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BSEH Secondary Dance study materials
BSEH Secondary Dance study resources

BSEH Secondary Dance practice questions

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Question 1Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In classical ballet, which term describes a movement that is performed on the diagonal, traveling from one corner of the stage toward the opposite corner?

  1. En diagonale Correct answer.
  2. En dedans
  3. En l'air
  4. En dehors

Explanation

En diagonale literally means 'on the diagonal' and indicates travel along a diagonal line across the stage. The other terms describe rotation direction or elevation, not spatial pathways.

Question 2Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which dance form is most closely associated with the aesthetic principle of 'weight' as a primary expressive tool, where the dancer deliberately uses gravity and fall and recovery?

  1. Cecchetti ballet
  2. Renaissance court dance
  3. Humphrey-Limón technique Correct answer.
  4. Irish step dance

Explanation

Doris Humphrey's technique is built on the principle of fall and recovery, using gravity and weight as the core of movement. The other forms emphasize verticality, stillness of torso, or refined courtly decorum rather than weight.

Question 3Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A choreographer wants a phrase to end with a body shape that is held briefly before the next phrase begins. Which term best describes that held shape?

  1. Plié
  2. Piqué
  3. Pose Correct answer.
  4. Port de bras

Explanation

A pose is a held body shape or position used as a still moment within choreography. Plié is a knee bend, port de bras is carriage of the arms, and piqué is a sharp step onto a pointed foot.

Question 4Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In Laban Movement Analysis, which category describes the spatial pathway a movement traces through the kinesphere?

  1. Effort
  2. Space Correct answer.
  3. Shape
  4. Body

Explanation

Space is the LMA category concerned with where movement goes, including pathways and spatial tension. Shape concerns how the body forms itself, Effort concerns dynamics, and Body concerns body-part organization.

Question 5Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which historical period is associated with the development of the first professional ballet companies and the codification of the five positions of the feet?

  1. The Postmodern era
  2. The Romantic era
  3. The Classical era
  4. The Baroque era Correct answer.

Explanation

The Baroque era saw ballet professionalize in the French court and theater, with codified positions and terminology emerging. The Romantic era came later and emphasized ethereal themes, while Postmodernism rejected many classical conventions.

Question 6Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which term refers to the quality of movement that concerns the timing of a gesture, such as sudden versus sustained?

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

Explanation

In Laban's Effort framework, Time concerns the timing of a movement, ranging from sudden to sustained. Weight concerns force, Flow concerns continuity of control, and Space concerns directional attention.

Question 7Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance critic argues that a work is beautiful because its parts are harmoniously proportioned and unified. This argument draws primarily on which aesthetic concept?

  1. Mimesis
  2. Organic unity Correct answer.
  3. Catharsis
  4. The sublime

Explanation

Organic unity describes a work whose parts cohere as a harmonious whole, a central idea in classical aesthetics of beauty. Mimesis concerns imitation, the sublime concerns overwhelming grandeur, and catharsis concerns emotional purging.

Question 8Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which of these is a characteristic of the Graham technique's signature movement principle?

  1. Suspension and balance
  2. Contraction and release Correct answer.
  3. Fall and recovery
  4. Spiral and tilt

Explanation

Martha Graham's technique centers on contraction and release, driven by breath and pelvic initiation. Fall and recovery belongs to Humphrey, while spiral and tilt are more associated with other modern approaches.

Question 9Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dancer performs a movement in which the working leg is extended to the front, then sweeps in a wide arc to the back while remaining straight. Which term names this action?

  1. Grand rond de jambe Correct answer.
  2. Frappé
  3. Battement tendu
  4. Développé

Explanation

A grand rond de jambe traces a large circular arc with a straight or nearly straight working leg, often through à la seconde. Tendu, développé, and frappé describe different actions of extension and unfolding.

Question 10Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which pair of terms correctly contrasts a movement performed outward with one performed inward in classical ballet?

  1. En avant and en arrière
  2. À la seconde and à la quatrième
  3. Dessus and dessous
  4. En dehors and en dedans Correct answer.

