Set 2 | Important Indian Dance forms MCQs

Correct Answer is B.

• Kathak is the classical dance belonging to the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
• The word Kathak has been derived from the word ‘Katha’ which means a story.
• It is probably evolved out of an oral tradition of story-telling.
• Kathakars are people who narrate stories largely based on the epics, myths and legends.
• Mime and gestures were perhaps added later on to make the recitation more effective.
• The Bhakti movement contributed a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms to the dance form.
• Dance in Raslila was mainly an extension of the basic mime and gestures of the Kathakars.
• Gradually in both Hindu and Muslim courts, Kathak became highly stylized.
• The 19^th century saw the golden age of Kathak under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of Oudh. He established the Lucknow gharana.
• In Kathak, weight of the body is equally distributed along the horizontal and vertical axis.
• Pure dance (nritta) is all important where complex rhythmic patterns are created.

Correct Answer is C.

• Shambhu Maharaj is an artist belongs to Kathak mainly.
• There are other artist like Achhan Maharaj, Gopi Krishna, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Rajendra Gangani ji, Sitara Devi, Rohini Bhate, Maya Rao, Mandvi Singh, Shama Bhate, Shovana Narayana and many more.

Correct Answer is B.

• Manipuri dance originated in the state of Mirzapur in the north eastern part of India.
• This region has been able to retain its unique traditional culture due to its secluded geographical location which has protected it from outside influence.
• The dance in Manipur is associated with rituals and traditional festivals.
• There are references to the dances of Shiva and Parvati and other Gods.

Correct Answer is A.

• Lai Haraoba dance of Manipur performed in early Vaishnavite period forms the basis of all stylised dances in Manipur.
• The principal performers are the maibas and maibis(priests and priestesses) who re-enact the theme of the creation of the world.
• New compostions based on the life of Radha and Krishna were gradually introduced with the arrival of Vaishnavism in the 15^th centry CE.

Correct Answer is A, B & C.

• The most popular forms in the repertoire of Manipuri dance are the Ras, Sankirtana and the Thang-Ta.
• Manipuri dance incorporates both the tandava (Nipa Jagoi) and lasya (Nupa Jagoi) elements.
• Manipuri dance has an elusive quality and it is generally known for its lyrical and graceful movements.

Correct Answer is D.

• Famous Manipuri dancers are Guru Bipin Sinha, Nirmala Mehta, Savita Mehta, Yumlembam Gambhini Devi, Darshana Jhaveri etc.

Correct Answer is B.

• Odissi dance form belongs to Eastern coastal state of Odisha.
• It is one of the Indian Classical dances.
• Natya Shastra mentions regional varieties of this dance such as south-eastern style known as the Odhra Magadha. It can be identifies as the earliest precursor of present day in Odissi.
• Maharis were the chief repositories of this dance from centuries.
• It is a dance of love and passion, touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane.
• The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga.

Correct Answer is C.

• Archaeological evidence of this dance form dating back to the 2^nd century BCE is found in the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar.
• Later, innumerable Buddhist sculptures, images of dancing Yoginis, the Nataraja etc, bear testimony to this tradition.

Correct Answer is A & B.

• Artists of Odissi dance are Kelucharan Mahapatra, Gangadhar Pradhan, Pankaj Charan Das.
• Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, KumKum Mohanty, Anita Babu and Sujata Mohapatra contributed to the popularity of the Odissi.

Correct Answer is D.

• Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
• Andhra has a long tradition of dance-drama which was known under the generic name of Yakshagana.
• In 17^th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi, a Vaishnava poet. He was guided by his guru Teerthanarayana Yogi, who composed the Krishna-Leela tarangini , a kaavya in Sanskrit.
• It was Lakshminarayan who introduced many new elements, including solo dancing and training of female dancers in this dance style.