Class 7 Arts (Kriti) Chapter 10, Dance and Sculpture, opens the Dance section with the Vishnudharmottara Purana maxim that sculpture cannot be understood without the knowledge of dance—connecting temple sculptures with geometric body postures, torso bends, Asamyuta/Samyuta Hastas and the nine Navarasas.
What Class 7 Art Chapter 10 Covers
Dancing Body in Sculptures & Geometrical Shapes (Activities 10.1–10.2) examines upper- and lower-torso postures, knee bends (mandi/araimandi) and foot stances in ancient Indian temple sculptures, mapping triangles, lines and curves formed by the arms and legs.
Hand Gestures (Hastas) & Navarasa (Activities 10.3–10.4) practices single-hand Asamyuta Hastas and double-hand Samyuta Hastas spotted in sculptures, and connects the nine Navarasas (Shringara, Hasya, Karuna, Raudra, Veera, Bhayanaka, Bibhatsa, Adbhuta, Shanta) with daily chores.
The Vishnudharmottara Purana: this text, dated around 400–600 CE at the end of the Gupta period, says that painting (chitrasutra) cannot be understood without the science of dance. The chapter uses it to show how dance and sculpture depend on each other.
Temples with dancing sculptures: Activity 10.2 studies the dance sculptures of the Chidambaram Temple in Tamil Nadu, the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha and the Dilwara Temples, among others. The knee bends are graded from standing straight through quarter, half and three-quarter bends to sitting on the toes.
Exercises in Chapter 10
- Activities, Circle Time reflections and end-of-chapter Assessment rubrics.
Read Class 7 Art Chapter 10 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 9: Performance
- Next: Chapter 11: Dance Vocabulary and Techniques
- Hindi medium: Class 7 Arts Chapter 10 PDF in Hindi (Kriti)
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FAQ
What is the difference between Asamyuta Hastas and Samyuta Hastas in Indian dance?
Asamyuta Hastas are single-hand mudras/gestures performed with one hand, whereas Samyuta Hastas are combined gestures performed using both hands together.
Name the nine emotions (Navarasa) in Indian performing arts.
Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya (laughter/joy), Karuna (compassion/sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera (heroism/courage), Bhayanaka (fear), Bibhatsa (disgust), Adbhuta (wonder), and Shanta (peace/serenity).
What are asamyuta and samyuta hastas?
Asamyuta hastas are single-hand gestures such as pataka and mushti; samyuta hastas use both hands, such as anjali and kapota.