Explanation

En dehors means outward rotation or movement, while en dedans means inward rotation or movement. The other pairs describe forward/backward direction or over/under placement rather than rotation direction.

Question 11Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A choreographer uses a repeated phrase but alters its timing and level each time. Which choreographic device is being applied?

  1. Retrograde
  2. Repetition with variation Correct answer.
  3. Chance procedure
  4. Canon

Explanation

Repetition with variation keeps a recognizable phrase while changing selected elements such as timing or level. Canon involves staggered overlapping entries, retrograde reverses the order, and chance procedure uses random methods.

Question 12Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which historical development most directly shifted Western theatrical dance toward the ballerina as the central expressive figure in the nineteenth century?

  1. The rise of Romantic ballet and pointe work Correct answer.
  2. The development of court masques
  3. The codification of the five positions
  4. The invention of the proscenium arch

Explanation

Romantic ballet elevated the ballerina, especially through pointe work and ethereal themes, making her the central figure. The proscenium arch and court masques predate this shift, and position codification belongs to earlier Baroque developments.

Question 13Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In dance aesthetics, the term 'kinesthetic empathy' best describes which phenomenon?

  1. Dancers memorizing sequences through verbal cues
  2. Audiences judging technical accuracy of steps
  3. Choreographers choosing music for emotional effect
  4. Spectators sensing movement qualities in their own bodies while watching Correct answer.

Explanation

Kinesthetic empathy refers to viewers' bodily felt response to observed movement, as if sensing the motion internally. The other options describe memory, musical choice, or technical evaluation rather than embodied spectatorship.

Question 14Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance work presents everyday gestures rearranged to highlight their social meanings. Which aesthetic tradition does this most align with?

  1. Court ballet
  2. Classical Indian dance
  3. Postmodern dance Correct answer.
  4. Romantic ballet

Explanation

Postmodern dance often foregrounded everyday movement and questioned theatrical conventions, using ordinary gestures to expose social meaning. Court, Romantic, and classical Indian forms rely on codified vocabularies rather than ordinary gesture.

Question 15Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which term describes a dance composition built so that each section grows necessarily from the previous one, with no part removable without damaging the whole?

  1. Rondo form
  2. Suite form
  3. Organic form Correct answer.
  4. Theme and variation

Explanation

Organic form implies that sections develop necessarily from one another so the whole is interdependent. Theme and variation, rondo, and suite are structural patterns that can repeat or rearrange sections more loosely.

Question 16Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dancer performs a jump from one foot landing on the same foot. Which term identifies this action?

  1. Sissonne
  2. Temps levé Correct answer.
  3. Assemblé
  4. Jeté

Explanation

A temps levé is a jump that takes off from one foot and lands on the same foot. Jeté and assemblé travel from one foot to the other, and sissonne typically takes off from two feet.

Question 17Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which figure is most associated with the development of 'Ausdruckstanz,' the German expressive dance tradition?

  1. George Balanchine
  2. Marius Petipa
  3. Marie Taglioni
  4. Mary Wigman Correct answer.

Explanation

Mary Wigman was a leading figure of Ausdruckstanz, emphasizing expressive, often dramatic movement. Taglioni was a Romantic ballerina, Petipa a classical ballet choreographer, and Balanchine a neoclassical ballet figure.

Question 18Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A critic claims a dance is 'autonomous' art. Which position does this most likely express?

  1. The dance should be appreciated for its own formal qualities, not as illustration of another art Correct answer.
  2. The dance should reproduce recognizable real-world events
  3. The dance should always tell a clear story with characters
  4. The dance should be judged only by its musical accompaniment

Explanation

Autonomy in aesthetics holds that a work should be valued for its own medium-specific qualities rather than as a vehicle for narrative or another art. The other options describe illustrative or narrative-dependent views.

Question 19Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which element of Laban's Effort framework concerns whether movement is bound or free?

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

Explanation

Flow describes the continuity of movement, ranging from bound (controlled) to free (released). Weight concerns force, Time concerns timing, and Space concerns directional attention.

