Kriti Class 8 Chapter 14, A Presentation of Dance and Choreography, recalls the origin of the Nāṭya Veda and distinguishes nṛitta, nṛitya and nāṭya, then guides students through staging their own three-phase group dance production.
What Kriti Class 8 Chapter 14 Covers
Nṛitta, nṛitya and nāṭya: in the Nāṭyaśhāstra and Abhinaya Darpaṇam, dance was nṛitta (pure dance) and nṛitya or nartana (expressive dance), and dance-drama was nāṭya. According to the Abhinaya Darpaṇam, Brahma drew on the four Vedas to create the Nāṭya Veda, the ‘fifth Veda’, and gave it to Bharata Muni, who mastered all three.
Phase 1, planning: the project is a dance production that retells a myth, legend or historical tale in today’s world. Groups decide the theme and storyline, whether to write a script, how many dances there will be, and the roles.
Phase 2, choreography and rehearsals: break the story into scenes, explore movement and emotion for each character using sthānas, chārīs and hastas, and work in breath, rhythm and silence.
Phase 3, performance: a grand rehearsal on the main stage with invited feedback, then the final show. Assessment asks you to perform one nṛitta and one nṛitya sequence and express two bhāvas with suitable hastas.
Exercises in Chapter 14
- Circle Time discussion prompts and Assessment rubrics at the end of the chapter.
Read Kriti Class 8 Chapter 14 Online
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FAQ
What is the difference between nṛitta, nṛitya and nāṭya?
Nṛitta is pure dance, nṛitya is expressive dance that conveys meaning, and nāṭya is dance-drama.
Who received the Nāṭya Veda according to the Abhinaya Darpaṇam?
Bharata Muni, from Brahma, who created it from the four Vedas.