My Body in Dance
Class 4 · Arts
4 ideas in Class 4 Arts, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Festival Dances
Part of: Festivals and daily dance
Navratri is celebrated across India with each state keeping its own traditions, many dancing through it: Garba for Navratri in Gujarat, Dhunuchi for Durga Puja in West Bengal and Kolata in Karnataka. Classes dance together to favourite festival songs.
Why it matters. Shared festivals unite regions. Distinct dances honour local roots.
Try it in two minutes
- Name your favourite festival.
- Match three dances to states.
- Dance to a festival song.
Try at home. Dance to a regional festival song.
Everyday Moves and Beats
Part of: Festivals and daily dance
Daily activities become dance with arm movements, hand gestures and counted beats. Syllables like taka dhimi taka jhunu, ta thai thai tat and three-beat ta ki ta guide accurate moves with claps, stomps and snaps. Planting dances dig, sow, cover and water in four-beat lines.
Why it matters. Counted rhythms steady bodies. Ordinary chores hide dance steps.
Try it in two minutes
- Mime one daily chore.
- Count beats aloud.
- Add claps and snaps.
Try at home. Dance the planting steps outdoors.
Head, Neck and Feelings
Part of: Expressions and animal dance
Heads talk: side-to-side means no, up-down nods mean yes, looking up shows wonder at stars and skies, looking down shows sadness at floating plastic, and swaying shows anger at street garbage. Animals too communicate feelings through head and neck moves like crouching lions, turning birds and swaying cows.
Why it matters. Small moves voice big feelings. Wordless signals cross languages.
Try it in two minutes
- Nod yes and shake no.
- Look up in wonder.
- Sway in mock anger.
Try at home. Talk silently with head moves.
Animal Dances and Hastas
Part of: Expressions and animal dance
India dances animals: Pulikkali roars tiger, Mayilattam fans peacock, Purulia Chhau strides lion. Hastas hand-shapes name creatures — Mayura for peacock, Vyaghra for tiger, Simhamukha for deer and cow, Matsya for fish, Bhramari for bee — danced in Lion-and-Hare tales on 4-beat rhythms with distinct gestures per animal.
Why it matters. Gesture vocabularies multiply stories. Animal moves root dance in nature.
Try it in two minutes
- Shape Mayura for peacock.
- Shape Vyaghra for tiger.
- Move both to four beats.
Try at home. Enact one animal tale in beats.
What your child will practise
- Animal Dances and Hastas: Animal Parade Quest (Match It Up)
- Animal Dances and Hastas: Space Quest (Flip and Match)
- Everyday Moves and Beats: Jungle Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Festival Dances: Explorer'S Map Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Head, Neck and Feelings: Space Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Quiz: Animal Dances and Hastas (8 questions)
- Quiz: Everyday Moves and Beats (8 questions)
- Quiz: Festival Dances (8 questions)
- Quiz: Head, Neck and Feelings (8 questions)