Question 20Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A choreographer arranges dancers so that one group moves while another holds a still shape, creating layered visual interest. Which compositional principle is most directly at work?

  1. Symmetry
  2. Accumulation
  3. Unison
  4. Contrast Correct answer.

Explanation

Contrast sets differing elements against one another, such as moving versus still groups, to create interest. Unison involves simultaneous identical movement, symmetry involves mirrored balance, and accumulation adds successive units.

Question 21Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which statement best distinguishes 'dance technique' from 'dance style'?

  1. Technique is the historical period of a work; style is its musical score
  2. Technique is the audience's response; style is the choreographer's biography
  3. Technique is the emotional intent of a work; style is the physical training method
  4. Technique is the trained physical method of executing movement; style is the characteristic expressive manner of a form or artist Correct answer.

Explanation

Technique refers to the systematic physical training and execution method, while style refers to characteristic expressive choices associated with a form, school, or artist. The other options confuse these with intent, history, or reception.

Question 22Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance historian argues that the Ballets Russes reshaped early twentieth-century dance primarily through which combination of features?

  1. Development of competitive ballroom standards
  2. Rejection of all narrative and music
  3. Collaboration among choreographers, composers, and visual artists producing innovative integrated works Correct answer.
  4. Strict revival of eighteenth-century court dances

Explanation

The Ballets Russes was known for collaborations among choreographers, composers, and designers that produced strikingly integrated and innovative productions. It did not revive court dances, reject narrative and music wholesale, or set ballroom standards.

Question 23Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In analyzing a dance work, a scholar separates the 'movement text' from the 'performance context.' Which distinction does this most closely reflect?

  1. The musical score versus the lighting design
  2. The rehearsal schedule versus the touring itinerary
  3. The choreographic material itself versus the conditions of its staging and reception Correct answer.
  4. The dancer's biography versus the choreographer's biography

Explanation

Movement text refers to the choreographic material, while performance context concerns staging, venue, audience, and reception conditions. The other pairs concern production elements or logistics rather than this analytical distinction.

Question 24Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which aesthetic debate is most directly raised by a dance work that uses chance procedures to determine its order of sections?

  1. Whether costumes should be traditional or modern
  2. Whether dancers should perform barefoot or on pointe
  3. Whether music should be live or recorded
  4. Whether authorial intention or indeterminate process should govern artistic form Correct answer.

Explanation

Chance procedures raise the question of whether the artist's intention or an indeterminate process should determine form. The other options concern staging choices rather than fundamental questions of authorship and indeterminacy.

Question 25Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A scholar compares two works: one uses a fixed, codified vocabulary; the other generates movement from improvisational tasks. Which conceptual pair best captures this difference?

  1. Prescriptive versus emergent choreography Correct answer.
  2. Narrative versus abstract choreography
  3. Symmetric versus asymmetric choreography
  4. Unison versus canon choreography

Explanation

Prescriptive choreography fixes movement in advance, while emergent choreography arises through processes such as improvisational tasks. Narrative, unison, and symmetry distinctions concern content or arrangement, not the source of the movement material.

Question 26Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In dance terminology, which term refers to the quality of movement that concerns the use of weight, such as heavy versus light?

  1. Dynamics Correct answer.
  2. Rhythm
  3. Form
  4. Spatial pattern

Explanation

Dynamics describes the qualitative aspects of movement, including weight, flow, and energy. It is one of the elements of dance often summarized by the acronym B.A.S.T.E. (Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy). Weight is a key component of dynamics, distinguishing heavy from light movements.

Question 27Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A choreographer creates a dance in which the movement material is generated by the performers themselves during each performance, rather than being set in advance. Which term best describes this approach?

  1. Reconstruction
  2. Notation
  3. Improvisation Correct answer.
  4. Codification

Explanation

Improvisation is the process of creating movement spontaneously in the moment. When a choreographer uses improvisation as the primary source of movement material, the performers generate the movement themselves, often within a given structure or score. This contrasts with set choreography, where movement is predetermined.

Question 28Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which term refers to a dance composition in which the movement is organized around a central theme that is stated, developed, and then restated?

