutes: pulse raiser, joint mobility and dynamic stretching; prolonged static stretching before explosive dance can reduce power.

Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of light movement followed by static stretches held 20-30 seconds per muscle group.

Hydration: water before, at intervals during and after class; electrolyte drinks for sessions longer than 60-90 minutes.

Common dance injuries: ankle sprain, patellofemoral pain, lower back strain, hip impingement and Achilles tendinopathy.

Acute injury rule: RICE = rest, ice, compression and elevation for 24-48 hours; return to dance gradually.

Ghungroo fit: snug above the ankle, equal weight on both feet, secure straps and no loose bells; check before every class.

Floor choice: a sprung floor absorbs impact; concrete increases joint load; marley is a vinyl stage surface, not a shock absorber.

Overtraining signs: persistent soreness, poor sleep, mood drop and recurring injury; a rest day is part of the training plan.

Adolescent dancers need 8-10 hours of sleep and adequate carbohydrate, protein, iron and calcium for growth and repair.

Natyashastra, attributed to Bharata (c. 200 BCE-200 CE), is the earliest surviving Sanskrit treatise on dance, drama and music.

Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikeshvara is a key text for hastas and abhinaya; Sangita Ratnakara by Sarangadeva codifies music and dance.

Guru-shishya parampara is oral transmission from teacher to disciple; knowledge is embodied through repetition and correction.

Devadasi tradition: temple dancers in South India; Bharatanatyam was revived in the 20th century by Rukmini Devi Arundale and Balasaraswati.

Kathak received court patronage under Mughal and nawabi rule; Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras and Raigarh gharanas developed distinct styles.

Odissi revival is associated with Kelucharan Mohapatra and Sanjukta Panigrahi; the Gotipua boys' tradition preserved its technique.

Chhau dance was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List in 2010; Seraikella uses masks, while Purulia and Mayurbhanj do not.

Bhikari Thakur, called the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, used Bidesia to critique migration, caste and gender; Bihar's folk stage tradition remains active.

Sangeet Natak Akademi is India's national academy for the performing arts; it confers awards and recognizes eight classical dance forms.