SSC
The dance movement characterised by bent legs (half-sitting posture), while the feet keep the rhythm, is a key feature of which dance?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Bharatanatyam
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is Bharatanatyam. One of the most distinctive features of Bharatanatyam is its basic posture, called aramandi (or ardhamandali), which means "half-sitting". In this posture, the dancer bends the knees outwards, keeping the heels together and the toes pointing out to the sides, so that the legs form a diamond shape. The upper body is held straight and still.
Much of the footwork of Bharatanatyam is performed in this half-sitting position, with the feet striking the floor in precise rhythmic patterns called adavus. There are many types of adavus, such as the tatta adavu (striking the floor), the natta adavu (stretching the legs) and the kuditta mettu adavu (jumping), and every Bharatanatyam student spends years mastering them. The aramandi gives Bharatanatyam its strong, geometric look, with clean lines and triangles formed by the arms and legs, which reflects the sculptural quality of the dance. Many of the poses of Bharatanatyam are similar to the sculptures of dancers found in South Indian temples, especially the 108 karanas carved on the gopurams of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.
About the other options:
- Kathak is known for its upright posture, with the legs mostly straight, and for its fast footwork (tatkar) and spins (chakkars).
- Manipuri is known for its soft, rounded and flowing movements, in which the dancers do not strike the floor hard.
- Bhangra is a vigorous folk dance of Punjab, known for its jumps, kicks and raised arms, to the beat of the dhol.
Odissi also has a characteristic basic posture, called the chauka, a square stance with bent knees that represents Lord Jagannath, and the tribhanga, a graceful posture with three bends in the body (at the neck, the waist and the knee).
💡 Exam tip
Questions on the basic postures of classical dances are common. Remember aramandi (Bharatanatyam, half-sitting), chauka and tribhanga (Odissi) and the straight-legged posture of Kathak.💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Indian Dance Forms Questions
View all ›- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:
Indian Dance Forms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indian Dance Forms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
Indian dance forms are one of the most frequently tested areas of static GK. This topic covers the eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya), the folk and tribal dances of every state, and related terms such as mudra, abhinaya, lasya and tandava. Most questions ask which state a dance belongs to, which community performs it, or which feature identifies a classical style. Learn the classical dances with their state and one signature feature each, such as the face make-up of Kathakali or the brass plate of Kuchipudi. For folk dances, group them state by state, since exams often list three or four dances and ask for the common state. Watch for dances shared by more than one state, such as Chhau, which has three styles. Practise the Indian dance forms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.