  1. Narrative form
  2. Theme and variation form Correct answer.
  3. Abstract form
  4. Chance form

Explanation

Theme and variation form is a choreographic structure in which a main movement theme is introduced and then altered in subsequent sections through changes in dynamics, space, or timing. This form allows the choreographer to explore the potential of a single idea. It is distinct from chance procedures, which rely on random determination.

Question 29Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In classical ballet, which term describes a jump in which the dancer springs into the air from one foot and lands on the same foot?

  1. Jeté
  2. Assemblé
  3. Temps levé Correct answer.
  4. Sissonne

Explanation

A temps levé is a jump from one foot to the same foot, often performed as a hop. It is a basic ballet jump that can be executed in various directions and poses. The term literally means 'raised time' in French.

Question 30Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance scholar analyzes a work by focusing on how the choreographer uses repetition, inversion, and accumulation to develop movement material. Which aspect of choreography is the scholar examining?

  1. Choreographic devices Correct answer.
  2. Performance quality
  3. Stage lighting
  4. Costume design

Explanation

Choreographic devices are the tools a choreographer uses to manipulate and develop movement material, such as repetition, inversion, accumulation, and retrograde. These devices help structure the dance and create interest. The scholar is analyzing how these devices shape the composition.

Question 31Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which of the following best defines 'dance style' as distinct from 'dance technique'?

  1. A characteristic manner of movement expression shared by a group or era Correct answer.
  2. The use of improvisation to generate new movement
  3. A set of physical exercises designed to improve strength and flexibility
  4. The systematic codification of movement for preservation

Explanation

Dance style refers to the distinctive way movement is performed, often associated with a particular choreographer, school, or historical period. It encompasses aesthetic choices, cultural influences, and expressive qualities. Technique, by contrast, is the set of physical skills and methods used to execute movement.

Question 32Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A choreographer arranges dancers so that one group performs a rapid, percussive phrase while another group simultaneously executes a slow, sustained phrase in a different part of the stage. Which element of dance is being most directly manipulated?

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

Explanation

The manipulation of time is evident in the contrast between rapid and slow movement phrases occurring simultaneously. Time in dance encompasses tempo, rhythm, and duration. While space and energy are also involved, the primary contrast described is temporal.

Question 33Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which statement best describes the concept of 'kinesthetic empathy' in dance aesthetics?

  1. The choreographer's use of spatial patterns to create meaning
  2. The critic's intellectual analysis of a dance's structure
  3. The dancer's ability to memorize choreography
  4. The viewer's physical sensation of movement while watching dance Correct answer.

Explanation

Kinesthetic empathy refers to the embodied response of spectators who feel movement sensations in their own bodies while observing dance. This concept suggests that viewers can understand dance through physical identification with the performer. It is a key idea in dance aesthetics and phenomenology.

Question 34Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance work is structured so that each section is determined by the roll of a die, with no predetermined order. Which aesthetic concept does this approach most directly challenge?

  1. Authorship and intentionality Correct answer.
  2. Cultural authenticity
  3. Technical virtuosity
  4. Narrative coherence

Explanation

Chance procedures remove the choreographer's intentional control over the order of sections, challenging traditional notions of authorship and artistic decision-making. This approach, associated with Merce Cunningham and others, questions whether the artist's intention is necessary for a work to be meaningful. It does not necessarily challenge technical skill or cultural authenticity.

Question 35Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which term refers to a dance composition in which the movement is generated from a specific emotional or expressive impulse rather than a formal structure?

  1. Classical ballet
  2. Court dance
  3. Expressionist dance Correct answer.
  4. Ritual dance

Explanation

Expressionist dance, or Ausdruckstanz, emphasizes the communication of inner feeling and subjective experience through movement. It arose in early twentieth-century Germany as a reaction against the formalism of classical ballet. Choreographers like Mary Wigman and Rudolf Laban are associated with this tradition.

Question 36Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In analyzing a dance, a scholar distinguishes between the 'movement text' and the 'performance context.' Which of the following best describes what this distinction entails?

