PSEB Class 12 Dance common mistakes
PSEB Class 12 Dance · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Writing mudras in the answer book as a rough list of hand shapes without naming the associated meaning or usage context, e.g. listing 'pataka, tripataka, ardhapataka' with no gloss.
Candidates memorise the mudra sequence from a practical demonstration and treat theory as a recall list, so they never link each hasta to its viniyoga (application) or to a specific repertoire item.
What to do instead
Build a three-column table per hasta: name, formation of the hand, and at least two viniyoga uses with the abhinaya context. Practise writing two-sentence answers that name the hasta, describe the finger position, and give one concrete use in a repertoire piece you have performed.
Confusing the three angas of abhinaya or describing them as interchangeable, for example calling mudras 'aharya abhinaya' or treating nrtta and nritya as synonyms.
The terms are learned orally in the practical class and sound similar, and candidates never write them down in a structured way, so the categories blur under exam pressure.
What to do instead
Make a one-page definition sheet: angika (body, including hasta and gati), vachika (song, recitation, swara), aharya (costume, makeup, stage property), sattvika (inner emotional state). For nrtta versus nritya, write one line each with a named example from your own repertoire and memorise that pair as a contrast.
Answering 'describe the tala' questions with only the name and beat count, omitting the jati, the theka or bol pattern, and the division into vibhaga or khanda.
Candidates practise tala by clapping with the teacher and never learn the written structure, so they can keep time in the class but cannot explain the tala on paper.
What to do instead
For each tala in your syllabus write the full structure: total matra, vibhaga with tali and khali positions, the theka in bols, and one composition or item from your repertoire set to it. Recite the theka aloud while marking tali and khali with the right hand, then write it from memory without looking.
Giving a generic historical or mythological answer for a repertoire item, with no mention of the composer, the style or gharana it belongs to, its structure, or the mood it conveys.
Candidates learn repertoire by copying movements and absorb only the story, not the metadata of the piece, so answers read like a plot summary rather than a dance analysis.
What to do instead
Keep a repertoire card for every item you perform: title, composer or choreographer, style, raga and tala, number of sections, the sanchari or elaboration, and the dominant rasa. Revise the cards before the theory paper and use the same facts in the viva so both answers match.
Describing a rasa or bhava only by naming the emotion, e.g. 'shringara means love', with no reference to the sanchari bhava, the hastas and eye movements used, or how the mood was built in performance.
Rasa is taught as a vocabulary list rather than as an experience the candidate created on stage, so the answer stays at the level of a dictionary entry.
What to do instead
For each rasa in your syllabus write the sthayi bhava, the deity or colour association if your syllabus includes it, and a paragraph describing how you portrayed it: which sanchari bhavas you used, which hasta and eye movements carried the mood, and how the music supported it. Anchor each rasa to one specific line of a song you have performed.
In the practical performance, starting the item without establishing the sam, so the first footwork lands off the tala and the whole piece drifts against the percussion.
Nervousness plus rehearsal only with recorded music means the candidate has never had to find the sam live with a tabla player or singer, and the opening is the least rehearsed moment.
What to do instead
Rehearse the first eight matras to a metronome or live accompaniment until the entry is automatic, and practise a standard opening: a brief stance, a breath, then the first bol exactly on sam. In the exam, listen for one full avartan before entering, and if you lose the cycle, return to the theka rather than speeding up.
Breaking character mid-performance to check the teacher's face, adjust costume, or restart after a small slip, so the abhinaya collapses and the examiner sees the lapse rather than the piece.
Candidates treat a mistake as a failure state rather than part of a live performance, and they have only ever performed in front of familiar classmates.
What to do instead
In rehearsal, deliberately introduce a small error and continue without stopping, so recovery becomes a trained habit. Before the exam, do a full run in costume in front of at least one unfamiliar observer, and agree a personal recovery rule: hold the bhava, take the next natural beat, and carry on.
Standing with locked knees, collapsed shoulders, or a swaying spine during the item, so lines are unclear and stamina fails in the second half.
Candidates focus on footwork and abhinaya and treat posture as decoration, and they rehearse in short bursts rather than at full length, so the body gives out under exam duration.
What to do instead
Add a short daily conditioning block: standing in the basic stance with lifted sternum and grounded feet, then holding it for one full item length. Film yourself from the front and side once a week and check knee alignment, shoulder level, and whether the spine stays vertical on turns and in the aramandi position.
Giving one-word or yes/no answers in the viva, or answering a question about the repertoire with a memorised paragraph that does not match what was just performed.
Candidates prepare the theory paper and the item separately and never rehearse speaking about their own performance, so the viva is the first time they have to explain it aloud.
What to do instead
Hold mock vivas with a peer who asks about your item, your tala, your costume, and why you chose a particular sanchari. Practise answers of two to four sentences that start with the direct answer, then give one supporting detail from your own performance, and make sure the facts match your repertoire cards.
Treating the practical marks as purely technical, so the candidate ignores the entry, the namaskar or salutation, the exit, and the presentation of costume and makeup, and loses marks on presentation.
Candidates believe marks come only from the dance steps and consider stage etiquette and grooming as formalities, so these are never rehearsed as part of the item.
What to do instead
Rehearse the whole frame, not just the item: the walk to the start position, the salutation, the hold before the first beat, the closing, and the exit. Do one full dress rehearsal with the exact costume, jewellery, hair, and makeup you will wear, and check that nothing restricts movement or makes noise during the item.