Madhurima Class 9 Chapter 11, Dance as Visual Storytelling, looks at Indian dance as dṛiśhya-kāvya, visual poetry, which brings stories such as Kālidāsa’s Abhijñāna-Śhākuntalam to life through movement, gesture and expression.
What Madhurima Chapter 11 Covers
Dance as visual poetry: Indian dance is called dṛiśhya-kāvya. Dancers have told stories from Kālidāsa’s Abhijñāna-Śhākuntalam to Romeo and Juliet in Kathak and the dice-game scene of the Mahābhārata in Kathakali.
Āṅgika Abhinaya: the body as the tool of communication, using sthāna, chārī, gati, utplavana, bhramarī and hastas. Activity 11.1 starts from the sixth-century Dancing Śhiva of Badami, whose 18 arms can combine into 81 dance poses.
Vāchika Abhinaya: speech, poetry, lyrics, narration and rhythmic syllables create the soundscape of a dance. Activity 11.2 compares dancing to instrumental music (Tārpā, Diṁsā, Kaikoṭṭikaḻi, Rāut Nāchā), to songs (Bihu, Ghoomar, Dhamāl, Rāuf) and to your own singing. The Bauls of West Bengal sing, narrate and dance at once.
Āhārya Abhinaya: costume, make-up and props carry the story and the region; a dance can often be named from its costume alone. Props can add rhythm too: the metal cymbals of the Lezim of Maharashtra and the wooden chikkā of Punjab’s Bhangra.
Spot the dance: Activity 11.3 asks you to identify Lāvaṇī, Cheraw, Kullu Nāṭī, Baigā, Pūjā Kunitā, Siddi Dhamāl, Bastar and Phāg from their costumes.
Exercises in Chapter 11
- Use chārī or gati, utplavana and bhramarī, or hastas in your Āṅgika Abhinaya.
- Name three Indian dance forms where dancers sing and dance at the same time, with their states.
- Explain the āhārya elements of two dance forms you have learnt.
- Discuss whether a suitable costume improves a dance’s movement.
Read Madhurima Class 9 Chapter 11 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 10: Components of Dance
- Next: Chapter 12: Cultural Connections Through Dance
- All Art chapters and the other Class 9 books: Class 9 NCERT books 2026-27
FAQ
What is dṛiśhya-kāvya?
Visual poetry: the description of Indian dance as storytelling through movement, gesture and facial expression.
How many dance poses can the Dancing Śhiva of Badami form?
The sixth-century sculpture has 18 arms, and their combinations give 81 dance poses.
Which props add rhythm to a dance?
The metal cymbals of the Lezim in Maharashtra and the wooden clapper (chikkā) in Punjab’s Bhangra.