  1. The movement text is the dancer's interpretation; the performance context is the choreographer's intent
  2. The movement text is the audience's response; the performance context is the critic's review
  3. The movement text is the historical background; the performance context is the movement itself
  4. The movement text is the choreographed steps; the performance context includes staging, music, and audience Correct answer.

Explanation

The movement text refers to the actual choreographed movement material, while the performance context encompasses all the elements that surround and inform the performance, such as staging, lighting, music, and the audience's presence. This distinction helps scholars analyze how meaning is constructed through both the movement and its presentation. It is a fundamental concept in dance analysis.

Question 37Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Humphrey-Limón technique?

  1. Codified vocabulary of positions of the feet
  2. Use of fall and recovery to explore weight and balance Correct answer.
  3. Reliance on chance procedures for composition
  4. Emphasis on contraction and release of the torso

Explanation

The Humphrey-Limón technique is built on the principle of fall and recovery, which explores the body's relationship to gravity through falling and rebounding. Doris Humphrey developed this approach as a foundation for movement. It emphasizes the dynamic interplay between weight and balance.

Question 38Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

A dance critic argues that a work is 'autonomous' art. Which position does this most likely express?

  1. The dance should be appreciated for its formal qualities independent of narrative or moral purpose Correct answer.
  2. The dance must be performed to live music to be complete
  3. The dance is valuable only if it tells a clear story
  4. The dance derives its meaning from its social and political context

Explanation

Autonomy in art refers to the idea that a work should be valued for its own inherent qualities, such as form, movement, and structure, rather than for its external references or functions. In dance, this view holds that choreography can be appreciated as pure movement. It contrasts with heteronomous views that emphasize context or utility.

Question 39Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

Which of the following best distinguishes 'dance notation' from 'dance reconstruction'?

  1. Notation is a type of choreography; reconstruction is a type of improvisation
  2. Notation is the teaching of dance; reconstruction is the performance of dance
  3. Notation is a system for recording movement; reconstruction is the process of staging a work from such records Correct answer.
  4. Notation is the creation of new movement; reconstruction is the analysis of existing movement

Explanation

Dance notation is a written system, such as Labanotation or Benesh Movement Notation, used to document movement. Reconstruction is the process of using notation, video, or other records to restage a historical work. Notation is the record; reconstruction is the act of bringing it back to performance.

Question 40Foundations of Dance: History, Terminology, and Aesthetics

In the context of dance history, which development most directly contributed to the rise of the ballerina as the central figure in Romantic ballet?

  1. The rise of modern dance
  2. The introduction of the proscenium arch
  3. The invention of pointe shoes and the tutu Correct answer.
  4. The decline of court ballet

Explanation

The development of pointe shoes allowed ballerinas to dance on their toes, creating an ethereal quality that suited Romantic themes. The tutu, a short skirt, further emphasized the ballerina's legs and lightness. Together, these innovations helped make the ballerina the focal point of Romantic ballet.

Question 41Indian Classical Dance Forms

In Bharatanatyam, which hand gesture (hasta) is used to show a deer according to the Abhinaya Darpana?

  1. Mrigashirsha Correct answer.
  2. Suchi
  3. Tripataka
  4. Alapadma

Explanation

Mrigashirsha literally means 'deer head' and is the hasta prescribed in the Abhinaya Darpana for depicting a deer, its face, or a deer-like glance. The name itself signals the animal association, which is why it is the standard answer in hasta-viniyoga listings.

Question 42Indian Classical Dance Forms

The basic rhythmic cycle (tala) most commonly used for the Bharatanatyam margam opening item, the alarippu, is:

  1. Rupaka tala
  2. Misra chapu tala
  3. Adi tala Correct answer.
  4. Khanda jati tala

Explanation

The alarippu is traditionally set in Adi tala, an eight-beat cycle of four laghu-free units counted as four aksharas twice over, and it is the first item of the margam. It serves as a warm-up that salutes the deity, the guru, and the audience before more elaborate items.

Question 43Indian Classical Dance Forms

Kathakali is distinguished from other Indian classical forms chiefly because its performers:

  1. Recite the entire libretto themselves in Sanskrit
  2. Perform only seated abhinaya without any footwork
  3. Dance exclusively in a single fixed tempo throughout
  4. Wear elaborate painted faces and heavy headgear while communicating through codified mudras Correct answer.

Explanation

Kathakali is a dance-drama from Kerala in which actors wear towering headgear, painted faces (chutti), and elaborate costumes, and they narrate through a highly codified vocabulary of hand gestures. The sung text is delivered by vocalists while the actors enact it silently through gesture and expression.

Question 44Indian Classical Dance Forms

Which of the following is the correct pairing of a dance form with its home state?

  1. Manipuri - Karnataka
  2. Kuchipudi - Odisha
  3. Sattriya - Assam Correct answer.
  4. Mohiniyattam - Tamil Nadu

Explanation

Sattriya developed in the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assam and was codified by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva. The other options misplace well-known forms, so only the first pairing is geographically accurate.

Question 45Indian Classical Dance Forms

In Bharatanatyam terminology, 'nritta' refers to:

  1. Pure rhythmic movement without expressive meaning Correct answer.
  2. Expressive storytelling through gesture and emotion
  3. The costume and make-up of the dancer
  4. The sung melodic line of a varnam

Explanation

Nritta is abstract, rhythmic dance that emphasizes footwork, posture, and tala rather than narrative content. It is distinguished from nritya, which conveys meaning and emotion through abhinaya.

Question 46Indian Classical Dance Forms

The 'karanas' described in the Natyashastra are best understood as:

  1. The melodic ragas used for padams
  2. The rhythmic syllables recited by the nattuvanar
  3. Sculptural units of dance movement combining pose and transition Correct answer.
  4. The nine rasas of classical performance

Explanation

The Natyashastra enumerates 108 karanas, which are units of movement in which a posture is combined with a transition of the limbs. They are famously depicted in the sculptural friezes of temples such as Chidambaram.

Question 47Indian Classical Dance Forms

Mohiniyattam is characterized by which quality of movement?

  1. Stiff angular poses held for long durations
  2. Lasya, with gentle swaying and soft, graceful gestures Correct answer.
  3. Tandava, with forceful stamping and aggressive leaps
  4. Acrobatic lifts performed by pairs of dancers

Explanation

Mohiniyattam, the dance of the enchantress Mohini from Kerala, is celebrated for its lasya quality: soft, swaying, feminine movement with understated abhinaya. Its white-and-gold kasavu costume and side bun also distinguish it visually.

Question 48Indian Classical Dance Forms

The term 'abhinaya' in Indian classical dance most accurately means:

  1. The order of items in a performance repertoire
  2. The tuning of the accompanying instruments
  3. The rhythmic footwork executed to tala
  4. The art of conveying meaning and emotion to the audience Correct answer.

Explanation

Abhinaya is the expressive dimension of performance, traditionally analysed as fourfold: angika (body), vachika (speech), aharya (costume), and sattvika (inner emotion). It is what carries the narrative and emotional content to the spectator.

Question 49Indian Classical Dance Forms

In a Bharatanatyam margam, which item typically follows the jatiswaram and precedes the padam?

  1. Tillana
  2. Shabdam Correct answer.
  3. Mangalam
  4. Alarippu

Explanation

The conventional margam order is alarippu, jatiswaram, shabdam, varnam, padam, tillana, and mangalam. The shabdam, which combines simple rhythmic passages with short expressive lines, therefore comes between jatiswaram and the varnam or padam.

Question 50Indian Classical Dance Forms

A dancer performs a varnam in which the rhythmic passages (nritta) and the expressive passages (nritya) alternate around a central line of text. This item is best described as a:

  1. Javali
  2. Pada varnam
  3. Kirtanam
  4. Tana varnam Correct answer.

Explanation

A tana varnam is primarily a rhythmic concert piece in which nritta passages dominate and the sahitya is comparatively sparse, making it the vehicle for elaborate pure-dance improvisation. A pada varnam, by contrast, carries a fuller lyric line suited to sustained abhinaya.